Mark Kraft

Summary

I am best known for my work in creating https://www.linkedin.com/redir/invalid-link-page?url=LiveJournal%2ecom, overseeing its creation and coming with many of its most innovative features. Here's how I got there... 1> Went to SJSU, where I studied humanities, business, advertising, and basically anything that interested me. 2> Joined a high-tech startup, where I worked in all aspects of a small specialist PC vendor business. (Sales, marketing, advertising, building & repairing PCs.) Investor backed out... company folded. 3> Worked for Sony, designing broadcast studios. The jumbotron for the Chicago Bulls has my name on it, as does the control room for the Late Show with David Letterman. 4> Learned semiconductor design. 5> Worked in IT for Cadence, which was a brilliant, dynamic experience. Was outsourced to death. 6> Worked QA at FWB. Damn the bugs and ship the software... 7> Took a night class in technical writing for a semester. 8> Became a tech writer at Covad, specializing in documenting their business process and automation. (Wow, are they good at automation...) Reawakening of my interest in business. 9> Sr. Technical Writer in charge of techpubs department at Tollbridge Technologies. From the website to the manuals to the marketing literature, I got to do most everything. 10> Discovered weblogs and this tiny website called https://www.linkedin.com/redir/invalid-link-page?url=LiveJournal%2ecom. Started helping founder. Soon became "All things business" Manager. See https://www.linkedin.com/redir/invalid-link-page?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2elivejournal%2ecom%2Fnews%2F2000-11-23 . Created very popular community features and open source business model for LJ that set it apart from other sites and made it the first profitable weblog service. Over 1 million users and four Webby Awards later, LJ is still going strong, and gets more traffic than the websites for ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX. Not too bad... Currently, I have about two or three software ideas that I think could help fundamentally change the nature of the Internet again. Interested?! Let's talk... Specialties: I am best known for my work on https://www.linkedin.com/redir/invalid-link-page?url=LiveJournal%2ecom -- designing how communities should function, moving it to a working open source business model, overseeing its volunteers, creating numerous features, interacting with users and the media, etc.