Thinking about hosting a “Founder Clash” competition ⚔️

Hey everyone,

I’ve been kicking around an idea for something I’m calling Founder Clash ⚔️, basically a lighthearted startup idea competition.

The rough concept:

• People submit their early-stage startup ideas.

• Everyone gives each other feedback.

• Then we run a couple voting rounds to pick a winner. First an overall popularity vote → then the top 4/8 go head-to-head in a bracket format to determine a winner.

• Winner gets a small prize (I could sponsor maybe a $50 gift card) + bragging rights.

The point wouldn’t just be winning, I want to make it easier (and more fun) to share early-stage ideas and actually get useful feedback. Personally I’ve been really frustrated lately by how hard it can be to get feedback on new ideas, and while I wouldn’t compete in this myself, I thought this might help others facing the same struggle.

I’m still on the fence about whether this is worth trying, so I’d love your thoughts:

• Would you participate in something like this?

• Do you think a feedback requirement (e.g. everyone competing has to provide solid feedback on at least 2 other ideas) is smart or too much friction?

• Is there a better way to structure the “clash” so it stays fun and engaging?

Not sure if it would flop or not, but I’m tempted to give it a shot. Curious what you think. If you’d be interested in actually participating, let me know: It’ll help me decide whether to move forward, and I’ll make sure to include anyone here who wants in.