Build a Business, win $100,000

Yeah, they should've specified "most net profit" instead of "most revenue".

> What do I win?

100k, apparently. Since you know how to win, go for it!

Pretty good idea. To go full circle, the info product should be "How to Win the $100k shopify contest!"

That isn't necessarily as easy as it sounds. Anyway, you overall point is right. Using revenue as the metric opens this up to being gamed with some sort of low or negative margins setup.

Sell the most, based on your 2 best revenue-generating months, using Shopify in 6 months and win $100k.

To get started, maybe start by going through eBay auctions and buying warehouse and manufacturer contact lists that will send you demo items for free!

Note comment above (using adwords to churn with 0% margin, but winning the contest for the $100k). Profit might be a better indicator, but obviously much harder to measure.

divide by 6 (the contest is six months, not 2). That means 833 people for six months, some of whom will become successful and keep doing it. Then there's a 2% transaction fee for the entry level shop. Then, some will choose premium plans.

If they even get 100 successful new businesses (that last two years and end up on the 60/month plan), they've paid it back with interest - the unsuccessful startups are just a little extra. (And, they get people who will use the service as customers and tell their friends!)

Which is kind of insane, given that Shopify is based in Canada.

I'll repost here what I wrote for Tim's blog:

When putting together the contest we really wanted to make it a contest for anyone, anywhere in the world. Throughout the planning I spent more hours on the phone with lawyers than I’d care to admit to anyone. Unfortunately, as time when on, it became clear that it would be impossible to hold the contest anywhere outside the US without fundamentally altering the original concept.

Without going into too much detail, the crux of the matter is the classification of the contest as a game of chance versus a game of skill. Apparently, being good at selling stuff online is considered chance by many agencies and therefore would be governed by Lottery laws, as silly as this sounds.

That being said, you can still participate in this contest wherever you are. The prize money is significant, but don’t forget the spirit of the contest: to give a kick in the pants to all those people who have wanted to start businesses but haven’t. The real prize is having a business of your own at the end of the six months. You’ll still have all the same resources and guides as everyone else: support from the Shopify team, help and guidance from Tim and other experts, and more control over your financial independence.