I am unabashedly a fanboy geek
A message from Peter Karpas, Founder & CEO of Starsona
I am unabashedly a fanboy geek.
I have always loved connecting with the people who make the things I enjoy. Whether it’s meeting authors in bookstores, going to comic conventions, attending athlete signing sessions, or visiting musicians or actors at the merch table after a small venue show, I’ve always been thrilled to meet the creators, artists, actors, athletes, musicians, business people, etc. who make what I happily consume.
I say all this because I get a thrill meeting them. Yet, while they’re a star to me, I also understand that most don’t make the riches that come with being at the very top of their industry. In every part of the entertainment industry, the monetary pyramid is incredibly narrow at the top and incredibly broad at the bottom.
When we started Starsona it was “the happy birthday app”. And it was always designed to help anybody who has fans or followers (“stars”) create joy and make a better living by connecting to their fans.
This is why I’m proud to announce the first major upgrade to Starsona, releasing today. It’s a massive change for us, in ways both obvious and not so obvious:
The obvious is that we’re now providing everything stars need to efficiently monetize 1:1 fan connections in a safe way, whether it’s a video shoutout, 1:1 interaction, personalized merch, “fun stuff”, or commercial requests. More ways for them to make a better living while making their fans incredibly happy.
The less obvious is that we have shifted from thinking of ourselves as a marketplace to a platform. Our goal is to be the platform stars use for 1:1 fan connections - which means, for example, that our stars will know who’s buying from them. It’s their fan, they own the relationship. We want to help them know who their best and most supportive fans are.
Today is just the start of this journey. If you’re reading this, I hope you come along with us. And please invite your friends - if they’re a star we commit to being a great partner to them, and if they’re a fan we commit to working with the star to give them a great experience!