The world we live in today evolves at speeds we can’t even comprehend. Startups are showing up every day with thousands of prospective entrepreneurs looking to be the next Steve Jobs. In order to do that, they need to act and react fast and with poise to the way the markets shift every day. And in the process, they also need to perfect their Elevator Pitch.
This is where BMW steps in to help entrepreneurs think up and deliver quick ideas, only this time aboard a BMW. The Hot Lap Pitch was brought to life by the creative people over in BMW’s New Jersey office. Throw in a BMW M550i and things get up to speed in no time.
So what is BMW’s Hot Lap Pitch? It’s an opportunity for a couple of bright entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to a venture capital firm represented by two partners. Peter Gallagher and Susan Hobbs of Crunchfund Venture Capital came down to Laguna Seca together with nine entrepreneurs, a BMW M550i and Bill Auberlen, to talk about the ideas that might shape the world. Of course, this being sponsored by BMW, a little twist was expected.
Unlike Shark Tank, where young brilliant minds were only concerned with keeping their line of though in check while standing firmly on the ground in front of high-ranking investors, this time, those looking to get ahead also had to keep their heart rates in check while being flown around Laguna Seca.
The man behind the wheel of the BMW M550i xDrive model you get to see in the video needs no more introduction to the BMW crowd as Bill Auberlen has been racing Bavarian machines for so long, it seems he was born into the Motorsport family.
What’s funny though is how different people react to the stress of being thrown around the track. It’s also a great way to show who has more poise and the biggest desire to win this challenge. Because yes, there is a winner here and yes, the opportunity he/she gets is not for everyone. The one who convinces the investors that their idea is the best out of the group in the short time they have at hand to do so, gets to pitch their idea at Tech Crunch Disrupt as well, where many more possible venture capitalists are waiting.
Keeping a clear head might be easy for any of the people here that are also gear heads but then again, how many of them truly are? It may seem like an easy job for us, enthusiasts, to do but what happens when your ordinary soccer mom gets in the passenger seat? The reactions are hilarious and in the nine videos BMW put together you get to see everything from people being scared senseless and extremely rigid to those actually having fun. Not to mention that you also get to learn about some rather interesting ideas in which you can probably invest if they seem good enough.