Blurtt Co-Founder/CEO Nikhil Sethi

There once was a time when people sent postcards to friends, family members, and significant others in order to share their thoughts, experiences, ideas, and emotions. Now fast forward to today — when was the last time you sent out a postcard in the mail? It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Well, one man is on a mission to try and change all of that. Recently, Jetcomx was lucky enough to chat with Nikhil Sethi, co-founder/CEO of blurtt.

Andrew Boni: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. Why don’t you go ahead and tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you call home? What school do you do to? What are you studying?
Nikhil Sethi: My names Nikhil Sethi, I grew up around the Bay Area, a little bit from San Francisco, in a small town called Saratoga. Currently I’m going to school at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL studying Electrical Engineering and Law.

AB: Alright, so give us the low-down on blurtt. Maybe some people have heard of it, while others haven’t. What exactly is blurtt? What does blurtt do? What makes it special?

NS: So blurtt.com is tackling the problem of creating emotion in day to day communication. You may go online and send a few emails to your friends, or send a couple of text messages, but its not easy to quickly get across real emotion. We’ve created a simple, easy to use online interface that lets you send real, printed postcards with YOUR handwriting to your friends anywhere in the world. The best part is you don’t even need to know your friend’s addresses to send a postcard to them. As long as they are on Facebook or Twitter, or even have an email address, it’s easy to send them a message on a real postcard that has real emotional impact, as its something that arrives to them in a physical form.

Blurtt is ushering in a new era of retro technology

AB: Pretty clever. So when and how did you come up with the concept behind blurtt? Was it like a cliche light-bulb-over-the-head moment? Or was it an idea that kind of came to fruition over a long period of time?

NS: So i I was actually in the shower one day, and at the time I had a friend that lived in New York. We would always exchange emails and text messages, but after awhile that just got dull and unappealing. So we started writing letters and postcards, and eventually the pain of getting materials, keeping an address-book, finding stamps, and actually going to the post office grew on me. I knew there had to be a better way. So with blurtt, we automate all the headache associated with sending physical media in the mail, and just leave you with more time to be creative in writing and decorating your messages.

AB: How did you come up with the name? Were the two Ts intentional? Or was it a case of blurt.com being taken?
NS: Haha, good question. The idea behind the name blurtt is really back to trying to create as simple an experience for the user as possible. We want people to be able to send physical mail as easily as you send an email or text message today. Just blurtt it out. You can think of postcards as the retro Twitter, accept you have a lot more than 140 characters in which to express yourself. The two t’s worked well in our logo design so we left it.

AB: Is blurtt the first startup that you’ve been involved with? Or have you been with others in the past?
NS: Blurtt is the second company I’ve started. I started a company called ublot back in high school. Ublot was built around my personal frustration with trying to write a book. I wanted to get multiple authors to work on a single piece of fiction with me. In the end we had thousands of stories and millions of words written.

AB: That’s awesome. On blurtt’s website, there are several other people listed as part of the company. What’s the story behind them? How did you meet these people? Are they lifelong friends, or more along the lines of strictly business partners?
NS: Blurtt was built by myself and my co-founder Kuba Tymula, we met at Northwestern, while he was getting his MBA from Kellogg. We worked well together and decided to start blurtt. Eventually we got to the point where we hired a few other team members to help us with graphic design and some of the more complicated automated print and delivery systems we built. All in all we’ve all become quite close friends.

AB: Was it hard to raise the necessary capital to get blurtt off of the ground/up and running?
NS: Not at all, that’s one of the best decisions I made with blurtt. We never raised any money. We bootstrapped the entire thing. Eventually as we scale and add more components to our business there may be an opportunity for us to raise some capital. But I am a firm believer in the idea that you should build out as much of your business as you can and start getting some revenue in before you start running around pitching to VCs. All too often entrepreneurs focus on the, “How much money they can I raise?” question versus the “How good of a product can I build?” question, early on in their startup’s life.

AB: I’ve read somewhere that blurtt will plant a tree for every postcard sent. Tell us more about the environmentally friendly side of blurtt.
We love trees. And aim to plant more than we consume through our postcards. Its a win-win situation.

AB: Good point. Where do you see yourself and blurtt in a year from now? How about 3 years?
NS: A year from now I’d like to have planted half a million trees through blurtt and our ongoing relationship with American Forests. The best part of running blurtt is being able to use our brand and awareness to solve bigger and more pressing problems. Three years from now I’d like that number to pass a few million new trees.

