We launched on Monday, what a day….what a week leading to the launch… and what an exhilarating 6 month roller coaster ride this project has been. I don’t even know where to start describing the entire process, and some of the story still cannot be shared.
But first, I have to thank a few groups for the amazing launch.
I’ll start with the blogosphere and the general media for an amazing reception to the concept and the company. We are undoubtedly in the honeymoon period (although, for some reason, in Israel there already seems to be an organized PR campaign against us, which was expected given the amount of rumors swirling around the project). I will add a small summary of some of the writings about us just so I can generate some traffic back to the sites that took the time to write good things about us. I decided that if someone writes bad stuff about us, we will put them at the front of the line, instead of hide them. If this idea has merit it needs to figure out the way around all the obstacles and all the potential shortcomings in the framework, so anyone helping us “debug” it deserves credit – regardless of the motive.
I also want to thank the good folks at all the agencies that worked with us through the launch under crazy schedules and levels of uncertainty that would require significant dosage of Prozac to stay sane. Hill & Knowlton and Addis Creson did an awesome job under duress, and the folks at Snowball Studios created the illustrative video that showed our battery concept (literally overnight).
Our great investors are indeed putting their trust and money in us based on great spreadsheets, but you can see in the way they talk and behave that they put their hearts and commitments into this mission. Idan Ofer is beyond commitment to mitigating climate change in all of his businesses; Mike Granoff and his group of angels define the new age of geo-capitalism; VantagePoint folks, Alan, Bill, Stephan, Lou have all signed up to build the entire eco-system around our framework, and the Morgan Stanley folks are offering us any help we can from their vast talent pool – to make this one go faster to execution.
Finally to our extended family - the guys who signed up to Project Better Place and their immediate family members – I have to beg forgiveness for the endless hours before (and probably after) this launch. We are literally doing this for our kids.
THANK YOU ALL!
Now, enough of this sentimental stuff – we got work to do.
shai
check out these links:
Radically re-thinking the automotive business model
http://blogs.discovery.com/news_tech/2007/11/electric-car-sc.html
Hi Shai,
Congrats on the launch and good luck! I am not sure you have seen this presentation that touches on similar notes you hit in the presentation.. thought I will share for the benefit of the readers.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/128
Posted by: Ganesh Bell | November 01, 2007 at 10:13 PM
Congratulations!
Posted by: Mike Rosenberg | November 02, 2007 at 05:41 AM
Hey Shai, here is an article that was published on Israel21c.com. http://www.israel21c.com/bin/en.jsp?enDispWho=Views%5El326&enPage=BlankPage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enVersion=0&enZone=Views&
I wrote it before the announcement, and I thought there would be an Israeli made electric car. All the other points were covered, it was difficult to accumulate the quotes; you did a very good job being discreet. The article got the most Talkback comments of any other article on the site.
Posted by: Ben Bakhshi | November 02, 2007 at 10:47 AM
why not to build a car at the factory in Nazereth elite, using the idea of battery rental system that you have developed,
Posted by: benny | November 03, 2007 at 02:51 AM
why not to build a car at the factory in Nazereth elite, using the idea of battery rental system that you have developed,
Posted by: benny | November 03, 2007 at 02:52 AM
Hi Shai,
Interesting that you chose (again) the energy integration point for your starter in Cleantech arena.
Good Luck
Ami.
Posted by: Ami | November 05, 2007 at 03:03 AM
"for some reason, in Israel there already seems to be an organized PR campaign against us"
Well, I'll tell you the reason: It said in an article in Maariv, 29/10/2007 that you demanded a grant of 600 million dollars from the Government of Israel.
We wish you the best of luck with your new enterprise, but not at the cost of Israeli taxpayers!
Please issue a statement that you are not going to raid the Israeli Treasury.
Jacob
Posted by: Jacob | November 05, 2007 at 04:10 AM
New idea, new competition, new products… solving old problems; why not? Something must change in the automotive energy sector, and I welcome anybody that will tackle this behemoth.
