I HATE that, that slow disappearance of green and landscape. It’s part of the reason I want an eco-friendly hobbit house that blends in with the environment, that works in harmony with its surroundings, and that isn’t connected to any grid. I can’t wait until I have the money to invest in such a home.

On a related note, some neighborhood/town in some country in Europe (Sweden? Norway? Can’t remember) started a scheme where all the street lights are, by default, off, but they can be turned on by citizens who need them (walking a dog, walking to the car, etc.) via smartphone. Such a great idea.

I’m confident that if Kickstarter wanted to enter this game they could do it (and I sincerely hope they make the attempt) – but they would need to do some serious backend work to accommodate the needs of a startup raising funding (versus a filmmaker pre-selling DVDs). The first thing that comes to mind is the eventual need for multiple funding rounds and the potential confusion of investors in terms of valuation/liquidity/equity dilution/etc. There is also the legal side of things – they need a system to track the shares and contracts that protect everyone.

I suppose they might be risking bad PR as well if 90% of small-time investors lost all the money they invested. If I were Kickstarter I would start a sister site called Kickstarter Shares (or something) that separated the creative projects from the business ventures.

Another thing to consider, if you have a product idea it’s possible to launch a Kickstarter campaign (right now) and raise loads of cash without giving up any equity at all. The messy part comes in when people start investing in apps/websites/services that will flow through multiple iterations before succeeding/failing. Even the investors in the successful companies might not see any ROI for 7+ years.

Needless to say, it will be very interesting to see what happens next!

I’m interested in this. How different is it from Kickstarter though? Couldn’t you raise the money through Kickstarter and give out shares? I’m not very educated here, just curious.

Thanks so much for your kind words! I’d be happy to share a meal with you when we both happen to be in Louisville (or anywhere, really). Writing is indeed an act of courage, but the rewards are well worth the risk!

I poked my head into your blog after your Mother (my cousin as you know) posted a link to your pictures on FB. I don’t like FB but resign to use it from time to time as I do care about peeking in to see the latest news.

You are an amazing photographer and writer. You inspire me to go to my core and be brave enough to start writing as I have wanted to do since I was a child. The next time I am in town and around I would relish a couple of hours with you to discuss life, cultures, and anything in the present. You are wise well beyond your years.

Shalom/Love/Light my friend and 1st cousin once removed!

-Chris (Luang Prabang)