So I get asked to speak about Kickstarter pretty often, and I almost always open with this video of Steve Jobs, where he says:
I’ve actually found something to be very true. Most people don’t get those experiences because they never ask. I’ve never found anybody that didn’t want to help me if I asked them for help.
I always call them up.
I called Bill Hewlett when I was twelve years old and he lived in Palo Alto and his number was still in the phone book. He answered the phone himself, “Yes.”
“Hi, I’m Steve Jobs and I’m twelve years old. I’m a student in high school and I want to build a frequency counter. I was wondering if you had any spare parts I could have?”
He laughed and gave me the spare parts to build this frequency counter. Then he gave me a job that summer at HP working on the assembly line. Putting nuts and bolts together on frequency counters. He got me a job in the place that built them. I was in heaven.
And… I’ve never found anyone who said no or hung up the phone when I called. I just asked. When people ask me I try to be as responsive, to pay that debt of gratitude back.
Most people never pick up the phone and call, most people never ask. That’s what separates, sometimes, the people who do things from the people that just dream about them.
I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of help with all of my projects, and I love helping people with theirs, but lately, I’ve been really overwhelmed by the number of people I’ve been talking to, so I’m going to try to organize it a little better.
For the next few weeks, I’m going to set aside time every Tuesday and Thursday to talk to people about their projects. Here’s how we’ll do it:
- You’ll get on a G+ hangout with me and Elaine at 4:00pm CST on a Tuesday or Thursday
- If it’s possible, you should have a prototype or a demo or something more than an idea
- I’ll invite friends who have also done successful Kickstarter projects like Jana and nickd, maybe some of our friends who work at Kickstarter will join us after work
- We’ll talk about your project and ask you questions and give you what advice we can
- This whole thing is not affiliated in any official way with Kickstarter, it’s just you and me and any surprise friends who can make it
- This whole thing is free, but you should pay the favor forward by helping people yourself
If you’re interested in grabbing one of these meetings, email me at help@maxistentialism.com. See you on the hangout!
It’s easy to be kind of enraptured with Max: he’s got a fantastic mind, and, as the creator of Cards Against Humanity, must possess one of the world’s most hilarious and horrifying senses of humor.
We are even more impressed by Max’s generous offer to help others with their Kickstarter projects! His free consultations and emphasis on paying the kindness forward mirror the spirit of MyProject.is. MPI makes asking for help less intimidating with AI that finds the people best suited to your need, and those who are the most likely to answer your call for assistance. We are building the home base to a culture of do-ers, helping and receiving recognition for their generosity.
