Dear Mark Lotto, Ev Williams, et al.,

Congratulations on spinning off Matter. This will definitely be a positive, bold, move forward. But I can’t help but be skeptical at the lack of specificity here.

“We’re going to make stuff and we’re going to get stuff made. That’s the idea, though we have no real idea where it’s going to lead.”

I’m only calling you out on this because I care. Why make “stuff”? What’s your end game? What change are you trying to make? YouTube, Twitter, Medium, Vine, have all given storytelling tools back to the hands of the people. The democratization of content is what’s ultimately crippling networks like ESPN and MTV. What’s going to make Matter Studios better than YouTube?

Don’t you think it’s a good idea to have some idea where it’s going to lead before you get everybody all hyped up about it?

I’d argue it does “matter” (no pun intended) where you want to go. If you’re going to succeed in your effort of radicalizing digital storytelling, financing is definitely going to be critical. I hope the projects you select will actually be given the necessary resources needed to be completed. I hope this isn’t just another rally cry to be different for novelty’s sake. I hope you really ask yourself what change you’re trying to make, and try to articulate that vision throughout the progress of this endeavor.

Great leaders are great dreamers. You’ve just painted quite the digital storytelling promise land, I hope to meet you there.