In this regard, I hold Shai up to Lary Flint, or Madalyn Murry O’Hare (no direct comparison). He is working to solve a big problem; fighting the fight you wish you could. He’s not forcing you to buy anything, raising your taxes, or conscripting you to any service. If this works it can only drive prices down as competition arises… the second wave! He proposes a plan that can strike directly where it counts… the consumer bankroll.
Posted by: John Mittendorf | November 05, 2007 at 07:53 AM
How about a new patent pending economic technology that changes commerce as we know it. This could be the holy grail of the social networking business model as well as provide the economic process to make green technology affordable to everyone. . It will help make marketing of alternative energy methods like those being developed by Mr. Shai Agassi successful.
Cost Free Economics can convert all consumer transactions to mandatory savings. Wouldn't an economic technology that converts all consumer spending to mandatory savings and a secure retirement change our world in light of the US Commerce Dept report that stated Americans' now spend more than they earn..?
What if that same economic principle could convert even gambling losses from a vice to a virtue... entertainment and daily spending to future financial security. Cost Free Economics patent pending process turns even gambling and consumer transactions such as daily bill paying into a mandatory savings program.
Soon there will be ads with elderly actors telling young kids to learn to spend and gamble more ...
O.K. Kids, Listen good... learn to Gamble and Spend more... You'll need the money later when you retire...
Your folks never learned to save all they spent... don't make that mistake... spend more now... you'll need the money later.
This message brought to you by ShopCostFree.com
SAVE ALL YOU SPEND is now an economic reality, your path to financial security is to spend more now then enjoy your money again when you retire.
How about ads like that in the near future?
Please Review this start up project which is set to launch]
I was hoping to bring our project to your direct attention as I believe our patent pending innovation could be of some interest to your readers. We believe it to be the solution to the open ended question of direction for social networking and the future of global consumer commerce in general to include the travel, entertainment, banking and insurance industries just to name a few.
We have a patent pending on the process to combine portions of normal transaction costs inherent to all commerce with various income and investment streams and the compounding of those income streams and interest to return to the consumer the entire amount of the transaction at a later date. In short a market solution to provide consumer benefits funded by normal daily consumer spending without causing financial upheaval to existing commerce infrastructure.
We have developed a patent pending economic process that will radically impact the social networking business model and convert the concept of social networking into a world changing economic process. Applied to networking, shopping or banking it is the ultimate incentive to gaining and keeping new account growth of both consumer accounts and business customers. Our initial effort to establish membership is set to launch soon. The current portal is crude and targets consumer membership but will be upgraded as we grow.
Please review this economic discovery. The economic principles behind this discovery are easily understood and proven. Mr. Warren Buffett himself has utilized similar economics to fund a transaction, making the transaction totaling hundreds of millions, cost free to himself. Our patent pending process will put this economics in the hands of all consumers. It takes the concept of consumer rewards programs to the ultimate level. Current programs return only a portion of the transaction cost back to the consumer.
Currently, credit card companies and retailers utilize partial reward programs effectively. Now the Global Internet makes it possible for a great leap in economics. Our process converts normal daily spending to mandatory savings. Cost Free Economics is a process that returns to the consumer dollar for dollar the entire transaction amount spent. Imagine That!
This is not charity. It is an market solution engineered to correct the social injustice of being born poor. Convert bills, Insurance payments, Health Care costs, Travel, Entertainment, dining...and soon all transactions to mandatory savings. Even the money lost in Vegas no longer stays in Vegas. What goes down in Vegas can soon come home as savings. The process is engineered to fuel constant increases in consumer spending as it increases mandatory savings. Income tax revenues will double painlessly and benefit the nation.
Even the poorest will be able to provide The Gift Of Privilege to their future generations effortlessly just like the wealthy do. Poverty can be conquered one family tree at a time! If I am wrong, please show me where.
We believe this to be the holy grail of networking and commerce that will change many aspects of global commerce, banking and advertising on the internet. Even traditional commerce will be affected by it's reach as certain membership levels are reached. This project in time will affect all commerce from social networking and shopping to search and advertising. Please review our PROJECT DETAILS pages on our main portal AliasSpace.com.
