I think one of the real reasons I decided to create OpenSky comes from an experience I had spending a Saturday afternoon with my son. We live in NYC and spent the day exploring hard to find professional magic stores looking for the coolest tricks. The shopping adventure was joyful. We spent hours in one shop that was high-up in a building on 34th street. We explored every trick and did silly demonstrations for one another and most of all met passionate magicians who clearly believe that sharing their passion is more important than selling. They had patience with us and were excited to share with an eight year old and his dad. It made me think, shopping can be like this again.
The idea for OpenSky is simple: we are a community center, a gathering place for people to learn and connect with one another and share great expertise and the best products. We believe that everyone should live their passion (the way those magicians do) and that one individual expert, a real dedicated expert can make a deeper and more meaningful connection than a billion dollars and hundreds of stores. Think about it this way, we went to an unknown magic store, in a dingy building and spent hours there because the guys in the shop are the real deal. We didn’t hit Toys R Us or another big box online shop; we connected to the authenticity of those guys. They haven’t spent a dime on advertising and in fact the store was designed to be more of a performance space than a shop (no aisles or fluorescent lights, etc.). So when I was dreaming about OpenSky it dawned on me that we could create a platform for the world’s experts to come together to create spaces for them to share their passion and bring their unique and special knowledge to all of us and one another.
We really want to thrill people. Thrilling to me was watching my son hide a quarter in a magic cup, and see him learn and be inspired by a professional magician. 
We’ve got a long way to go. But we’re going to build a global main street, with magicians, gardeners, chefs, you name it. Our hope is to be as diverse and full of enthusiasm as the experts the make up our community. OpenSky beats with the heartbeat of those individuals diving deep into whatever it is that makes them happiest.
With success, OpenSky means real people connecting consumers to the products they love and use.
- john
[...] The OpenSky Project « Creating Community [...]
[...] more gratifying. John recently wrote about an incredible experience he had with his son at an NYC magic store. Has anyone else had a great shopping experience with a real person [...]
[...] humanity back. There are still some stores that offer a human experience — John discovered a magic shop in New York City that does. We remember these experiences, where a passionate shopkeeper brightened our day, gave [...]
[...] We have a clear vision and everyone is focused on it. We all created OpenSky because we imagined that our commercial experiences could fill our lives the way our social experiences do. (I blogged about it here). [...]
[...] After introductions and an impromptu photo shoot, we discussed the merchandising strategy for her soon-to-launch OpenSky shop and went through product catalogues of manufacturers who are eager to partner in this exciting endeavor. Sitting with Tina, it became immediately clear what makes OpenSky Shopkeepers so special. She’s a savvy entrepreneur who’s built an incredibly powerful personal brand by simply being herself. Tens of thousands of people read her blog every week to get a glimpse into her life. She’s a real person who’s arrived at an exciting point in her life where she can create a living around her passion and influence. OpenSky is going to be a big part of that. Like John always says, people like Tina will bring a heartbeat back to shopping. [...]
[...] I spent an hour on the phone with Josh from them and we talked about what they’re doing, how it came about, and their [...]
I now know I am not qualified yet to be a shop keeper but the more I read the more I learn. You will need to keep an out for me though I will be back to see if I can join you.
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