AB: Explain to us the different types of blurtts that exist (blurttences, photography, etc).
NS: So we have a number of different categories of designs that you can use on your blurtt. From vector art, to photography, to blurttences which are essentially clever sentences you can write onto the front of the postcards or choose some from our existing catalog. We have domestic USA blurtts which send for $.99 INCLUDING postage, and international blurtts that go for $1.50 same deal. We are working on adding a few new types in the next few weeks. I’ll give you a clue: sparkles.

One of Nikhil's favorite blurtts

AB: Blurtt has a huge database of designs. What are your some of your favorite ones?
Oh man, that’s a tough choice. I like one photography one of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, and one of the blurttences that says “AHH SPIDER POISON IS PEOPLE POISON!”

AB: Have you yourself created any designs? If so, can we take a look?
NS: Haha, yeah I’ve been into photography ever since I can imagine. Although im probably not the best by any standards. One of my favorites is one I took of my piano on a dark day. Another is one I took high in the mountains in northern India. Art is a big part of blurtt, not only do we want to create smiles on the receiving end of the postcard, but also use postcards as a new means to spread the amazing creativity that artists have come up with online. For every blurtt sent out, our designers get a cut.

AB: Blurtt’s central idea revolves around sharing messages and artwork with others. Without artists, blurtt couldn’t really function. How do you find your artists? Is it difficult to sustain an active artistic community within blurtt?
NS: You know, I really thought that would be a big challenge for us when building blurtt. But artist communities are very tight and connected. When you get one artist on board and in love with the postcards, they tend to tell their friends, and even send some of their artist buddies a couple postcards!

Also by using our API, other websites can integrate the postcard sending functionality into their own domain and for their own users. This way artists can participate with blurtt not necessarily though blurtt.com

AB: Would you ever consider bringing in a celebrity artist to create some designs? Maybe someone like David Choe? Or even Banksy?
NS: Yeah, we are definitely open to talking with celebrity designers that can use blurtt to spread word about a new gallery or exhibition.

A piano on a dark day

AB: The new API stuff that you guys are rolling out seems pretty neat. What are some other ways that you are trying to make Blurtt more interactive?
NS: So the API is one aspect. It can be integrated in a really quick and easy way as a small piece of code you add to your site, and blurtt will pickup every image on your page and overlay a small stamp, allowing your users to send your content as a postcard, bringing you dollars. But also can be integrated in a much deeper level, where our whole interface can be embedded into your website, allowing for full control around the creation of the postcards. We handle the printing and mailing.

AB: Nowadays it seems like everyone is leveraging the popularity of Twitter. How is blurtt taking advantage of it?
NS: So we’ve made it super easy to send postcards through twitter. All you have to do is follow @blurtt, and tweet “@blurtt @yourfriend Hey, how are you?” And blurtt will take this and automatically create a postcard for you!

You’ll get a DM with a link to your blurtt, where you can customize it further, add a longer message, and checkout. That simple.

And now for a few off-topic questions:

AB: What are your thoughts on Kanye West’s latest stunt with Taylor Swift at the VMAs?
NS: That was a nightmare. I hope he was on something that skewed his judgment. If I was him, I would go buy some remote island and live there for the rest of my life.

AB: Give us your top 3 albums of 2009.
NS: Top 3 would have to be “My Maudlin Career” by Camera Obscura, “Veckatimest” by Grizzly Bear, and “Merriweather Post Pavillion” by Animal Collective.

AB: Who deserves the title of best new artist of 2009?
NS: Hm, you know 2009 isn’t over yet, so I’m going to wait to answer that one.

You can follow Nikhil Sethi here on Twitter.

Send out a free blurtt! Use the code jetcomx at checkout.

Just came across these new Banksy pieces. For those of you who are Banksy fans (which is probably everyone), you won’t be disappointed. His stuff is still as poignant and insightful as ever. My favorite has to be the fox eating the Colonel’s head — talk about irony.

[Via Wooster Collective]

April has been a busy month for the artist known as DILLON, and he likes it that way. The American-born artist living in Italy has recently finished a new batch of work, done with some provocative concepts over some eye catching patterns (using aerosol over stencils and acrylic on canvas of course). He has also been showcasing his art at various shops and cafes around Italy, as well as embarking on a book signing tour.

