Keebler/Blog

- re: comments: only traditional media (newspaper, TV) thinks you should be able to say what you want without feedback
- he just starts the topic and gets the first word, after that it’s up to the community
- let’s flame threads go to see how they go before deleting them
- do you feel like a journalist? “I don’t know what a journalist is”
- if you’re first, you don’t have to be the most insightful to get traction
- seconds matter (be first)
- traditional media: went to journalism school, “lament this [new media] evolution”, as they go through “death-throws” they are writing/complaining about it (”I don’t want to hear it”)
- traditional media: blaming Google for “stealing” content, doesn’t understand how Google works, Google News doesn’t have any ads, Google is sending traffic to these sites (gateway)
- RSS readers: preferred, more loyal, more valuable
- blogs: same need to be correct, or others will link elsewhere
- best thing journalists can do: start writing on side, promote own brand
- “[Silicon] Valley needs a downturn” right now, all $/PR-people in the Valley now, more of them then entrepreneurs, less money = more fun, $ leaves = more fun = more innovation
- would have done the same as Engaget and posted the (fake) Apple memo about iPhone delays, Apple PR should have taken his call = he’s a major journalism
- Question from Canoe guy (traditional media): What would you do if running a newspaper today? “There’s a really good chance I would stop printing the actual newspaper”, all entries would be free (unlike NY Times, Wall St. Journal), shouldn’t stop Google from indexing your stuff
- social networking sites: Do we have dynasty in social networking (Facebook)? His money is on virtual reality (WW, Second Life), Facebook is here to stay, Myspace is probably here to stay (they are so big, they don’t understand openness, they *could* blow it), “Facebook: I think they’re here to stay”
- for him, more outragous = more money. “Don’t put money on things I’m saying. I’m right about startups and that’s about it. I’m wrong all the time”.
- Question: Post it first then fix it later (Engaget) vs. traditional media being held to higher standard? Wall St. Journal would have taken more time to write story, blogs can say whatever I/anyone thinks and are just so much better, you (question-asker) is focussing on one bad example, wouldn’t trade it for anything
- Question from guy who pays blogs to write content about their advertisers (PayPerPost): Arrington: “[you are the] most evil person in this room”, Arrington really hates this guy, is there an incentive for bloggers to sensationalize? tradeoff between sensationalism and credibility, decision he makes may affect the credibility of his blog, question-asker is video blogging this for “Rock Startup”
- Next big thing for social networking (Twitter out of no where)? I see a lot but I don’t see everything and I’m often wrong, trashed Twitter initially but love it now, “clearly, I was wrong”, his personal opinion: social networking + mobile + virtual reality
- How do you think you’re responsible? “here’s my opinion, but I’m an idiot”, believes his opinions no more valid than others, evil startups = “I go off on them”/trash them, even if he’s going to trash them startups prefer he write about them (he asks them)
- What will we do when there’s an inevitable downturn? Diversifying, bloggers are low cost so can do “years without any revenue at all”
- If you’re starting a start-up: solving technology barrier entry, networking (e.g. Digg – every new user adds value to the network), Startups = “Do you have a technology or a network effect?”
- Facebook Photos better than Flickr because you can tag friends
- Startups need press to differential because there’s so many, “they’ll do anything to get that press”, best way to get him to write about: no one’s written about it, product good/interesting/7yr founder. “Another YouTube product…It’s going to be hard”
- bloggers disregard embargoes, drag newspapers into doing the same
- really care about what you’re writing about, you will spend more time thinking/researching about it
- he really cares about startups, “facinated about that”, so he gets the scoops
- Question about branching Techcrunch into other media? Creating video/audio takes time to record, edit, etc. Ppl love video but it’s harder to consume for users
- Plans for Heather hire (CEO) at Techcrunch? “I hired her because she…ran a business that was a steady ship. Brought this level of calmness to Techcrunch….we’re a real business now”
- END