Who am I?
My name is Ben Fox, and I am a serial entrepreneur who loves to read. I live in France with my amazing wife and 9-year-old son, Calico Jack (named after the pirate).
I can remember the exact moment when I learned to read. I was trying to read The Snow Baby and jumping from word to word. There was this magical moment when the words came alive, and it all clicked. It was one of the most amazing feelings in my life. I read 100+ books a year, and I thank my parents for making books a massive part of my life.
Please don't mistake me for a crazy dreamer.
Here is my LinkedIn profile, where you can see my background as an entrepreneur. Over my career, I have started and grown numerous companies. One of the largest companies grew to 55,000 clients and 130 team members across 18 countries.
This is a bootstrapped passion project that I hope to work on for the rest of my life. I have big goals for Book DNA, and my aim is to eventually rival Goodreads in scale and impact.
Why am I creating Book DNA?
#1: Books shouldn't be sold like toothpaste.
I want to create an experience that is like wandering the aisles of your favorite bookstore.
As a reader, I am incredibly frustrated with online book discovery. When I look for a new book online, it feels soulless. Online bookstores sell books like toothpaste or underwear. Something about that is profoundly wrong. A book is an experience, and the process of finding a book is part of that experience.
I love wandering around bookstores and letting random books capture my attention. Nothing will ever replace the "bookstore experience," but I want to reimagine online book discovery with more serendipity and delight.
#2: I don't want my reading on a giant social network.
I want a private, personal way to track my reading and get personalized recommendations based on my tastes. Think Goodreads, but for readers who want a calm, private space to track what they read, keep notes, and explore books that match their Book DNA.
I want to share my reading with a few close friends and family, but that's it.
#3: Authors deserve a direct path to readers.
It has never been easy to be an author, but right now it feels especially bleak. I want to create more chances for authors to get noticed and gain momentum. Is the next Toni Morrison or Brandon Sanderson giving up because they can't get their book read? Not on my watch.
I want to help authors with two key things:
- Reach the right readers: Book DNA will match your book with readers who actually read and love books like yours (for free, in authentic ways readers love). And, if your book has that magic spark, we help it gain more and more momentum.
- Collect fans automatically: As we grow, you'll get a direct way to notify readers who loved your previous books when the next one comes out (with their permission, on terms readers trust). We want authors to own their fan relationships, not rent them from a platform. Goodreads should have done this years ago.
We are inspired by Royal Road, Kickstarter, Brandon Sanderson’s fan-driven model, and other experiments that are rethinking how book discovery works.
#4: Lastly, I believe that books build better people.
I want to improve the world by increasing our understanding and empathy for complexity.
Humans are at their best when they appreciate the complexity of civilization, nature, society, and their fellow humans. And books are one of the best ways to feed this attribute.
One of the biggest global problems is the loss of trust in the institutions that run our society.
Some politicians tell us there are easy, simple solutions to large, complex problems. They pander to this simplistic nonsense to gain power. This is reminiscent of the rise of fascism in the early 20th century and is terrifying. I think books are one way to fight this trend.
As the site grows, I want to do more to challenge readers to learn about these complex issues so they are not fooled by politicians seeking power at any cost.
I feel powerless. I want to do something to improve the world on a bigger scale.
We live in a time when social media algorithms only reinforce existing worldviews and propagate overly simplistic solutions. A book is one of the best ways to help us see the world through different eyes and understand the hidden complexities we are surrounded by. We need a lot more of both of those things right now.
I want to impact the soft culture in the USA and around the world over the next 1,000 years. I want to play a role in creating cultural values that will create a better world for our children, their children, and so on. I am tired of feeling powerless, and Book DNA is a vehicle to help create a better world.
What type of world do I want to help build?