DILLON was born in Phoenix, Arizona and lived mostly in Las Vegas, Nevada before relocating to Italy. He attended private art lessons at the age of 9. As a kid growing up,

DILLON contemplates his next brush stroke

Dillon spent most of his days creating art of famous icons and composing music with friends. His first professional sale, at the age of 14, was followed by entertaining audiences through painting live at gallery exhibits. Upon completion of high school, Dillon’s time was divided between painting large scale portraits of celebrities, recording his own underground music, and acting in local independent films. Dillon turned from a local sensation into an international success in 2004 when his artwork was revealed through online auctions and illustrative websites around the world. Ever since then, his work has been showcased in galleries throughout the United States and Southern Europe.

Right now, DILLON is hard at work on his latest project, boldly named “The Worlds Largest Self Portrait.” This piece will consist of many faces of famous icons or people that have either inspired or influenced DILLON in some way. It will resemble mostly the self portrait sticker but filled with fine detail of famous faces making up the total image. The overall size of this canvas bound painting should fit firmly within a decent sized soccer field. DILLON then says that he plans to auction it off for a favorite charity or a good cause. Recently, Jetcomx’s head writer was lucky enough to chat with the man himself.

DILLON showcases his artwork on a skateboard deck

Andrew Boni: Thanks for taking the time to talk with Jetcomx. We really appreciate it. So, tell me, who exactly is the man behind the moniker DILLON? How did the name come about?
DILLON: Well, 50 Cent was already taken, plus I didn’t want to hurt John F. Kennedy’s feelings. No, seriously some of my friends called me by my middle name during high school and I guess I enjoyed the chance at taking on another identity. Also, I started signing my paintings DILLON because I didn’t like how James Wright looked. It looked like every other artist out there. I wanted something distinct and resolute.

AB: Describe to us a day in the life of DILLON.
DILLON: Ok, so I get up around 11am because I stayed up the night before thinking of ways to obtain a Ferrari. I do the email checking thing. I head into town with my portfolio, some stickers, and a notebook for “instant ideas”. I grab a cappuccino at a random café and scope out galleries or places of interest to set up shows. I attempt to speak to the business owner, knowing little Italian. Hit or miss, I return home with ideas and start painting new projects. Oh, wait I gotta’ make a bottle for the baby. I love on my 2 month old baby girl and kiss on my wife, plug in my iPod and chill in my studio thumbing through magazines, books, or websites to stimulate inspiration… for ways to obtain a Ferrari.

DILLON poses with his Marilyn Monroe & Kurt Cobain

AB: At what age did you determine that art is what you were going to be doing for the rest of your life?
DILLON: I don’t think there was ever an exact time or age that I realized I was an artist or that art was a way of life for me. I think more or less, that I became a product of my environment. Or maybe that I became what my environment lacked. And in return my environment became a product of me (A continuous process that takes years to achieve). Basically, I was about 4 years old.

AB: Do you think that it’s more difficult for people to make a living as an artist today, than say 50 years ago?
DILLON: I can still remember that old saying, “starving artist.” I don’t think that expression is thrown around as much anymore. I believe this is because today’s technology (the web comes to mind) has somewhat snuffed out the stereotype of the “poor” artist and replaced it with artists quickly surfacing to the top of their game. Yes, it’s much easier. It’s absolutely wonderful.

DILLON paints live on the streets of Italy

AB: How has society’s obsession with all things technological (the internet, the iPhone, Photoshop, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc) affected what you do?
DILLON: It has affected my career tremendously. Let’s face it; I sell more than half my work on eBay with a substantial amount of help from photo hosting sites like flickr.com. Most emerging and established artists would still be in the dark if it weren’t for these programs. But, they are merely the tools of our time. The only thing that separates one artist from the other is the patience to learn them.

AB: What made you decide to leave everything you knew behind and move to Italy? How well received is your work in Italy?
DILLON: To make a long story short, my wife’s choice to secure a future and try to better our lives by signing on with the U.S. Air Force has provided us with a very rewarding experience. As far as culture reception and such, the Italians, for the most part, have welcomed my style of art with open arms.

AB: Which contemporary artist do you think has most profoundly impacted society?
DILLON: Playing a notable part in the election of President Barack Obama through his campaign poster/ portrait… I would say Shepard Fairey hands down. But, I admire Banksy. I believe he has accomplished a much greater influential impact on society.

DILLON's rendition of Marilyn Monroe

AB: Speaking of Shepard Fairey, what’s your take on his work being used as an icon of Obama’s historic presidential campaign?
DILLON: It’s a dream come true in the eyes of an artist.

