IT Milk: entry

Earlier this month, on February 6th, I posed a question about what’s happening with the Lion Launch Pad here at Penn State University. A couple of representatives quickly responded to my blog post saying that everything was still on track. Since then, there has been some drama on the blogosphere and a couple of major changes at Penn State’s business incubator.

To recap, on February 7th, Rob Shedd, the founder of the idea of Lion Launch Pad, responded to my blog post on the PSU Startups blog, mentioning that the Lion Launch Pad office has expanded with an additional entrepreneur cafe:

Daehee Park asked the question that needed to be asked. What’s happening around here?

Apologies for the lack of updates on the blog - this is my fault. It’s incredible what an intense life consulting is, especially when you’re on a project with compressed timelines. That’s left me little time to blog, though it does not mean that there have not been changes.

Thanks to Dave Barton, the Lion Launch Pad Entrepreneur “Cafe” space is now open for business. We converted the back space into an area that’s perfect for drop-in student entrepreneurs working between classes. Outfitted with Wi-Fi, here’s what it looks like…

Shortly after Shedd’s courteous response, Dave Barton, the financial supporter of Lion Launch Pad, exploded in a comment to my post:

As the person who is paying for the LLP, I take exception to your blog entry. A quick trip across the street would show as many as a dozen entrepreneurs working on their companies in the LLP. You would see that while most students and faculty were off on their holiday break we ADDED and renovated space that increased the LLP’s capacity. I am not a sugar-coater, I don’t get paid by Penn State to do what I do, so I can say what I think. REAL entrepreneurs don’t wait for an engraved invitation or approval to get started. They kick the door down and get to work. Progress was not seen because you did not make an effort to look for it beyond looking at your browser. I make no apologies for the lack of blog entries, website updates our patting-ourselves-on-the-back announcements. We are all too busy WORKING on our companies.

Did you even try to get contact any of the people you presented to? Sometimes brain barfing on your blog is not such a good idea.

Barton’s harsh response surprised me because I did not intend for my blog post to be an accusing remark, and certainly not for any individual to “take exception to.” Rather, I had asked a simple question about what was going on because I could not find any updated information on the several public domains that Lion Launch Pad had set up for the purpose of communicating information about their incubator program.

While Barton was correct that I could have discovered the answer for myself if I had visited their office, I was also “too busy WORKING” on my company to go out of my way and take a trip down to College Ave. Weebly’s David Rusenko’s recent comment about Barton’s outburst says it better:

You may be the most stuckup sonofabitch I have run into in a long time. What Daehee did was nothing out of the ordinary, and your lack of understanding only goes to show how clearly you don’t get the Internet.

Let’s make one point clear: Updating a blog or keeping a home page with basic information IS NOT a hard thing to do, doesn’t take that much time, and is the only way the outside world knows that you are even alive. Failing to post updates is a sure path to being considered dead, or well on your way. This is how the Internet works, and it’s not out of laziness — I came to very similar conclusions, but I live in San Francisco, and you can’t foist the laziness attack on me.

Second, although I don’t know why, I personally take offense to you insinuating that Daehee is not a REAL entrepreneur. How childish, petty, and demotivating — the very last thing any entrepreneur needs.

While Daehee raised some very good points (What is going on with an organization that can’t maintain any form of external communications, including a basic website, and seems to have changed names without any kind of prior notification?), you have managed to singlehandedly destroy any respect I have for this incubator. A more appropriate response would have been to politely explain the situation — but coming on here, in full combat gear, is purely destructive.

Shortly after Barton’s response on February 7th, the Lion Launch Pad website went down and was redirecting to the Wild Apricot software website for a couple of weeks. Apparently they were switching web hosts.

However, from what I learned today from Rob Shedd and Liz Kisenweather of Lion Launch Pad, there seems to be more to the story:

As of February 8, 2008, Dave Barton requested that the offices at 234 E. College Ave., Suite 2342 no longer be affiliated with the Lion Launch Pad. Dave wanted to realign the focus of the space, which he was providing. It appears that this space will be renamed The Blue Line and Dave will continue his strong support of Penn State and Centre County entrepreneurs

At the same time, I discovered a local blog called “Left of Centre” that discusses the questionable efficacy of Lion Launch Pad/The Blue Line, Lion Launch Pad’s vanishing act, and Barton’s sudden breakaway from Lion Launch Pad. I don’t necessarily agree with all of Thor’s viewpoints but he does write very intriguing blog posts.

In a comment to Thorstein Veblen’s posts above, Barton stated that he separated from Lion Launch Pad to create The Blue Line because his goals for the incubator program were not aligned with Penn State’s which focuses on undergraduate entrepreneurship:

After 9 months, the entrepreneurs who took the initiative to use the LLP were largely recent graduates of Penn State. Only 3 of the first 12 companies were undergraduate run and this spring it will be down to one. This was is conflict with the LLP board’s intent for this to be an undergraduate experience, so the decision to separate was made.

Additionally, Rob Shedd said in his blog update today that the Lion Launch Pad will still continue to operate as a separate entity from The Blue Line on campus until new office space is scoped out:

The Lion Launch Pad has initiated a search for alternative space and we are currently exploring our options. Additionally, Liz Kisenwether and Robert Macy have begun open mentoring sessions on-campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are also in the process of launching a new web site.

If you are interested in the mentoring sessions, please contact Liz or Robert for an appointment during the following time blocks:
Liz - Kunkle Lounge Tuesdays 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Robert - 429 Business Building Thursdays 1:30-3:30

We certainly appreciate the strong interest in entrepreneurial programs related to Penn State and look forward to continuing to support aspiring entrepreneurs.

I am interested to see how Penn State’s Lion Launch Pad and Dave Barton’s The Blue Line will coexist as similar business incubators at State College. Or are these 2 programs unique enough in their respective goals to be able to operate in harmony? From what I’ve gathered from the above links, these are simply my assumptions: Undergraduate entrepreneurs will seek help from Lion Launch Pad, while recent graduates and outside businessmen trying to start a business in State College, PA will go to The Blue Line.