Vanity Square

Status conscious.

This month’s issue of Vanity Fair features a great piece about one of Twitter’s founders and former CEO, Jack Dorsey. Writer David Kirkpatrick talked to friends, family, mentors, and collaborators to create a profile of a introverted innovator obsessed with simplifying patterns for a more elegant every-day.

“I think Twitter is the future of communications, and Square will be the payment network. We’re going big.”
Jack Dorsey- Vanity Fair, April 2011

Believe it or not, I met Mr. Dorsey once. He was quiet, polite, and gracious with a few moments for me—all before going onstage to fill in for a delayed Biz Stone at the first @SFGiants Tweetup.

In my brief time with him, I was able to discern Mr. Dorsey’s desire, as the article points out, to do good with gadgets that are great. But what surprised me most about the insights in the article—besides finding out Mr. Dorsey had a nose ring, too—is the personality similarities evident in those responsible for the early days of Twitter.

The visionaries behind Twitter all seem to place emphasis on similar things: simplicity, ingenuity, urbanity, and generosity. These qualities seem imbued in the partners’ product as well as the company’s culture. No wonder so many want to work there. And all Jack wants to do is run New York City. It’s good to have goals. One of my short-term objectives is to see you on the ‘morrow, on the Web.