Simon Cowell plans X Factor for Tech
The hunt for the Susan Boyle of code is on
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The man responsible for unleashing Il Divo, Susan Boyle and Sinitta on the world will now apply the same star spotting eye to finding the next tech superstar.
Reality TV impresario Simon Cowell has teamed with Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.i.am to produce and new reality TV format based on the “X Factor” template, but this time the aim is to find technology innovators. Referred to as “X Factor for Tech” by Will.i.am, in The Sun the ambition is to find the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Will.i.am has been enjoying a cosy relationship with the technology and science sectors, in various commercial and educational advocacy roles, including taking the gig of Intel’s honarary director of creative marketing.
Meanwhile Cowell has dabbled in the innovation theme before, launching “American Inventor” in 2006, a program that pitched fledgling entrepreneurs from across the US for best new product concept. The show ran for two seasons but was not picked up as global format.
At a keynote at the IBC Conference last month, Will.i.am said the new artists are app developers and praised the creative minds at Google, Twitter and Intel. He also advised broadcasters to fill their offices with coders. “That isn’t innovation when there’s some guy there looking over your shoulder asking how you make money, sometimes you just want to design. Imagine if YouTube, Google or Twitter had asked first how you make money. What I like about startups is that it is a tool first to be adopted, the monetization comes later,” he said
He has also described Mark Zuckerberg, as the new John Lennon and Jack Dorsey as “he ain’t nothing but Mick Jagger. Just a whole different level, man. Just bigger.” ®
COMMENTS
So cowell is not...
Just content to fucking up the music business and dumping loads of half baked "talents" onto the music scene? Now he wants to fuck around with somwething he has no fucking clue about whatsoever? And who is the tard he is bering in on it? someone IT related? nope. It is a c-rapper with dubious musical skills who can design a different dress.
Will someone please tell that useless dork to leave IT alone. We don't want to likes of him anywhere near us!
Re: So cowell is not...
That's not what Cowell's intent is - all he wants is to put useless twats on TV so that the unwashed masses can (a) laugh at them saying how stupid they look and (b) vote on their premium rate phone numbers.
I'm wondering how much of an eejit you'd need to be to go on the show, considering everything you display will have to have patent protection or else you are putting it in the public domain. Hell, even if you show a product that works, but is not switched on, any IPR contained within it has to be protected prior to that.
And then anything softwarey will be instantly copied by all and sundry, probably by someone with better resources. And no doubt the contracts associated with appearing on the show will give Cowell & co a rich cut of the business as to make it fail.
If you have something great and need cash, get a proper business plan and seek an angel investor/VC.
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