U. Penn: COLUMN: Getrichquick.com.

(From University Wire)

Byline: Melody Joy Kramer

I've been around Whartonites long enough to know that the big bucks are not to be made pumping out a weekly column. And to be honest, I've been running a little loose with the cash flow lately. A little loose, actually, would be putting it nicely -- between the books and the school supplies and the weekly tithe to the Senior Class Gift Drive, I was practically ready to plunk down in front of College Hall last week with a guitar case and my trombone and play some sultry Penn Band licks for pennies. But that probably wouldn't work -- the trombone doesn't really make people feel particularly charitable, especially when I do scales. For a moment, I considered donating my eggs to one of those couples seeking an Ivy League donor -- but realized that my entire genetic code would probably be a turn-off. I even considered trying to find my own sugar-daddy Ivy League donor, with an ad on Craig's List. I got some bizarre e-mails suggesting all sorts of shenanigans, but there always seemed to be a catch.

I was three seconds away from signing up for round-the-clock MRI scans and the removal of my right kidney when I saw the advertisement for some Web site a couple of Penn students started. And then another one, for a different Web site. And then a third. Then I heard that the founders of thefacebook.com just received $10 million from a venture capital firm, for little more than showing people who their friends were at school. Pretty simple, when you think about it. Maybe, I mused, my classmates were onto something.

But I have no investors right now for my project, roughly entitled "FindMelAJob.com," which is why I'm presenting my "Guide to Making a Web Site at Penn" to you. And when you strike it rich making your own Web site-cum-business-cum-resume enhancer, you'll know who to thank ... with stock options.

1. Come up with a really good idea.

The first step is to come up with a really good idea. Hooking up with random college students? That's so last week. Solving secret codes to win fast cash? Ha, that's been done. Creating a secret database of the sexual prowess of 100 Penn sophomore girls? Now we're talking. Try to think of the following items and see how many you can put on your Web site: sex, hookups, code-breaking, book-selling, food delivery. The more the better. If you make a Web site where people solve ...