After trying to monetize Fifty People, One Question and realizing there was no turnkey way for filmmakers to sell video content online, I co-founded Kinio — a white-label video publishing and monetization platform. Think Netflix for independent filmmakers.
We went through LaunchPad Ignition (New Orleans' first startup accelerator, TechStars Network), raised seed capital, and landed a partnership with Coke. Bloomberg Businessweek profiled us: "Some 500 people have signed up to test Benjamin Reece's service to help indie filmmakers distribute their movies and merchandise online." We were covered by Business Insider, Advertising Age, and AOL.
On October 9, 2011, I pitched Kinio on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt SF. Kinio didn't survive. But I've never described it as anything other than what it was — a failed startup that cemented my early career learnings of failure, humility, and personal health.