Could Kanye West hold the key to start-up success? At least one company thinks so.
The rapper/entertainer recently visited the New York City offices of shopping referral site The Fancy to give his advice on the future of e-commerce.
Why would a start-up want his advice? “He is the one who inspires everything we do,” CEO Joseph Einhorn told Inc. via email.
The company—which brands itself as “part store, blog, magazine and wishlist”—counts several celebrities among its 1 million members, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and rapper Nas. It also has raised about $18 million in total funding, and has Jack Dorsey and Chris Hughes as board members.
But of all the company’s high-profile fans, West seems to be The Fancy’s ultimate mancrush.
“We get information from [Kanye] and try to work it into our process, and then hopefully the consumers enjoy what we are doing,” Einhorn added.
West even tweeted a photo during the meeting, with the comment: “Working on the future with Joseph Einhorn.”
So will the company bring West on in an official capacity? Einhorn said, simply, that the pop star can do “whatever he wants to do.”
In addition to getting attention for its celebrity ties, the company has begun experimenting with new ways to generate revenue through referrals.