AB: Where do you get your ideas & draw your inspiration from? Do you experience artist’s block often?
DILLON: Gandhi and Genghis Khan (They happen to be the historical figures I am researching right now). I would have to say that the people who have influenced me are Walt Disney, Stan Lee, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Tamara de Lempicka, Shepard Fairy, and Banksy. (In order from earliest to now.) I get artist’s block all the time! But sometimes it’s quite the opposite. I’ll have such an abundance of ideas that I don’t know which one to execute first.

AB: What are some words of advice that you would like to give to aspiring artists?
DILLON: You can remain who you want to be or become who you are. You have the unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices to become knowledgeable and great at whatever you do. But first; if you want to be heard, you have to listen. Do not fear the absence of knowledge. Embrace it. Now go do something.

AB: Do you plan on returning to the US any time soon?
DILLON: Not sure? I just came back from Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria after checking out their art scene. Maybe I will come home for a short stay after I check out the United Kingdom or Switzerland. I want to take in as much as I can. Only then will I truly be able to give something back.

AB: Well that concludes this interview. Do you have anything else that you’d like to say?

DILLON: No, I think that about sums it up. Thanks for the opportunity to express my thoughts and ambitions! Here are some available links to my art:
Blog: http://hollyworx.blogspot.com/
eBay store:http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Hollyworx-Ultramodern-Art
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollyworx/

Bansky, the legendary street graffiti artist, has struck again. This time, it’s west of the Atlantic ocean. Banksy’s unmistakable methodology and style has been sighted in New Orleans, as well as rural Alabama. His New Orleans pieces surfaced last week, while his hanging Ku Klux Klan member piece was sighted just a few days ago. His Ku Klux Klan piece was just taken down earlier today. What a shame. Pics after the jump.

According to WoosterCollective,

The piece below was spotted on an old abandoned Chevron Station near Birmingham Alabama. (We’re told it’s somewhere between where the 59 Freeway meets the 65 going South near a large Home Depot on the 59)

Street art is something that has always captured my interest for a whole host of reasons, the main being that it often brings to light injustice prevalent within society. Street artist Banksy is often known to point out blatant hypocrisy within British society with his provocative works of art. The portfolio of Chennai based photographer Sharad Haksar, though, brings the concept of street art to a whole new level.

Back in 2005, Haksar had various advertisements of famous Western brands painted in poor Indian cities and subsequently photographed them. I find that the photo with the Indian boy peeing on the wall to be the most interesting. It is so ironic how there is a huge ad for Nike, one of the biggest shoe manufacturers in the world, and the boy doesn’t even have a pair of shoes on. I’d like to believe that he is peeing on the wall in defiance of Nike and their exploitation of other third world nations.

Another photo features the ubiquitous Coca-Cola logo in front of a hand-powered water spigot. Here, Haksar wanted to point out the irony of widespread water shortages occuring in villages near Coke bottling plants. Later on, Haksar was threatened with a lawsuit from the soft drink giant to take down the ad, even though he had prior permission from them to put it up. Villagers eventually prevented one bottling plant from opening, holding protests on and off for nearly two years. This helped to showcase the growing animosity for Coke that is brewing in India. The locals simply want Coca-Cola to be responsible for the pollution and damage that they cause. Is that too much to ask?

The third photo features the IBM logo painted above some apples on a cart. The irony here is found in the rivalry between IBM and Apple. Clever.

The Cans Festival which is devoted to stencil graffit art, was held on May 3rd, 4th, and 5th 2008 in London. A plethora of amazing artists showcased their works here including Bsas Stencil, Run Don’t Walk, James Dodd (dlux), Tom Civil (civilian), Vexta, Prism, Daniel Melim, Altocontraste, Bandit, Roadsworth, 3D Del Naja, Artiste-Ouvrier. Blek, Sten, Sadhu, C215, Lucamaleonte, Lex, Orticancvoodles, Kaagman, Dolk, Pobel, M-City, Vhils, Btoy, Coolture, Schhh, Borbo, Sam3, Faile, Eine, John Grider, Logan Hicks, Pure Evil, Dot masters, Dan, Eelus, and Banksy. While here, these artists showcased some of the most amazing works of art that I have ever seen. I so wish I was there.

[flv:/wp-content/video/cansfestival.flv 460 345]

The works of art are breathtaking. Here are my personal favorites. Have a look.

Cans Festival London