Gary: How about giving interviews? Do you feel famous yet? :o)
Anshul: I'm not really sure if I'm famous, and I am not quite sure if being famous is being great. There is really only one reason I would want to be famous - being famous means that people are willing to listen to you. It would be great if I could reach out to the world and tell everybody that science is really about battling, fun, and excitement, not so much about symbols and long formulas. I would also love to tell everybody that age doesn't have an affect on entrepreneurship - don't be afraid to create an idea, combat with the obstacles, and conquer the world.
Gary: Are your parents involved in the creation of Elementeo?
Anshul: They're incredibly supportive. My sixth grade sister works in customer support and is the one who replies to some of my email messages. My Dad advises me on decisions regarding the business, as he has been an entrepreneur himself. He reviewed the business plan, and helped with creating my cash flow and profit/loss projections. My Mom makes sure that I keep time for my homework, projects, and fun - and I am very glad for that.
Gary: How do people react when they first meet you and find out about your accomplishments?
Anshul: Usually it's a pretty cool reaction, they're like "Whoa really?" But, sometimes they just ignore me right away. They don't really believe me until I give them a business card or show them the game. Usually though once I tell them, they support me throughout the rest of this journey.
Gary: What other games, card games or video games, do you play?
Anshul: I'm into Risk and really any game through which I can create, combat, and conquer.
Gary: Do you still find time to play sports, watch movies and just hang out?
Anshul: Of course I do! I love break-dancing, drumming, guitar, keyboard, and watching "Whose Line is it Anyway?" (I know they show reruns, but it is so cool!). I try to combine business, school, and regular hangout time into one heck of a hectic schedule every day and over the weekend.
Gary: How's your earlier one year goal of $1,000,000 going?
Anshul: Because of some serious health reasons, I had to miss school for 5-6 months during my 7th grade, and this really slowed down my efforts in big ways. Plus, I had to throw away the earlier games, and start the game from scratch again to get the right concoction of fun, excitement, and learning. I also underestimated the time it would take to game from being a prototype to a full production run with UPC code, box design, proofs, etc.
I hope to reach the goal of $1M by the end of this year. We are first making a limited edition run of 5,000 games that would come out by the end of May. We'll hopefully sell them by Independence Day as I already have 2,000 pre-orders. There is a lot of interest from teachers, scientists, parents, and even chemists. I was there at the American Chemical Society conference in New Orleans in April to show my game and give a few talks, and the President-elect of the American Chemical Society bought 50 games on the spot.
After the limited edition, we plan to have 50,000 games by the start of the 2009 school year.
Gary: When and how can people get their hands on Elementeo?
Anshul: The Limited Edition game will be available at the end of May from www.elementeo.com. But if you want be the first ones to get them in time for your summer holidays before they run out, please pre-order them and send email to preorder@elementeo.com.
Gary: How is Elementeo going to be packed?
Anshul: If you buy an Elementeo game, you will be getting two decks of the 40 most popular elements, 19 fun, explosive compounds, and 20 alchemy cards (supernovas, nuclear fusion, black holes, etc). You will also get a battlefield, a rulebook, electron chips, and a dice. All for $25 plus taxes and shipping and handling.
Gary: Who will be able to play Elementeo?
Anshul: Anybody from 3rd or 4th grade to 9th grade can play Elementeo, but really our target players can be anywhere from 9 to 99 years old. This is going to be one game that both kids and parents (or grandparents) will like playing.
Gary: You've been busy with lots of incredible projects, what's next after Elementeo?
Anshul: Elementeo has indeed been lot of fun, and its difficult to see what after Elementeo. I am interested in many things including music, writing, dancing, comedy... And, I sure I am going to pick up a few more interests after I join high school next year. Whatever it is, I know that I would always be into creating, combating, and conquering!
Gary: Any final words for everybody here at Kidzworld?
Anshul: One thing I've believed in is that age doesn't make a difference in entrepreneurship. The best thing is that even if you mess up, you'll still have food at dinner and a skateboard in your garage. With some guidance, anyone can follow their dream, create an idea, combat with the obstacles, and conquer the world!
For more information, head to www.elementeo.com
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