A green car and some entrepreneurial lessons learned

#eco #green #electric #design #entrepreneur


It's a few years off but this looks like a pretty cool concept for an electronic car. 


Concept electric car for $7000


I particularly like the fact that it is a _collaborative_ project built around modular design.  We need more of that in the world and it's a good lesson for those of us who are entrepreneurs.


Sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to do it all yourself.  I just spent way more trying to build a website for my business on the cheap than going with the 5k price I was quoted from someone a year ago to do it for me.  I'm still trying to do my own manufacturing here in the US despite massive challenges and in the last year I've turned down an abundance of opportunities to outsource it all back overseas.  


I think I'm ready to admit defeat and give up.  The local suppliers I source my raw materials from are changing their colors and lines which has a massive knock on effect for my business.  In light of that I will probably go back offshore next year.  


I'm still a huge proponent of American made and of vertical integration (where you own the supply chain and the distribution chain as well as the manufacturing like Henry Ford did with the model T) but realistically I'm trying to get there too soon in my companies life cycle.


So my advice to all the other entrepreneurs out there is to do the bits you do really well and partner for the bits you don't.  While stubbornness is a good trait for a business person if something proves really really hard then you should probably start to look for a path of less resistance.