"Betting" on your favorite startup

Markets, they say, are incredibly efficient. One group helping other groups sort out all sorts of things through markets is called Inkling.

Here's how it works, and why we're telling you about it.

First of all, the guys behind Inkling have created markets that predict things like presidential elections and whether or not companies will launch products on time. (Note the proverb they borrow on the site: "None of us is as smart as all of us.")

You, the people, are pretty good when your collective wisdom is collected. For instance, 91% of those who weighed in said that Apple would unveil their iPhone at last week's Macworld.

People also, it is said, vote with their wallets. While Inkling doesn't let you bet real money, you do have a limited amount of their "inkles" with which to trade -- so you are placing bets and putting your limited money where your mouth is, and more of it where you're more certain.

Why are we telling you about it? We want to see what the collective wisdom says about us, U Sphere, Inc., the cross between "eHarmony" and "LendingTree" for the college admissions process.

We think we've managed to create a market of our own -- a place where buyers and sellers of a college education can find each other, connect, see what sort of value exchange makes sense, those sorts of things. But we're curious as to where you think this market is going. What, pray tell, will happen to us? IPO? Staying private? Going out of business? Something else?

So the market has been created. See here for the link.

Give it a whirl and we can all watch this market unfold.