Alexander’s Blog – The Making of LetMeGo

This post is the sixth test for the candidates of the LetMeGo I18N Challenge. It is the second public test. Tomorrow’s test, that won’t be public, will be the last one. Early next week we will announce the six selected entrepreneurs.

Candidates: You have 24 hours after this post is published to deliver the expected results.

Objective: Showing the human side of LetMeGo is important. You will be expected to have a blog similar to this one. In this task we will try to determine how good you are at working with blogging tools and, of course, blogging.

Task: Create a brand new blog using the blogging tool or blogging provider of your choice. Write and publish an entry written by you in either Portuguese or Spanish. Talk about your experience as a candidate of the LetMeGo I18N Challenge thus far. You must also customize the look and feel of the blog so that it is similar to the look and feel of LetMeGo (make sure it looks nice!) – If you would like to remain anonymous, you don’t have to sign the post using your real name.

Deliverable: Post the link to your blog entry as a comment to this post. Also, if you are participating anonymously please send us an email to challenge[åt]letmego[døt]com with the link. Remember to post it here as well, otherwise we won’t consider your submission.

Rules: This should be a brand new blog, not an existing blog you already own. Please do not  use the LetMeGo logo or the tag of the logo.

Questions? Post them here.

Alexander Torrenegra

P.S. If you are a candidate that has ties with Chile and you were directly or indirectly affected by the earthquake, please let us know if you need extra time to complete the remaining tests. Our best wishes are with you and those negatively affected by the recent events.

This post is one of the tests for the candidates of the LetMeGo I18N Challenge. Because of the fun and social nature of this test, we have opted to make it public.

You have 24 hours after this post is published to deliver the expected results.

Objective: To determine how agile you are with social marketing tools.

Task: To create a new Twitter account and obtain the highest number of legitimate Twitter followers you can during the next 24 hours.

Deliverable: Post a comment to this post with a link to the Twitter account that your created. You can post it anonymously if you like. Additionally, please send us the same link via email to challenge [at] letmego [dot] com. Both deliverables are mandatory. Regardless of the time of your delivery, we will count the number of followers you get tomorrow at 10 AM US Standard Time.

Rules: The Twitter account you use should be brand new. You cannot use an existing Twitter account. All the details and tweets of the account should be in the language for which you are participating: Spanish or Portuguese.

Questions? Post them as a comment to this blog entry.

Have fun!

Update: Some people have argued that this test doesn’t properly measure the Internet marketing skills of the candidates. Well, I couldn’t agree more. This test is more about resourcefulness than Internet marketing. In fact, as I mentioned to the candidates over the weekend “Initially, our main sources of traffic will be search engine optimization and our referral program. Other efforts, like PR and PPC, may also help, but I wouldn’t bet too much on them.” – As you can see, I didn’t even mention Twitter there.

We are very excited! The deadline to apply for the LetMeGo I18N Challenge was yesterday and not only did we receive hundreds of applications (387 to be exact), but many are of extremely high quality. After filtering out incomplete and erroneous applications, Leonardo has invited 154 candidates to the next stage, 87 for LetMeGo in Spanish and 67 for LetMeGo in Portuguese.

Starting tomorrow (Feb 22nd) and continuing until Sunday (Feb 28th), seven tests will be administered to all candidates at a rate of one per day. Each test will be designed to measure a different skill set. Although completing each test will take just a few hours, the candidates will have 24 hours to complete each test. On March 1st, the six selected entrepreneurs will be announced.

If you weren’t invited, I’d like to publicly thank you for your application. If you were, well, get ready! The next phase of the competition won’t be easy. In fact, I know that most of you will fail most tests. They are designed, after all, so that only the fittest will survive all the way to the end. With that in mind, I extend my best wishes to all of you.

Alexander Torrenegra

P.S. We originally mentioned that the responses submitted by the candidates would be made public; however, we have decided to make them private to reduce the chances of cheating.

