Yancey Strickler, one of the co-founders of Kickstarter, began his working life in journalism in 2000, and managed to make a living as a freelance writer during one of the most difficult times to ply that trade. A few years later, he joined eMusic, where he rose to editor in chief and started an in-house record label to give bands an easier way to get an album out. He began working on Kickstarter long before its April 2009 debut, and remains as excited about its potential to change artists' and creators' lives today as he was before its launch.