Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Innovator: DeviantART's Angelo SotiraHow Angelo Sotira turned 14 million independent artists into a groundbreaking social network.

ByJennifer Wang

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Angelo Sotira fidgets like a kid caught without his PSP2. Skinny, fashionably unshaven and looking even younger than 30 in ripped jeans and a True Religion thermal, he scoots back and forth on the couch in his office, bounces his knees and leans over the coffee table as he talks about launching the biggest, longest-running social network you've probably never heard of. The tabletop is littered with pieces from the Lego kits he works on when he wants to unplug (he goes through about three a month), and a chat alert periodically pings from the big-screen computer across the room.

"When we started this," he says, fingers tapping against his leg, "we wanted to build the deepest, most vertically integrated network that ever existed."

This is a subscriber-only article. Join Entrepreneur+today for access

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business News

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard's Family 'Stranded' at Boston Airport During 9-Hour Delay: 'We Made Quite a Home Here'

The actors spent $600 on pillows and blankets while waiting for their flight.

领导

There Are 2 Types of Entrepreneurs — And This Is the One You Want to Be. Here's Why.

By honing a few strategic leadership abilities, you'll be able to reach new levels — ensuring that your business is running smoothly and ready for whatever comes next.

Innovation

How Tragedy Can Ignite a Passion for Healing — 7 Steps For Those Dealing With Grief

My journey with business success, personal loss, grief and a Fellowship at Harvard

Marketing

How ChatGPT Is Changing Digital Marketing (for Better or Worse)

The current state-of-play strengths, weaknesses and potential of this breakthrough tech, and why owners and other execs should be aware of its capability gaps.

Starting a Business

10 Ways to Create a Startup Dream Team

Get tips on how to form an effective founding startup team, focusing on hiring the right culture fits, creating a flexible structure and fostering a feedback-rich environment.