Yancey Strickler
Writer and entrepreneur supporting creative people
Based in
NYC
Works
6
Team
3
Since
2026
Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur whose work supports creative people. He's the cofounder of Kickstarter, The Creative Independent, the Dark Forest Collective, Metalabel, the Artist Corporations Foundation, and the Dark Forest Operating System. He's the author of the books This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World, The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet, and On the Creative Life, and the cohost of the New Creative Era podcast with Joshua Citarella. His career began as a music critic writing for Pitchfork, Spin, and the Village Voice. He grew up on a farm in Virginia, and lives with his family in New York City.
Works (6)
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The Post-Individual
Essay / Article · 2024
An exploration of individuality after the internet The Post-Individual First Edition includes "The Post Individual" essay, an audio recording and video introduction by the author, and research notes behind the piece
The dark forest theory of the internet
Essay / Article · 2019
In his sci-fi trilogy The Three Body Problem, author Liu Cixin presents the dark forest theory of the universe. When we look out into space, the theory goes, we’re struck by its silence. It seems like we’re the only ones here. After all, if other forms of life
TED Talk
Video · 2025
Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler unveils a radical new economic model that could transform how creative people build sustainable careers, amass collective wealth and escape the burnout of hustle culture. Hear his vision for how artists can pool resources, share profits and own their work in a new kind of economy, as he poses a tantalizing view of the future: What if the next Disney wasn't a corporate giant but an artist-owned collective?
On the Creative Life: Conversations Toward a New Creative Era
Book · 2025
Artist Joshua Citarella and writer Yancey Strickler spoke weekly about their creative practices for the "New Creative Era" podcast. This book edits those discussions into a collection offering a new perspective on the creative life. Available July 1.
Nine Creative Meditations
Book · 2024
A series of reflections from my (Yancey's) creative experiences expressed as a written essay (the A-side) and video essay (the B-side)
The Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet
Book · 2026
A book about how to survive on the internet. It’s about the cozy web, the dark web, the dark forest, the clear net, the dark net, and a new social world emerging around us. This is the Dark Forest Anthology of the Internet.