A world where science and scientists are respected and science is recognized as the best way to understand the physical world around us, where justice is accessible to the rich and poor, where healthcare is affordable for everyone, where critical thinking and financial skills are taught in schools, where citizens have a vote in how they are governed, where meritocracy is actively pursued and respected, where democracy is recognized as the best form of government that we currently have, where being poor is not seen as a moral failing, where political corruption has adverse outcomes, where starting and running a business is accessible and not full of overly burdensome licenses and needless bureaucracy, where college and vocational education are low cost so that everyone who wants to better themselves can, where labor and workers have a fair say in the economic system, where people are free to express their views without governmental punishment, where the environment is protected from pollutants that harm human/animal/plants, where religion helps you find *your* meaning in the world rather than personal beliefs forced upon others, and where taxes are fair for both the wealthy and poor.
I don't think any of those things are partisan.
They are about us creating a world we want for our kids and future generations. And we need to have respectful discussions about what each of those things means and where we can meet on them. I will write and expand more as the project progresses.
Who are your guiding stars on this project?
Anthony Bourdain is one of my guiding stars for this project. He is someone I've always admired. He epitomizes the ethos that humanity is similar and that every human has something to teach us. I also admire his constant soul-searching without letting it hold him back in his day-to-day actions. He is missed.
Khan of Khan Academy sums up a lot of what I hope to do with this project with this quote: "If you believe in trying to make the best of the finite number of years we have on this planet (while not making it any worse for anyone else), think that pride and self-righteousness are the cause of most conflict and negativity, and are humbled by the vastness and mystery of the Universe, then I'm the same religion as you."
And, of course, Wikipedia has done so much to help people learn and is an excellent source of truth in this world.
Where can I learn more?
Always feel free to email me; I am an open book!
Here is more info about Book DNA:
- The business model
- How sharing book recommendations will help you sell your book (with sales data)
- Our marketing plan
- A blog/newsletter that I update every two to three weeks about building Book DNA.
- A monthly newsletter for authors that shares traffic and other data.
Huge thanks to...
My family and friends for advising me and testing countless versions of the site. My brother for giving me fresh eyes on the project and helping me better understand the authors. My wife for helping me with visuals and grammar checks. And my parents, who instilled a love of reading :).
Will you join our quest?
We are bootstrapped by choice. I funded Book DNA with my own savings and a lot of sweat equity. Now we are asking readers and authors who believe in our quest to make it sustainable.
A yearly membership keeps us independent.
What your membership does:
- Funds the product: Every dollar goes directly into building new features for readers and authors.
- Keeps us independent: Free from the incentives that ruin other platforms over time (I'm looking at you, Goodreads, who I used to love).
- Gets you perks: Reader and author memberships come with their own perks (click below to check those out). Plus, a direct voice in what we build next.
Comments
7 comments
Dear Ben, you have created a wondrous universe where the dwelling is good. I am proud to be part of your project, and I look forward to be guided by the Shepherd in the New Year. Best wishes to all, Leopoldine.
Dear Ben,
This is wonderful! I share those ideals too, and I am happy to know there are other people like me in this world. Wherever we are, whatever our circumstances or identities, we are all individuals sharing the same human experience. Life would be outstanding if we all acknowledged our shared humanity. Since we are all born one day and will die one day, for that reason, we should treat each other with respect and consideration.
This is a great project, and I am proud to be part of it.
Keep it up.
Ben,
Your invitation came out of the blue. Surprised and delighted by the scope of your project I eagerly dived in. I did my research. I composed and submitted my list and sent it in. The process was super simple, responses were timely and communications most gracious. I am impressed with what you are doing for both authors and readers. Wishing you great success in the future!
Thanks John :), working on more every day!
Hello Ben and the Shepard team. Thank you for reaching out to me. I look forward to working with you. I'm passionate about literature, about educating, inspiring, and of course entertaining people. Thank you for the work you do!
Having spent most of my adult life promoting the value of “reading a good book” to teenagers, I am looking forward to coming on board! Good luck!
Thanks, Ed; my ultimate goal is to help readers find books they love, not just like. One of the things I've run into when reading readers (especially younger ones) is that they stop reading if they hit a few books that are misses and delay jumping into another book. My overall goal for readers is to connect them with a book they will love, both through better book recommendations from readers who match their Book DNA + get them excited about that book and infuse it with meaning whenever possible.
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