BigBelly wasn't only a device for saving Money. it could've been marketed for the green-image portrayed by its presence in public spaces and how this could help improve the eco-friendly image of the companies that uses them. in the early 2000's large corporation were already massively funding various Corporate social Responsibility[CSR] projects, mainly for their public image and thus profit, this would've been an ideal marketing niche as Devices such as Jim's serves those exact needs,
Yes I would have taken the order. Jim's decision to accept the order from the Ski resort was a smart one, risky but smart, this was a truly exceptional and perhaps irreplaceable opportunity,lets put it that way: the fact that a business(in trouble) was willing to invest in a device (electric or not) without even being able to test it beforehand is an accomplishment on its own, but the fact that its developer wasn't even sure how to actually build it, was an even greater one, sure Jim had constructed and sold a prototype before, but as long as Vail is concerned the devices they're Purchasing (3 at first) didn't even exist yet. Finally I believe that if it wasn't for the deadline and by being under time constrain, Jim and his team would have taken much longer to figure out the ins-&-outs of the manufacturing process of BigBelly, and thus perhaps lose future