Alex Sass
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Alex Sass (full name Shah Alex David Sass), born 3rd January 1978, is an English entrepreneur known for authoring theories relating to virtual communities.
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[edit] Education
Quitting his studies in Philosophy at Kings College London, Alex started his career in the innovations department of a successful local technology firm based in Gloucestershire. His work on early extranets brought him to London where he joined leading firm Internet Vision. During his time at Internet Vision he received finance to launch the first of a number of 'lifestyle networks', go-neutral, leading to recognition as "Best of British Entrepreneur" by gay publication Attitude Magazine.
[edit] Formation of theory
Merging his work with that of other networks including the formation of a large system for the DTI, Sass launched his own agency Ostrich Consulting. He merged the firm's interests with the online ambitions of well known gay entrepreneur and polititan Ivan Massow to create Ostrich Massow, renamed Solutions TM Ltd. At STM he published and worked upon the SSS theory which is often cited as key to the success of virtual networking. It requires that engineers focus on a user-interface that includes references to the social aspects of a systems users, their physical location and their hierarchical position within a community.
[edit] Fame
Alex's technology and theory ran the world's largest social-professional-network for gay men and women [1]Jake TM, of which he was the sole director for a number of years. The network attracted over 20'000 members and lead to Alex being cited in the press as “Gay Mafia”. Alex also founded a recognised social network for the population of Canary Wharf, a profitable business that he gave away as a prize in a competition.
[edit] Current situation
In 2004 he quit life in London to live on Koh Phangan (Gulf of Thailand) from where he published "My Island is Beautiful" - a fictional novel written entirely in a stream of consciousness style, the plot of which is based loosely on his own struggles with sexuality and lifestyle.
Alex moved to Cheltenham (Gloucestershire) at the age of 27 after hosting over 150 events in private members clubs, both in London and New York (for the population of the networks he created). At this time he declared "The end of gay bars" in the 'pink press'.
Following ill health during travels in South East Asia he was housebound for most of 2005-2006.
At the time of the sale of his equity in the firm he created, he declared himself "financially over but peaceful", despite selling his software for a six figure sum to individual clients including the Arts Council of England.