Our main portal has been created with limited resources but demonstrates how this commerce, banking and networking site will be developed. We cover everything from social interaction to auctions and classifies as well as search and advertising. The covering patent has been filed in the USA.
Our site, set to launch soon is ShopCostFree.com. You can visit the Project Details pages on the main menu to see how it all works or go directly to CostFree.org. It is actually quite simple. We are launching what we believe to be is the greatest project of our time, a social shopping network and community with real solutions and purpose. I hope you find our methods and economic solutions interesting. We believe they will change the world.
p.s.
This process will soon play a major role in the future of the Internet and global commerce. It changes economics and commerce as you know it by harnessing the ultimate in consumer self interest. Simply put it provides a method for consumers to save all they spend from every transaction. Consumers will now be able to save all they spend effortlessly without changing their daily spending. It will even make possible for the average person to meaningfully join the effort to fight global warming by making it affordable for every consumer to convert to alternative energy and save all they spend to convert.
The project launches soon and below is an advance copy of what our press release will disclose.
Shop Cost Free Economics™ Discovered…
A Patent Pending True Killer App That Reshapes World Economics And Makes Possible Real Global Effort Against Global Warming And Oil Dependency.
This Discovery Unleashes a Truly Positive Disruptive Technology That Perpetually Fuels Economic Growth As It Eliminates Poverty Down Family Tree Lines Globally and Makes All Green Technology Affordable,
Cost Free Economics™ is best described as Capitalism operating at maximum efficiency. Simply explained, every expenditure a consumer transacts utilizing Cost Free Economics™ will effortlessly increase that consumer’s future savings by a like amount.
Finally an economic process engineered to fight global warming and reduce oil dependency on a scale as yet unimagined has been discovered. It opens the door for every consumer to actually be able to enter the effort against global warming in a meaningful way. Soon every consumer will be able to save all they spend on alternative energy, solar power installs and all manner of green technology.
Even consumers that just want to reduce dependency on present energy and power methods can soon turn their power system conversion spending to dollar for dollar savings. Reflect for a moment on the tremendous positive impact this represents to the consumer, to business and to governments as the world realizes the power of this innovative economic invention.
This is a patent pending proprietary economic discovery designed to continuously encourage and drive increases in consumer spending as it increases consumer savings by like amounts. It is also the only economic process engineered to help eliminate poverty, reduce outsourcing incentives and reduce product and film/music piracy as it increases economic growth and perpetually reduces the need for government social services.
The perpetual benefits to consumers, business, government and a greener earth are enormous… millions of consumers switching to solar or wind power… imagine the possible impact on just our dependency on foreign oil... No matter the position one takes on the global warming issue… the potential impact of reducing traditional energy needs should not be ignored. Start planning your future energy conversion needs now.
The immediate question that leaps to the mind after reading the above headlines would be…”Is this possible and if so how?” The answer is simple...Much the same way that the Oracle of Omaha, Warren Buffett recently funded a single $400 million dollar transaction.
Yes, Warren Buffett, the most successful investor of our time utilized and applied the same mathematics and financial principle to structure this substantial financial transaction for his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Warren Buffett has proven the mathematics and financial principle sound. This transaction was widely publicized. You can read more about it in a Washington Post article by Allan Sloan dated Sunday, April 6, 2003, A Borrowing Deal Worthy of a Billionaire...Zero-Percent Interest? Warren Buffett Does Better Than That. It details that we average mortals leap at a chance to borrow for no interest but Warren Buffett got paid to borrow.
The article also points out that the transaction is not only perfectly legal but also not immoral… no slimy like tax-dodging or dubious legality. In short the math is efficient and the financial principle is secure and proved. It is an economic reality that innovative financial principle like what was applied to secure this huge Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., transaction can also successfully secure the individual Life Savings Future Fund of every consumer.