In this guest post, Leonardo Suarez, Business Development Manager with LetMeGo and Torrenegra Labs, share some insights on his experience, so far, with the LetMeGo I18N Challenge.

The first time I heard the saying, ‘Get big fast’, was back in 1998, shortly before the dot-com bubble was about to explode. Back then, I dreamed of being part of ‘The Internet Industry’. Today, I feel lucky to have accomplished this milestone. I am now proud to be part of a globalization process!

When I asked @torrenegra, in one of our meetings back in 2008, “How will LetMeGo reach the next level?”, he repeated, “We must get big fast!” I still remember the confusing feelings at that moment; some of them as a result of the belief system that I, as human being, created to avoid “uncertainty”.

After several meetings, and doing our research about Internationalization (I18N) and Localization (L10N) processes, in particular for Internet companies, we came up with a conclusion: There is no “Golden Path“, and we must create our own method to test this idea and customize it based on our resources. In such cases, “creativity” and “flexibility” become very important, to avoid self-imposed limitations set by older strategies.

The Original Idea

The LetMeGo I18N Challenge is not the first time Internationalization (I18N) has been attempted by a Torrenegra Labs venture; last year we made a similar experiment, offering a share within a proven business model (Voice123), with the same objective of “growing in different markets understood as languages”, but aimed at a completely different industry. This experience allowed us to learn from our mistakes and identify where we have to be more detailed.

Based on this previous experience, we definitely agreed that the #letmegochallenge must be most innovative, challenging, and attractive; attempting to catch as much attention as possible from a wide range of profiles from experienced and consolidated serial entrepreneurs, to young and inexperienced, yet very capable geeks. This range will be dramatically reduced when the essence of the task at hand is identified by the applicants. We are definitely NOT looking for 8am-5pm employees. We are looking for risk takers, go-getters, analytic and pragmatic individuals, who are able to manage their resources to achieve long-term goals, and everything else that defines an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurs… NOT WANTED?

One lesson learned during this process was that job marketplaces and social networks are not very eager to promote these types of opportunities. The words “opportunity”, “entrepreneurs”, which are included in the subject of the original AD, in addition to a non traditional job description, have resulted in many headaches and being banned from websites such as craigslist and computrabajo, to several emails with innovative explanations as to a “head hunting process”, and it almost made me nuts.

In the end, I learned that I have to be more conservative if I wanted to a) have the opportunity posted, and b) attract a wider range of attention. We decided finally to change the original subject to “Regional Manager for Spanish- or Portuguese-Speaking Markets“. Initially I thought, “boring, redundant”, but there was no other way to post it. Fortunately, some advanced websites allowed us to include a logo, a video, and some HTML reducing the tedium of plain text. So, I crossed my fingers expecting that the right profile would read our ad and understand that we DO NEED ENTREPRENEURS !

Finally, as result of several days of hard work and dealing with the limitations from being in a company that offers job opportunities to people able to perform a job from remote locations, we were finally able to post the ad in a considerable amount of places. You can see here the list of places where we posted the job opportunity: LetMeGo challenge (P.R., job marketplaces and networking groups).

Looking for A Needle In A Haystack

The headhunting process is always a difficult job. The job seeker is occasionally fishing on a bridge over troubled waters, and they apply to any position that they might think can fit totally, partially, or just want to get a foot in the door. This made our innovative and attractive head hunting process a virtual madness, because some market places have their own version of “one-click to submit” methods of applying to jobs i.e. the hiring process. This innovation explains perfectly the pareto principle applied to our process.

*A detailed analysis of this data will be posted after the deadline of the #letmegochallenge.

Today, three days away from the deadline to apply for the LetMeGo challenge, we have already accepted 60 challengers that will move on to the next stage of the selection process. We are ready to receive more applications, especially from people eager to demonstrate their abilities and knowledge and that firmly believe in their entrepreneurial drive. Do I already have your application?

