You’re a fresh college grad with a big idea: simplifying student financial aid. The government process is confusing, so there’s an opportunity for disruption. What do you do?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Create a website that looks official enough to make students think they’re applying for FAFSA through us. Also, call it “Frank” to sound trustworthy.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Clever branding.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education is not amused and demands you clarify that Frank isn’t actually affiliated with the government.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Fine, I’ll tweak the wording. But I’ll keep it just ambiguous enough to still trick people.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Nice. You avoid major consequences… for now.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

It’s 2017. Your company is growing fast, but the government is sniffing around. Regulators think you’re misleading students. What’s your move?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Ignore it. Tech bros always say, "Move fast and break things," right?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Bold strategy. You get a warning from the FTC.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

2020 rolls around. Lawmakers are calling for an investigation, and the FTC is eyeing you suspiciously. What do you do?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Still ignoring it. But let’s make the company look even bigger so we can sell it for a fortune.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Risky but on brand.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

JPMorgan Chase, a financial giant with more money than common sense, is interested in acquiring Frank. They love the idea of 4.25 million users. What do you say?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

“Oh, absolutely, we have at least 4 million users.”

01:10 AM · Apr 01

You actually only have 300,000 users...

01:10 AM · Apr 01

So about those 4 million users...

01:10 AM · Apr 01

No problem—I’ll invent the rest. Hire a data scientist, generate a bunch of fake accounts, and hand over a spreadsheet full of nonsense.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

JPMorgan barely checks and gives you $175 million.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

JPMorgan starts sending marketing emails to 400,000 of your “users.” 70% of them bounce back. Now they’re very, very suspicious. What do you do?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Uh… blame an intern?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

They don’t buy it. JPMorgan sues you for fraud.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

April 2023. You are arrested for wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy. What’s your defense?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

“I was just a scrappy entrepreneur trying to innovate in financial aid!”

01:10 AM · Apr 01

The court isn’t convinced.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Any other ideas?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Okay… then I’ll throw my expensive lawyers at them?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

The DOJ, SEC, and FBI all say, “Nope.” Your bail is set, and you’re facing up to 30 years.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Things are looking grim. What do you do?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Can I pivot this into a TED Talk about resilience?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Only from prison.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

2025. Your trial is over. You are convicted. Any final words?

01:10 AM · Apr 01

“I should have just started a crypto exchange instead.”

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Maybe next time.

01:10 AM · Apr 01

Game Acquired!. Congratulations! Your company was acquired for $175.0M.