For the Children

Last week I went to a Colorado Springs Entrepreneurs meet up. They meet once a month and I decided since I'm building my own coaching business, I certainly qualify. We met at a library on the East side of town and I wasn't sure what to expect.

The group was mainly men and full of engineers. The topic of the night: an invention that could change the world. Seriously. The product: an aftermarket add on to any engine that will increase fuel efficiency, minimize carbon footprints and be a stepping stone as the motorized world shifts to hydrogen. For some vehicles, it increases fuel economy over 150%.

The inventor has been working on this project for 30 years. http://h2hypod.com

So why hasn't it been picked up by an investor? Don't they see the ultimate potential and market that it could over take? Why are people so resistant to change?

We listened to the product details, the engineering specifics and multiple reasons why it hasn't hit the market yet. The story is impressive - his passion of hydrogen is marred with setbacks. The product has the ability to change the world. Setbacks plague him throughout the development of his product, his co-worker dies, he is stranded in Europe without a penny and ends up courting the Russian Federation who are ready to invest, he breaks his back. He wins awards from Germany in 2008 as the best patent invention yet cannot break through to the right market. He's fluent and ultra knowledgable in his subject, but has difficulty finding the right investors. This labor of love, the time invested, and yet it's not getting picked up.

Three hours this meeting went on. Three hours we went round and round about the details. Three hours we heard about the problems and issues and past setbacks.

More background - he's approached numerous groups from credible sources and... what happens? Something isn't commuting. Where's the disconnect?

Finally, my non-engineer self interrupts. I have a question, what's your motivation? I mean are you in this for the money, the fame? Or is it for the environment?

"I'm doing it for the children."

Clear as day. No round and round detail explanation. What about approaching investors that align with your values and pure intention? Instead of approaching them with dollar signs and how many billions of dollars you could make them, approach them openly and honestly. At least that's my thought.

If you doing it for the children, then do it.