Leonardo Suarez (@leonardosuarez)

LetMeGo is a new online lodging agency that was recently selected as the best Latin American startup of 2009 (Spanish) (Portuguese). We are seeking individual entrepreneurs or teams, with or without experience, to launch Spanish and Portuguese versions of its service. These versions will target the markets of Latin America (including Brazil), Spain, and Portugal. Working from anywhere in the world, the entrepreneurs selected will become CEOs of their own companies, given long-term contracts, earn a yearly salary of USD48,000, receive bonuses equivalent to 20% of the dividends, and a 20% ownership stake in the business.

LetMego will hire six entrepreneurs (three for the Spanish markets and three for the Portuguese markets) for a six month contest period.  At the end of this competition, only one Spanish-language and one Portuguese-language entrepreneur will be declared the winner, become CEO of his own version of the LetMeGo service, and eventually become a partner in the parent company. If you are one of the six selected entrepreneurs, you will work from home while earning a small salary of USD1,500 per month for the first six months. During this period, you will launch your own version of LetMeGo in Spanish or Portuguese by translating the software (the Merrcury Engine), performing research, marketing your new site, offering customer service, and, if wanted or required, building a team to perform said tasks. Each entrepreneur’s site will have a unique domain name. At the end of this period, the site with the most potential in each language will absorb the other two companies competing in the same language. The two winning entrepreneurs  will each receive a five year contract; be named as CEOs; earn a base salary of USD48,000 per year ($4,000 per month); plus 20% of the dividends of LetMeGo in Spanish and Portuguese, respectively; plus stock grants for 20% at the end of the contract. We are calling this selection process “The LetMeGo I18N Challenge” (I18N stands for “internationalization”.)

Why Are We Doing This?

• The online lodging industry is relatively new or nonexistent in most of the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets. This means that there are few candidates who will possess a significant amount of experience in the sector. Instead, we are seeking those who have great potential, a drive to succeed, and an array of other skills that will help them create great versions of the LetMeGo service.
• Whenever possible, we prefer to find potential partners, not just employees.
• It has been our longstanding policy to hire people via contest–we feel that this has allowed us to build a team consisting only of the best of the best.

The Selection Process

Here is the schedule and the list of tasks involved in The LetMeGo I18N Challenge:

1. Applications will be received until Feb 20th, 2010, at 1:59 PM (13:59) US Easter Standard Time. More details below.
2. On Feb 21st, we will publicly announce the candidates who have been selected to participate in the preliminary evaluation tests. Candidates who wish to remain anonymous may do so.
3. Starting on the morning of Feb 22nd (Monday) and continuing until Feb 28th (Sunday) seven tests will be administered, one per day. Each test will be designed to measure a different skill set. The tests will be brief, and should not impact candidates’ normal lives.
4. Before March 15th, the six selected entrepreneurs will be announced.
5. On April 5th, the six entrepreneurs will each begin work on the task of launching their own version of LetMeGo in their own language. These projects will include, but will not be limited to the following activities:
   • Seeking out and selecting a brand and domain name.
   • Translating and localizing the software into Spanish or Portuguese.
   • Setting up the customer service infrastructure, including selection of the telephony and chat systems (to be paid by LetMeGo, of course).
   • Launching the service.
   • Finding and inviting lodgings to use the site.
   • Convincing travelers to try use the service via social and viral marketing.
   • Offering customer service.
   • Helping us improve the Merrcury Engine so that our Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking customers have a more seamless and enjoyable experience.
   • Building a team to perform all of these tasks, if required.
   • Blogging about it all.
6. From April 5th, 2010 through Oct 4th 2010, each entrepreneur will receive a small compensation of USD 1,500 per month.
7. On May  17th, six weeks after starting translation and localization, the six entrepreneurs will launch their sites.
8. Each entrepreneur will have a budget of USD 1,000 for marketing for the six months. Yes, it is small, but we believe that viral marketing and affiliate marketing is the best way for us to grow (the same way that Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Kayak grew).
9. On Oct 4th, 2010, the owners of Torrenegra Labs (LetMeGo’s parent company) will determine the winner in each language. The selection will be based on total revenue generated, total profit generated, revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and the opinions of the judges. The winning site in each language will absorb the other two that were competing in the same language. The entrepreneurs who have built the winning sites will be declared the winners of The LetMeGo I18N Challenge and will each receive:
   • A five year contract as CEOs of their LetMeGo sites for USD 48,000 per year, plus 20% of the dividends of LetMeGo in Spanish and LetMeGo in Portuguese, respectively.
   • Stock grants for 20% of LetMeGo in Spanish and Portuguese, respectively, after the five year contract ends.

