JPG's Founding Editors Leave

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JPG, the user-driven photo magazine, lost its founding editors today. Heather Champ and Derek Powazek each tell their version of how the magazine was formed and why they are leaving. The two of them created the first 6 issues of the magazine with a friend and then formed 8020, a publishing company, with a new partner. From their postings today it seems that they and their partners are in disagreement about the future and past of JPG.

Derek provides the following advice to anyone starting their own company:

Make no assumptions when it comes to roles and responsibilities. Like my dad says: “Someone’s gotta call quittin’ time.”

Communication between partners is mandatory. And you cannot communicate with someone who is not communicating with you.

Decisions aren’t decisions if you have to keep making them. Set on the course and stick to it. If you keep talking about things that have already been decided, nothing will ever get done.

When someone says one thing, but acts in a contradictory way, you have a choice between believing their words or believing their deeds. Believe their deeds.

Never let anyone tell you what you want. When someone says, “You don’t want that,” what they really mean is, “I don’t want you to have that.”

Don’t stay where you’re not wanted, respected, or happy. Even if it’s your company.

I only recently discovered JPG and I am really enjoying the issue that I have. It has a really novel approach to picking the content for the magazine that really engages the community. I wonder what the community will do if the public faces have left.

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