Three is a magic number — Kickstarter’s founders know this to be true. In 2012, its third year, the world’s largest fundraising platform hosted the first of three $3 million–plus projects. Indeed, its nearly 3 million backers (and 4 million users) have generated $300 million for projects, ranging from a scheme to send handwritten letters to small towns en masse to a beautiful Bluetooth watch. If a project reaches its goal, Kickstarter takes 5%. And in three years the staff has grown 14-fold, to nearly 42 employees from its original group of, yes, three. On the side: Chen co-founded an art gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Strickler was a music critic for Pitchfork, the irreverent indie music website. Adler co-founded an online art magazine. –R.B.