When ArtistShare launched its first project in 2003, I had no idea the model we were developing would help lay the groundwork for much of today’s crowdfunding and creator economy. What began as a way to help artists fund their work directly through audience participation evolved into a broader lesson about platforms, relationships and business model innovation. Looking back after more than two decades, I realize the real insight wasn’t the technology. It was understanding something fundamental about human behavior that most platforms still miss today. The Relationship, Not the Transaction In many cases, the focus shifts quickly to the [...]