Jack Herrick

Who is Jack Herrick?

Jack Herrick is an American entrepreneur and wiki enthusiast. His entrepreneurial projects include wikiHow, eHow, Luminescent Technologies, and BigTray.

In January 2005, Herrick started wikiHow with the goal of creating "the how-to guide for everything" because "providing people with a practical education is one of the most empowering things you can offer a person." As of December 2009, wikiHow was read by 20 million visitors per month. At wikiHow, Herrick was noted for introducing opt-out advertising, co-developing the Universal Edit Button, building a collaborative online environment, and combining business with social good.

Prior to starting wikiHow, Herrick ran eHow, a popular how-to website now owned by Demand Media. Herrick sold eHow after concluding the wiki method of content creation would ultimately produce higher quality work. He described the difference between eHow and wikiHow as "eating a McDonald's burger vs. a wonderful, home cooked meal."

Herrick is also on the Board of Directors for StatusNet, an open source microblogging company, and the Board of Advisors for Mixer Labs, a startup acquired by Twitter. Prior to focusing on building how-to manuals, Herrick was a co-founder of Luminescent Technologies, a computational semiconductor lithography company, and BigTray, an online marketplace for restaurant supplies. Herrick received a degree in history from Stanford University and a degree from Dartmouth College.