Important Information to Keep in Mind

• This competition is not limited to individuals. If you would prefer to enter as part of a team, the team’s leader should submit the application. Should a team win the competition, the leader will be named CEO of the new company.
• LetMeGo is a global marketplace: All of the sites will share the same database of users and lodgings, which will also be shared with LetMeGo.com and its network of sites. We can, of course, track the bookings originating from each site.
• The entrepreneurs won’t have to worry about hosting or software stability. The development team of LetMeGo, working alongside ServerQuo, will take care of that.
• The cost of the phone system, chat system, credit card processing, banking fees, and personnel you hire will be paid by LetMeGo and it will be deducted from the net profits of each site.
• Each entrepreneur will be able to hire additional people for his/her team as long as their site is already making money and the cost of the new personnel doesn’t surpass the income of the site.
• Each entrepreneur and his/her team will sign a legally binding contract with LetMeGo, LLC, a US-based company.
• In the event that no candidate’s site meets our expectations, we reserve the right to award the prize to no one. We also reserve the right to alter the contest in any way that we see fit, including shortening or lengthening it at our discretion.

Desired Skills

If you are interested, please keep in mind we will be looking for the following skills:

• Online marketing
• Social marketing
• Customer service
• Copy writing in Spanish or Portuguese
• Localization (translation) from English to Portuguese or English to Spanish
• Management
• A talent for communication
• Strong analytical skills

Requirements

No previous experience as entrepreneur is required, however:

• You should be able to understand spoken and written English, and be able to speak and write fluently, as well.
• You should be fully fluent in either Spanish or Portuguese.
• You must be ready to work on this project full-time.
• You must provide your own laptop and high-speed, low-latency Internet connection. You can work from home or from anywhere in the world.
• Experience in the lodging industry is a plus, but it is not required.

The Benefits

• The opportunity of becoming a major partner of LetMeGo
• The chance to work with the team that won the prize for Most Promising Latin American Startup of 2009: LetMeGo
• Plenty of exposure for you and your project, given that LetMeGo and The LetMeGo I18N Challenge will being widely covered by the media
• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world
• The chance to take part in changing the way the lodging industry works in Latin America (including Brazil) and parts of Europe.

How To Apply

Update: The deadline to apply already expired on Feb 20th, at 1:59 PM (13:59) US Easter Standard Time.

About LetMeGo

We’re supposed to tell you we’re a “Web 2.0″ company that’s building “synergies” and “paradigm shifts” and “leveraging core competencies”, and that sort of stuff. Yawn. Here’s the scoop: LetMeGo is the most advanced lodging service on the web, built by world-traveling, ninja-grade coders who love great deals and hate hassles. It’s where you’ll find the perfect lodging at the perfect price. You can learn more about us and our team visiting http://letmego.com/aboutus – You can learn more about the making of LetMeGo by reading “Alexander’s Chat – The Making of LetMeGo“. LetMeGo has offices in New York City and Bogota, Colombia.

LetMeGo is a venture of Torrenegra Labs. Torrenegra Labs creates and invests in driven, enthusiastic, people-oriented companies that develop ground-breaking online technologies and leading-edge business models. Learn more at http://torrenegralabs.com.

Questions?

Feel free to post them here. Leonardo Suarez (LetMeGo’s Business Development Manager) and I will try to do our best answering.