We interrupt this blog for a personal message:

Fast Company has published a nice article featuring Pretty Instant, a local event photography company that was invited to this year’s YCombinator Startup class.

The article describes YCombinator as “The world’s most powerful start up incubator.”

My son Doug, one of the Pretty Instant founders, is featured prominently in the write up:

Ben Maitland-Lewis and Doug Rogers were desperate. Their Boston-based marketing startup, which sold software for actors and musicians to create DIY press kits, had been muddling along for a few years now. There had been encouraging signs—good feedback, pilot programs, user growth—but not much in the way of actual revenue.

And so, when an acquaintance who was throwing a corporate Christmas party asked Maitland-Lewis if he knew anyone who rented photo booths, Maitland-Lewis nominated himself. The startup CEO didn’t have a photo booth per se—okay, he didn’t have a photo booth at all—but he figured he could cook something up. He had no choice. “We were broke,” says Rogers, by way of explanation. “And they had $1,000 to spend.

Doug and his co-workers turned that opportunity into Pretty Instant and now they are in Silicon Valley for the next three or four months taking part in classes and prepping their March presentation to venture capitalists, who are always looking for new innovative, scalable ideas to invest in.

It’s a great opportunity for the boys and they are taking full advantage of it.

Please forgive this bragging from a proud Dad and go read the article.