Boston Public Gardens, May 2015
Mother’s Day
Month: May 2015
The tip jar
Not too long ago, I discovered a blog that inspires me a great deal. I noticed that the creator of the blog had a tip jar. A link to a paypal page asking readers to consider a small donation to help pay for server costs and such.
I tapped on the link and made a donation.
Later that day the creator of the blog sent me a note saying thanks and letting me know that in all the years of having a tip jar he has only received a few donations from people. I’m guessing thousands of people like me get inspiration and learnings from that blog.
We also see the same thing happening in the App Store. Extraordinary apps being created by indie developers (not venture backed and not part of a large company). At this time I have 5 indie apps on my home screen. Some are free, some charge a nominal amount.
For some reason, users have some reluctance to paying back unless it’s pushed in their face in some contrived system of addiction.
I’d love to see an easier system and a movement to give back to the makers amongst us. Kickstarter is clearly making it happen every day. What else should we be doing to inspire giving thanks and paying back?
It’s not the note you play that’s the wrong note – it’s the note you play afterwards that makes it right or wrong.
Miles Davis
Late afternoon, New Zealand | December 2014
If you don’t feel challenged or scared, then you’re doing something wrong.
Michael O’Neal on The Great Discontent
Fort Point Channel, Boston | May 2015
A new single by Metric. Yes!
May moments
Boston | May 2015
(Camera: Hasselblad 503cw, Film: Kodak Portra 400, Processed and Scanned: Richard Photo Lab)
Introducing our new partner, Kevin Thau
We have exciting news at Spark Capital and I am delighted to share it with you.
Today we are announcing Kevin Thau is joining us as a General Partner based in our new office in San Francisco. His professional bio is on our website here.
My partners and I have known Kevin for nearly 10 years, having served on a board of directors at one of Kevin’s companies for pretty much the entire time we have been in business at Spark. In many ways we grew up together in this business. We know each other, work well together and have the highest regard for his character.
I remember when Ev decided to turn off SMS delivery at Twitter back in 2008 because we were paying for every tweet on a variety of mobile carriers. The costs were mounting. It was a painful decision but the right call. Kevin joined a few months later and successfully constructed strategic partnerships with mobile operators so we didn’t have to bear those costs. He continued to lead critically important work at Twitter including a special partnership with Apple that led to integration with iOS. Over the next five years as the company went from 20 employees to thousands, Kevin headed up mobile products, business and corporate development.
We have seen Kevin first hand collaborating with the world’s best founders helping them build and scale their companies and accomplish extraordinary things. We love his passion for new ideas, new products and new technology. We are also grateful for his friendship and trust.
I am over the moon he is joining the team. Please welcome our new partner, Kevin.