Under Armour, the fitness clothing company that launched the Armour39 “performance monitoring” heart rate strap and iphone app last March, is going the crowd-sourcing route to help it chart the future of its workout tracking technology.
This week the company is kicking off the Armour39 Challenge which offers a $25,000 grand prize to anyone who can help “expand the capabilities” of the the Armour39. “The three-phase Armour39 Challenge will culminate in the Under Armour Future Show: Digital in April 2014, where finalists will present their concepts to the brand’s executive team at Under Armour’s global headquarters in Baltimore, MD for a chance to win the Grand Prize of $25,000 or first runner up prize of $10,000.”
Those who think they have what it takes to design the next killer feature for the Armour39 will need to send in a short explanation of their idea, outline why they’re the perfect person to develop the idea, and include a three-to-five minute video that shows exactly how the new feature is going to work. Based on those entries, Under Armour staff will choose 50 qualifiers who will receive a Armour39 developers kit (including the strap and software) and three months to develop their new feature. The top 15 entrants of those qualifiers will get to present their new feature to the Under Armour executive team.
In other words, if you’ve always wanted to work at Under Armour and they’ve been ignoring your resume, this just might be your big break. Or, it might just be the first $25,000 on the way to making a million dollar idea a reality. The choice is yours.
