The story

Some time in 2014, Chris Shorten realised he had a problem. But to really tell it, let's switch to the first person and hear it directly from Chris, shall we?

It all started with a book. My book, The Nutcracker.

Like you would expect, it took quite a few years to write, and like you would also expect, it completely burned me out. How burned out you say? Well, after managing to finish it, edit it, program the eBook myself, build the website, and launch it. I didn't want to look at it again, let alone, market or promote it.

So it languished. It drifted away. And I regretted that it happened.

Around a year later, and after I had safely swept that despair under the nearest rug I could find, I joined a new project. A podcast, called The Brunswick Beer Collective, only this time, I wasn't going it alone. Instead, we were a team, with each of us taking on production, business, and social media roles as needed. And it worked. It was so much easier and so much more successful than if I were to do it alone.

And so, the idea for ArtNeedsFriends was born. If collaboration could make it easier for me to make things, surely it would make it easier for others to do the same.

ArtNeedsFriends is more than just for books and podcasts, although it certainly does those things well. It's for every band that needs a drummer, or every brewer that needs a label designer, or any person with a great idea. It's a way to connect the dots and use a community to help build something great.

But here’s the kicker. This is a bridge building tool, and it will only survive if people actually use it. While this isn't a social network in the strictest sense, it still relies on people to make if successful, otherwise it will go the way of Google+ (remember Google+? Okay now try to keep a straight face).

It's a work in progress, and it might be for some time to come, but we’re working fast and we can work even faster with your help. All you need to do is sign up and use it. Don't worry, we won't steal your details, you check out our non-fancy privacy policy for details on that.