In celebration of reaching my 18,000th and 18,001st LinkedIn connections, a milestone I aim to give back with each thousand added, I’m pleased to introduce James Alexander and his esteemed co-founder, Paul Shustak. As someone who values each connection and story they bring, I’m delighted to showcase experts and professionals like James and Paul, since I met both of them at the same time, it is only fitting to hear the story of what they are building!
Their story is one of friendship, startup innovation, and perseverance, all fueled by their passion for solving real-world problems with technology. As former colleagues at Adobe, where they played pivotal roles in pioneering Adobe Stock Photos, James and Paul forged a formidable partnership born out of shared experience and innovation. In addition to their time at Adobe, Paul, and James have also held leadership roles at other familiar tech names: James at IBM and Apple, Paul at Microsoft, and Sony. And both are seasoned entrepreneurs with multiple exits.
Their journey together is a testament to their dedication to leveraging technology and solving real-world problems, a commitment that has only grown stronger over time.
Since leaving Adobe, Paul and James have actively sought opportunities to collaborate again, and last year, they found one that resonated. Paul’s frustration during a home renovation project led to a realization of a gap in the market. Seeking help on YouTube, he encountered a sea of home repair experts sharing valuable content, yet the lack of direct engagement left him wanting more. Sensing a business opportunity, Paul outlined a vision for an expert network where creators would be incentivized to address audience questions through a streamlined payment mechanism.
Seizing the moment, together, they discovered numerous benefits they could offer creators. Their platform provides a solution for creators to monetize their expertise and offers a seamless avenue for direct engagement with their audience, unlocking new opportunities in the process.
A year later, their company, now called AsqMe, has signed up thousands of creators who are earning and unlocking opportunities on YouTube Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Now they are piloting AsqMe with the LinkedIn community. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to James and Paul! And by the way, if you are a LinkedIn expert who wants to give AsqMe a try, they would love to hear from you.
#askanexpert #asqme #microconsulting
: The views expressed in this post are my own. The views within any of my posts, or articles are not those of my employer or the employers of any contributing experts. this post? Click icon for more!
