End of an Era

I joined Boosted as its first designer in early 2016. There were about 30 of us who worked in the company at the time. The boards were all hand-assembled in a large garage in Mountain View. Our roof leaked, our carpet smelled, and every moment defined the meaning of scrappy. The setting was a true antithesis to fancy Silicon Valley office spaces. I loved it.

It had a skate ramp in the backyard, dogs everywhere, and cars filled with surfboards and dripping wetsuits hanging from their mirrors. We didn’t have a lot in terms of “perks” but we had an endless supply of things to ride around on and we were passionate about the brand’s mission.

Today is my last day at Boosted and it’s hard to sum up what it’s been like working at there. It hasn’t been a “normal” job.

I’ve had more scabs from road rash, more stressful all-nighters, and more crazy times than I can count. It’s had ups and downs but all the while it’s felt different than just a regular job. Coworkers have felt more like family than colleagues and making sales felt more like an evangelical mission than a way to make money. As I leave the office for the last time I feel overcome with gratitude and a sense of pride for what we’ve built here.

When I look back there are 3 things that give me an overwhelming amount of pride for what we’ve done:

1 - IMPACT

Our customers have ridden well over 17 MILLION miles on Boosted vehicles! That’s incredible! If those same miles were driven by cars that would be a total of 7,700 tons of carbon emissions put out into our fragile atmosphere. That’s massive. I know that measuring carbon footprint is more complicated than my simplistic explanation, but still…pretty cool stuff. Not only did we create a cleaner way to get around but we also made it faster, saving hundreds of thousands of hours for people all around the world.

We didn’t fully crack the code on solving last-mile transportation for everyone everywhere but Boosted has truly moved the needle forward. I can’t wait to see how the company continues to reduce its carbon footprint and truly impact the future of this planet in a positive way. I’m so proud of that.

2 - CULTURE

Boosted’s culture and people are amazing. Here you’ll work alongside some of the smartest and most talented people you’ll ever meet, and then go skate, camp, catch waves, or hit the trail after work. Everyone is so down to earth, ego-free, and passionate about living life to the fullest. I’ve never been around so many people who love the outdoors, chase the next adventure, or create things simply for the love of it. I’m incredibly proud of the culture we’ve all built.

3 - FREEDOM

You can’t quantify this feeling or measure it on a chart but we’ve all felt it. There is something truly magical about riding a Boosted board. The world opens up and you feel wide awake and alive. A friend pointed out a quote to me from one of my favorite books (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) that perfectly describes what I mean: 

“In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame.

 On a [Boosted Board] the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”

I can’t describe how proud I am to have shared that feeling with thousands and thousands of other people.

I will continue rooting for the team from the sidelines. The past 4 years have been life-changing and I can’t wait to see how Boosted will continue to share the magic of riding their products with more and more people in the coming years. Good luck my Boosted family.

Thank you for everything.

If you are curious to see some of the rad design work, photos, or videos that we created feel free to check out my portfolio site at www.kysondana.com

_______________________

Disclaimer: This post is in no way a reflection of the future of Boosted. If you are interested in talking about what’s next for Boosted follow along on its social media channels or hit up the team at press@boostedboards.com. I’m simply moving on to something new :)

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE