Tim Draper has become one of the biggest names in the Bitcoin world in recent years. After successfully placing the highest bid on the first batch of Bitcoins seized and sold by the FBI during the shutdown of Silk Road, Tim Draper has become synonymous with price predictions and Draper University , a startup accelerator.
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Draper University Center of Focus in ABC’s “Startup U”
In more recent times, the name Tim Draper has made its way to television screens near you, as Draper University is the center stage of ABC’s new tv show “Startup U.” In this television show, the focus lies on young entrepreneurs enrolled at Draper University, and the struggles they face during the course of this “startup bootcamp.”
Similar to how “Dragon’s Den” works in the United Kingdom, aspiring entrepreneurs enrolling at Draper University pitch their business idea to a panel of potential investors. Assuming these ideas hold some potential profit for the near and distant future, the panelists may deem the project worthy of investment or not.
That being said, “Startup U” has not attracted many viewers over the first few episodes. On average, at press time, 47,000 people have watched the show live or in a recorded state. These numbers are far from great, even though the show is definitely targeting a very niche market and exploring a “new audience,” so to speak.
To boost the viewership numbers, Tim Draper promised to donate a whopping $1 million USD to charities if “Startup U” hit 1 million a few weeks ago. Quite a bold statement, but Tim Draper is one of the very few people who would make good on that promise, just to inspire more people to explore the potential of entrepreneurship.
Giving Away Bitcoin More Attractive?
Giving away some form of monetary reward in the form of Bitcoin might help increase viewership numbers for Startup U in the future. After all, giving funds to charity is a noble cause, but individual viewers won’t receive any reward from tuning in, other than the information broadcasted on their screen. The recent change in consumerism demands some form of tangible reward for completing small tasks, even if it means changing the channel with a remote control.
Startup U represents a great way to not only expose Draper University, but also Bitcoin to a mainstream audience. Even though the show airs on one of ABC’s side channels — ABC Family to be precise — there is still a demographic that can be targeted. Pushing Bitcoin awareness and adoption to new levels through television programs could prove to be very beneficial in the long run.
What are your thoughts on Startup U? Do you like the show, or do you see things that could be improved? Let us know in the comments below!
Partial Source: CNN Money
Images courtesy of Tim Draper (Forbes), Startup U, Shutterstock
The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of Bitcoinist.net.