Name: Ben Kittrell

Bio: Missouri native, making websites for over a decade. Love home renovation, wood carving, comedy and whiskey.

Title: Co-Founder of Doodlekit.com and Director of Development at LiveOn.com

Age: 30

Residence: Kansas City, Mo.

Website: garbageburrito.com

Twitter: @bgkittrell

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/benkittrell

Intro music: “The Daily Mail” (Live from the Basement) by Radiohead

Silicon Prairie News: What was it about the opportunity at LiveOn that enticed you to make the move there a year ago?

Ben Kittrell: They said they were looking for someone with strong development and entrepreneurial experience that was ready to lead a team of developers, but not seasoned “Manager.” That’s exactly where I was at that time. On top of that I was inspired by the concept behind LiveOn and the CEO’s vision. I’ve been asked to help with a lot of different projects, and this was the first time I instantly thought “Yes, this is going to be huge.”

SPN: Fresh off a trip to SXSW, where LiveOn was up against the likes of Google and IBM for the Interactive Award for technical achievement, what do you think the experience and exposure of SXSW will mean for LiveOn?

BK: First and foremost is raising capital. In addition to the connections made at SXSW, our CEO just spent a week in Silicon Valley talking to investors and is presenting at the InvestMidwest Forum in St. Louis. We’ve had a great response, and any additional exposure just makes that process easier. I myself spent a lot of time at privacy and security talks at SXSW. It was great to see a rising awareness of the public’s right to online privacy, especially considering that’s LiveOn’s top priority.

SPN: You’ve written of Ruby on Rails that it “saved your sanity.” How do you explain that lofty praise?

BK:  After years of Java gigs I got tired of the over-architecting, so when I started working on Doodlekit I chose Rails. It’s succinct and gets out of the way. The difference in productivity was night and day. I’ve come to learn that it’s not just something special about Rails or Ruby, but just getting a different perspective makes you a better programmer. We just rewrote LiveOn using a Rails inspired Java framework called Play! with Backbone and Bootstrap on top.

SPN: As a co-founder of Doodlekit, which helps people build websites, what are a few of the most essential qualities that sort of tool should embody?

BK:  At the core you have to have a robust templating engine. We’re about to release a new templating engine that lets users finely tune the design. Of course there are the basics like a good WYSIWYG editor and image management. Most of all I’d say that it’s important to find a niche so can narrow your focus. We focus on making it dead simple so that anyone with a web browser can make a site that they love.

SPN: From what I gather, you’re quite the cartoon connoisseur. If you had to pick one cartoon character whose personality you most closely mirror, who would it be and why?

BK: That’s a great question. I’d say Brock Samson from the Venture Bros. Not the man-slut, killing machine part, but the quiet confidence. He does his own thing and does it well. He listens and waits for the right moment to speak, but always has an intelligent and concise comment. He doesn’t force himself as a leader, but knows when and how to lead. And, I always carry a six-inch blade on my belt.

Credits: Photo courtesy of Kittrell.

Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.

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