AWS Start-Up Challenge Announces Winner…What a Joke

Fri 7 Dec 2007

AWS Start-Up Challenge Announces Winner…What a Joke

Posted by Matt under Amazon Startup Challenge

In a shocker Oolyaloylaoyal won the AWS Start-Up Challenge. Despite being underdogs throughout the competition the Aoloyla team pulled it out in the end. It really shows all you need is a dream and 10 million in venture funding and you too could have a shot at winning this challenge. I think they’ll serve as an inspiration to entrepreneurs everywhere.

So if you’re working your ass off long hours and questioning whether you’re just wasting your time, watch this video of Yolaoyloa destroying a server…you know the type of hardware that would really help you as you foot the bill, out of pocket, for a shared hosting account, wishing you had that type of hardware.

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3 Responses to “AWS Start-Up Challenge Announces Winner…What a Joke”

Matt
December 7th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Jeff from the AWS blog emailed me to tell me the server used in the video was an old $69 piece of junk. I won’t publish his email, since I didn’t ask his permission, but he asked why I didn’t think the contest was legit.

Here the email I sent back (take note of how much less antagonistic I am):

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for acknowledging my concerns. I kinda thought the server was just a case, but I still don’t see the point of the demonstration and feel that it’s an example of excess that many start-ups can’t afford. Isn’t the point to be building, not destroying?

As far as the contest not being legit. I don’t mean it was rigged. It was fair in the sense that you could put me in boxing ring against 80s Mike Tyson and call the match straight-up, but I’d still get my ass kicked every time. You said yourself that you were impressed with their Backlot product. I’m not denying it’s impressive, but at the same time it took a enormous investment in hours and money to get to that point. How many of the 900 other entries could really hope to compete with that?

I think if this contest is going to happen again it would be better to have two different weight classes (to keep with the boxing analogy). Let the heavy hitters duke it out for the top prize and at the same time run an undercard with some of the smaller entries.

Thanks, Matt
Matt
January 23rd, 2008 at 7:37 am
It kills me (in a HAHA sense) that Jeff ended the post I linked to with “PS - I am sure that the first comment will be “When are you doing this again?” I don’t know!”, but here we are over a month later and the only comment is me bitching them out.
AWS Start-Up Challenge…Nothing To See Here…Move Along :: PseudoCoder.com
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:55 am
[...] The annual Amazon Web Services Start-Up Challenge is kicking off it’s second year. Before entering make sure to check out last years finalists and the eventual winner. [...]