Honduras GDP vs. the Toy Market

So how much are you raising?  Are you aware that we’re in one of the most painful consumer downturns in American history?  Where does $1.5mm get you?  Is this a for-profit or non-profit?  How much are you going to pay yourself?  You left Goldman and BCG for this?  Shouldn’t you just start the manufacturing somewhere else before making the gamble on Honduras?  What experience do you have in the toy industry?  Sorry, you wanna go direct-to-consumer through the web…how are you going to get to scale?  What’s so unique about this concept?  Am I right in thinking that the uniqueness here is Honduran wood…why not flooring or cabinetry?  Who’s gonna do the manufacturing?  Isn’t China gonna rip this off and deliver to Wal-Mart two months later?  What can you actually make with these blocks?  Hasn’t this been done before?  Do you have your Intellectual Property all buttoned-up?  What happens if you don’t raise the money?

These, and many others, were the very valid questions Chris and I faced in our effort this past winter to convince wouldbe investors that they should commit $1,500,000 of their capital to help us get our socially-motivated consumer products dream off the ground.  (more…)