This is of course very bubble-tastic but there is a lot of money in popular Facebook apps. I saw an app for "Fans of Grey's Anatomy" that had 100,000 active users yesterday, there is definitely money in reproducing fan sites for popular TV shows and bands and movies as Facebook applications.
Does 'active users' actually equate to profit? I hear clickthrough rates for advertising on facebook is something like 0.05% If 100,000 users were active, that would equate to 50 clicks on adverts, which is probably going to make enough money to buy a coffee or something.
Apparently the advertising clickthrough rates are better in the apps, possibly because a lot of facebook app advertisements are paid ads for other apps.
Also, "VC firm" means something else that we're not doing. This is an angel fund run by bored geeks in silicon valley. That's it.
i.e. I have a business that generates $5k per month, saying you can use that towards your goal "in spirit" is pretty silly, right?
BTW have you heard of Steve Pavlina's Million Dollar Experiment? http://www.stevepavlina.com/million-dollar-experiment.htm
This sounds a bit like it only for startups.
Million Dollar Experiment: I haven't heard of this, but you're exactly right. I'm glad I core dumped this idea here first. Wow, risk is hard in practice as a tech guy.