Crushy McCrusherson crushed me!

Is there a greater sorrow than having one of your dreams crushed?

I had a spontaneous idea for an Internet based business last week. I reviewed it with D and went forward with a plan. I had a two hour meeting with a web designer that went well. I got 28 pages of data ready and prepared to go into a database. I brought an expert in the field on as a contract worker. I bought the domain name. I was rolling and ready to do this, "go live" before the end of summer.

The feeling was amazing. I had an idea and was working towards it. I would have been my own boss and working hard for something I was in control of. Finally free of the fickle job market in San Diego. So many needs were being met in me by this project.

And then.....

The first email I read Friday morning at work was the launch of an EXTREMELY similar web service by the university I currently work for as a temp!!! I had no idea someone else was working on this project and it was done almost exactly as I wanted to plan it.

Crushed? Could someone please take the SUV off me now.

So my idea is now worthless in that the university is rolling it out to the public for free ahead of me. Also I am charged with some of the beta testing of it as part of my new job assignments related to my recent promotion. My dream I thought was all mine, that I was planning soo much of my future on.....

Crushed!

The bright spot of hope in the whole experience is that I learned about the entrepreneurial spirit I had latent in me and I am only out $100 dollars rather than $20,000 right before launch.