The advent of the Internet and social networking now allows the combination of economic principles, global commerce and investment and affiliate income stream compounding to present Cost Free Economics globally. As a young man Ronald Coase made an important economic discovery about market behavior which he later in 1937 published, entitled “The Nature of the Firm”. This discovery was one of only two achievements singled out by the Nobel Committee that awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics to him some fifty years later.
Ronald Coase had discovered “transaction costs”. Transaction costs remain a fundamental economic force in all economic transactions even fueling the outsourcing trend of today’s economies.
Now a new economic discovery will step forward, Cost Free Economics™. This innovation in economics will harness transaction costs and affiliate income in an economic transaction effortlessly to benefit all parties. The key word, “effortlessly”, is vital. It is important to note that Cost Free Economics™ requires no additional transaction actions on the part of the consumer to benefit them.
This patent pending economic discovery converts a consumer’s lifetime of spending into a lifetime of savings. It encourages and fuels increased individual consumer spending as it increases consumer savings in like amounts. This will truly be recognized as the most innovative and important economic discovery of our time. It will remain to history to see if it becomes recognized as, “The Greatest Economic Discovery”.
Poverty at home and globally is the greatest threat to civility and our American values of liberty, justice and democracy. Our freedom and way of life is now under siege. Radical fundamentalism and terrorism can only be truly defeated by eliminating poverty.
Eliminating poverty can only be accomplished with long term perpetual programs targeting all poverty. What is clearly needed is an economic program accessible to all that is not based on charity but is based on identifiable economic rules which are clearly defined, computerized and projected into the future to eliminate lines of poverty along a family tree.
A gift of privilege just like the Kennedy’s, Rockefellers and other wealthy icons structured for their families. Through this project we can now give the poorest child the ability to give the gift of privilege to their future babies and grandchildren just like the wealthy families do…lifting themselves and their future generations from poverty one generation at a time. The economic and social-political impact of this is enormous. In time this process can literally lift the social burden of poverty off of government!
Imagine Einstein and others with their revolutionary creative theories which in turn led to splitting the atom and hastened the ending of World War II. We also seek to end today’s global conflicts which if not properly addressed could expand into global disturbances of equal or greater magnitude. Today’s global conflicts have the potential to become endless as they are fueled by an endless supply of global poverty and despair.
An economic chain reaction with the power of a nuclear blast in needed to wipe out the poverty breeding grounds and create fertile fields for seeds of liberty and democracy to grow. Creative economic innovation is needed now to battle global poverty, the breeding ground of violent crime at home as well as global terrorism.
Many have already made the ultimate sacrifice at home and abroad in this rapidly unfolding drama and our prayers and eternal gratitude will always be with them. We all would like to do our part to help deal with these threats and now everyone can. It is time to step forward to eliminate poverty! An economic innovation with the impact of a nuclear blast has been developed that systematically eliminates poverty one family tree at a time as it secures the future of our own children.
This new digital age we live in is just the dawn of a new age where global inventories can be developed and created with digital 1’s and 0’s. Customized and processed then shipped anywhere on the globe in literally seconds. In this new age originals are indistinguishable from its million’s or even billions of copies.
The nano age of the future looms before us. A new world has developed. In this new world small companies with innovative ideas such as Google seem to rise up from nowhere to threaten established industry Titan's and in the process become titan’s themselves. Witness a fledgling Microsoft utilizing innovative economics in its conquest of the consumer desktop at the expense of the then clueless reigning Computer Titian.
The sudden rise of Google and its nonchalant but methodical expansion across this same desktop real estate does not go unnoticed by the consumer world. As consumers we cheer on innovation and participate in the market changes with amazement. One might observe and comment, lessons learned, However sometimes lessons past do not translate into, “Learned Lessons”.
Today’s battle for the online user is a misnomer...the battle is for the consumer...on and off line. Everyone realizes they are one and the same. Discovering ultimate consumer self interest is the holy grail of commerce.
The bottom line, it is that the economic transaction, the exchange of monies remains the core component of economics. However, just as IBM missed the point in the first desktop battleground most are missing the point now.
