Zack and Jack are absolute hacks in all respects of the game, but genius on every green. Together they effectively make their game both business and golf.
Rick and Dean are the serious golfers but hacks in the realm of creativity. Their foursome gathers. They trudge out to the first green early in the morning on the same day of each week with their clubs and notebooks in hand. It is a workday and even in these few hours of leisure the work never ends. They chat in earnest over the dismal state of the greens that day. Dean checks the weather radar with rain in the forecast. Will they get through the round?
“It’s only rained twice this year” Zach jokes. “Once for 15 days straight, and now again for 18 days straight. “This has made our game hard to maintain and if I don’t golf at least once a week my TMJ kicks in from the stress.”
RICK IS A KILLJOY
First eye roll from Rick as Jack places his first shot and replies, “TMJ? THC is your answer dude.” Bigger eye roll from Rick as Dean tries to appreciate the lively banter without feeling left behind. Being clever isn’t his forte but his business acumen is as sharp as his game.
He’s listened to Zack and Jack for over a year as the foursome plays, and he is sure they have a great idea waiting to hit the market, waiting for him to bite a big piece of the pie. They have the ingenuity to hit on an idea that might be as big as the Sham-Wow. Or develop a product idea that might be as explosive as those spinners that flooded the novelty stores and were in every kid’s backpack.
Nothing makes Dean happier than imaging the “hit” of that one big idea that will come from listening to the creative back and forth of Zack and Jack as they solve minute problems with big talk. One day an idea on any hole could be the hole-in-one shot that is going to find its way to Shark Tank or QVC for certain. If a mop can make millions then perhaps the squeegee stick the pair are talking about now as they curse the wetness of the green will score into the billions. Squeegees for the green exist but are inconvenient, poorly designed, and nothing you would add to your bag.
THE BUSINESS IDEA TAKES SHAPE
Who wants a magnum roller of gigantic size and clumsiness. This team is quickly throwing designs onto their notebooks of the perfectly designed collapsable but effective roller that look great mixed in with those custom clubs. As they chatter and dream this product into being the play moves from green to green. They envision a golfer’s must-have accessory with low production cost but big ticket price tag because of it’s convenient and trendy golf bag friendly design.
Dean hears them designing it, and the literal ching, ching, ching of coins begins going off in his head. “I’m in,” he says as he reaches into the cup to retrieve his ball, achieving his usual birdie for the hole.
“Brand is everything for this product,” Zack pipes up. “We’ll need a spokesman as fierce, and loud as that FlexSeal boat guy.”
Another eye roll from Rick as the foursome pull their umbrellas quickly out of their bags and ride out this sudden deluge of water coming from the sky, just as radar predicted.
This quick passing of rain delays the foursome, but just enough to move ahead with their play and as they roll up on the green, they are amazed. All four mouths agape at the standing water puddle on the green in the line of their putt. The first words out of their mouths are, “What I wouldn’t give for a Skwee-G club right now!”
IT IS ALL HAPPENING
The game is done and the LLC is formed. They pile into carts with notebooks set-up for drawing up the deal. Another burst of rain showing on the radar. Rick, who hasn’t said anything in an hour finally brings his opinion to the group, “That is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. It’s called casual water and you can move the ball out of the way of the water. Problem solved. You guys are idiots.” And with that, the company is dead before it begins.
All over the world as pin flags wave and carts whir up the path, sounds can be heard of deal-making, merger planning, LLC’s forming, and entrepreneurs dreaming.
Maybe one day we will hear about a billion dollar company started on a golf course instead of in a garage.