I can’t say that Portland, Oregon, immediately jumps to mind when someone utters the word “astronaut.”
But if Darius Monsef—the creator of COLOURlovers, an incredibly popular community site centered on the discussion of (you guessed it) color—has his way, Portland will soon be known as the home of Internet Astronauts, his latest venture.

Apart from a strangely compelling name, what is Internet Astronauts?
Internet Astronauts is a resource for bootstrapping startups and internet entrepreneurs who are ready to ignite their rockets and launch. The blog is the central resource in our initial launch of the IA site, but soon profiles, community tools and more resources will be added.
Yes, but why astronauts?
I use the astronaut theme because it implies the risk and dedication it takes to get a startup off the ground. It can take tons of hard work, early days and late nights… and laying it all on the line. Also, Astronauts are not in their careers only because it pays well… the high-risk isn’t worth the money. They do it because they love it. I’d like to think think I’m in this business for the chance to go somewhere new, more than the chance to make a lot of money. (Although that is a great possible benefit of being an internet entrepreneur.)
If you’ve had the chance to read the guest posts that Darius has written for Silicon Florist—“Community: The Secret Sauce of a Successful Internet Startup” and “Here’s the Deadliest Catch: Hiring an Agency to Build Your Startup“—you’re already familiar with his voice and some of his opinions.
He’s definitely a force with which to be reckoned.
And that’s why I recommend you take a few moments to swing by Internet Astronauts. Or just go ahead a dive right in by subscribing to the Internet Astronauts feed.
I’m looking forward to hearing Darius’ voice, opinions, and passion as he chimes in on the startup scene.