When Mr. Gates proposed his economic innovation, the licensing agreement for an operating system and IBM accepted, the first battle of the desktop was already lost for IBM. They were defeated by economic innovation. Mr. Gates with foresight placed Microsoft in the forefront of every consumer transaction that IBM engaged. IBM was defeated at the start of the battle well before they even recognized they were in one. It was not superior technology but superior economics that propelled Microsoft to the top.
It is economic innovation and consumer economic self interest that will determine the outcome of future consumer loyalty contests. Cost Free Economics™ will help determine their outcome because it changes the economic rules.
By now all the participants have access to the same great technologies of today’s digital age. The technology playing field has evolved to that point. However, most are still facing off and taking volleys as if their collective technology is unique enough to take on similar and like technology. This is the economic playing field of yesteryear where economic might had overwhelming advantage. That was true so long as economic innovation did not change the rules. However, Cost Free Economics™ changes the rules.
Cost Free Economics™ becomes the great equalizer and superior force. There is no stopping overwhelming consumer self interest as an economic motivator for new consumer acquisition and continued consumer loyalty.
It is inevitable that consumer loyalty will side with the overwhelming force of consumer self-interest. As early Cost Free™ Consumers start to receive their Cost Free™ benefits and the world becomes aware ...a global gold rush atmosphere will develop that will envelope all other consumer’s.
Innovative economics in the form of Cost Free Economics™ is about to enter the field. Those who take notice will gain the advantage.… Cost Free Economics™, engineered to deliver the ultimate self interest choice to the consumer as well as to eliminate poverty one family tree at a time. All endorsements from individuals public and private as well as well as business leaders are greatly appreciated.
Enjoy easy access through our limitless portal AliasSpace.com. Shop our merchandise and auction mall, save all you spend. Socialize and date for free on our communities. Help us achieve our goal to secure you and your family as together we strive to help eliminate poverty, control global warming and better the world...
We Challenge The World to provide a better way... Join us or prove us wrong!
Posted by: Michael | November 05, 2007 at 04:12 PM
When your comment is longer than the hosts post.. thats uncool..
Why dont you keep it to a couple of paragraphs and avoid plugs..
Posted by: John | November 06, 2007 at 11:38 AM
great job!
If you ever think of getting into the Italian market, drop me a line.
Thanks
Ciao
David
Posted by: David | November 08, 2007 at 09:38 AM
Shai, can you come to an event we have at December 5 at Inbal hotel in Jerusalem and speak in English about your vision? I hope you can. If so, please send me an e. mail a.s.a.p.
Thx.
Shai Avnit
Primavera ProSight Ltd.
Posted by: Shai | November 08, 2007 at 11:17 PM
Dear Shai,
Please send me contact info. in order to introduce you to innovative technology that may save enrgy for cars.
Boaz Arad-Erder
OnRoad Ltd.
Posted by: Boaz Arad-Erder | November 09, 2007 at 02:38 AM
Hi Mr. Agassi,
My name is Emily Fink, and I am a junior at Montclair High School, Montclair, NJ. I am part of a group called the Civics and Government Institute (CGI), which is a program consisting of about 200 high school students where we focus on learning how to effect policy change. Recently, we watched "Who Killed the Electric Car," and were all deeply upset. Then I read the article in the Wall Street Journal about you and your company, and I wanted to talk to you about how we could get involved.
Is there a way to contact you through email to see what our high school can do to get behind your cause? We think that your ideas are great, and we want to be a part of changing our nation's dependence on fossil fuels. It is our generation who will inherit the problems caused by global warming.
We want to help.
Sincerely,
Emily Fink
Posted by: emily fink | November 12, 2007 at 05:54 PM
"Please Review this start up project which is set to launch"
I watched your affiliate elite review and I liked it very much!
Posted by: Steven Davies | March 01, 2008 at 03:44 AM
Excellent article and commentary!
Posted by: Best Internet Affiliate Marketing Programs | April 27, 2008 at 07:23 AM