This is not Zack Danger Browns potato salad. But it looks pretty good, doesnt it?
  • cobraphotography/Shutterstock
  • This is not Zack Danger Brown's potato salad. But it looks pretty good, doesn't it?

As of this writing, someone operating under the name "Zack Danger Brown" has amassed nearly $10,000 to make a potato salad. The original post:

I'm making potato salad.

Basically I'm just making potato salad. I haven't decided what kind yet.

And then, under the Risks and Challenges section: "It might not be that good. It's my first potato salad." Since then, the project has been shared nearly 80,000 times on Facebook and made the news at Cnet and an Ohio ABC affiliate, and it's still got 25 days to go.

To his credit, Mr. Brown is upping the ante with numerous "stretch goals." For example, at $250, he vowed to use "Better mayonnaise (from the natural foods section)," and at $300, to "Call a chef to get a better recipe." And at this point, he intends to rent out a party hall and "invite the whole internet to the potato salad party." But be warned, you must pledge a minimum of $10 to be allowed in the kitchen. For just $1, though, Mr. Brown vows to say your name while making the salad. With nearly 1400 backers, he's got his work cut out for him.

With this knowledge, I suggest you now go back and read Paul and Jen's 2011 discussion of Kickstarter and its potential implications for both philanthropy and the arts.


h/t: James B.