joining me today is a guest who needs no introduction but we shall grant him one
introduction but we shall grant him one
introduction but we shall grant him one nonetheless erick schonfeld you’ve been
nonetheless erick schonfeld you’ve been
nonetheless erick schonfeld you’ve been a writer for fortune business 2 point 0
a writer for fortune business 2 point 0
a writer for fortune business 2 point 0 you won countless awards which I can’t
you won countless awards which I can’t
you won countless awards which I can’t remember without the help of the
remember without the help of the
remember without the help of the teleprompter I can count you can count
teleprompter I can count you can count
teleprompter I can count you can count that will prolly get into that
that will prolly get into that
that will prolly get into that accountants will get to them you are
accountants will get to them you are
accountants will get to them you are currently the co-editor at TechCrunch
currently the co-editor at TechCrunch
currently the co-editor at TechCrunch welcome to the show well thanks for
welcome to the show well thanks for
welcome to the show well thanks for having me let’s just dive into it um two
having me let’s just dive into it um two
having me let’s just dive into it um two years and a month ago you joined
years and a month ago you joined
years and a month ago you joined TechCrunch so I’m curious about how that
TechCrunch so I’m curious about how that
TechCrunch so I’m curious about how that actually played out what was the
actually played out what was the
actually played out what was the discussion you had with Michael
discussion you had with Michael
discussion you had with Michael Arrington and why you chose to move over
Arrington and why you chose to move over
Arrington and why you chose to move over from traditional media to TechCrunch
from traditional media to TechCrunch
from traditional media to TechCrunch sure so for people in your audience they
sure so for people in your audience they
sure so for people in your audience they don’t know what techCrunch’s it’s the
don’t know what techCrunch’s it’s the
don’t know what techCrunch’s it’s the biggest technology blog out there and it
biggest technology blog out there and it
biggest technology blog out there and it was started by michael arrington in his
was started by michael arrington in his
was started by michael arrington in his house back in 2005 at that time i was
house back in 2005 at that time i was
house back in 2005 at that time i was editor-at-large at a time inc magazine
editor-at-large at a time inc magazine
editor-at-large at a time inc magazine there’s now the funk that’s called
there’s now the funk that’s called
there’s now the funk that’s called business two point oh and i was also i
business two point oh and i was also i
business two point oh and i was also i ended up being sort of the main blog or
ended up being sort of the main blog or
ended up being sort of the main blog or their through that we met you know we
their through that we met you know we
their through that we met you know we started linking to each other we started
started linking to each other we started
started linking to each other we started we all you know I was always reading his
we all you know I was always reading his
we all you know I was always reading his blog i started to invite him to
blog i started to invite him to
blog i started to invite him to conferences and round table that i was
conferences and round table that i was
conferences and round table that i was organizing at the time we knew each
organizing at the time we knew each
organizing at the time we knew each other that way through that connection
other that way through that connection
other that way through that connection and in the summer of two thousand seven
and in the summer of two thousand seven
and in the summer of two thousand seven he reached out to me to see if I’d be
he reached out to me to see if I’d be
he reached out to me to see if I’d be interested to come join him so I’d
interested to come join him so I’d
interested to come join him so I’d already been a Time Inc for about 14
already been a Time Inc for about 14
already been a Time Inc for about 14 years and I’d done the whole magazine
years and I’d done the whole magazine
years and I’d done the whole magazine thing I had a pretty good run there I
thing I had a pretty good run there I
thing I had a pretty good run there I thought but I was already starting being
thought but I was already starting being
thought but I was already starting being pulled over to the blog side of the
pulled over to the blog side of the
pulled over to the blog side of the world and I saw that as my main job
world and I saw that as my main job
world and I saw that as my main job because I already saw that I was getting
because I already saw that I was getting
because I already saw that I was getting a lot more interesting leads for realz
a lot more interesting leads for realz
a lot more interesting leads for realz four other stories that I was getting a
four other stories that I was getting a
four other stories that I was getting a lot more recognition that I was really
lot more recognition that I was really
lot more recognition that I was really sort of you know more part of the
sort of you know more part of the
sort of you know more part of the conversation right so it was very
conversation right so it was very
conversation right so it was very appealing to me to kind of leave that
appealing to me to kind of leave that
appealing to me to kind of leave that aside and start from a clean slate at a
aside and start from a clean slate at a
aside and start from a clean slate at a media company that didn’t have that
media company that didn’t have that
media company that didn’t have that baggage and
baggage and
baggage and you know I decided I wanted to try to
you know I decided I wanted to try to
you know I decided I wanted to try to build a new media company and I could
build a new media company and I could
build a new media company and I could either try to do it on my own or I could
either try to do it on my own or I could
either try to do it on my own or I could you know I could join Michael who would
you know I could join Michael who would
you know I could join Michael who would already at that point you know tech rent
already at that point you know tech rent
already at that point you know tech rent is already well established and since
is already well established and since
is already well established and since then you know we’ve we’ve grown it quite
then you know we’ve we’ve grown it quite
then you know we’ve we’ve grown it quite nicely so now we have six six writers on
nicely so now we have six six writers on
nicely so now we have six six writers on just the TechCrunch brand itself so the
just the TechCrunch brand itself so the
just the TechCrunch brand itself so the company as a whole we have about 20
company as a whole we have about 20
company as a whole we have about 20 employees and that includes people in
employees and that includes people in
employees and that includes people in development in different blogs as a
development in different blogs as a
development in different blogs as a whole network of blog there’s there’s
whole network of blog there’s there’s
whole network of blog there’s there’s TechCrunch the main blog there’s crunch
TechCrunch the main blog there’s crunch
TechCrunch the main blog there’s crunch gear which is a gear blog there’s mobile
gear which is a gear blog there’s mobile
gear which is a gear blog there’s mobile crunch there’s TechCrunch Europe which
crunch there’s TechCrunch Europe which
crunch there’s TechCrunch Europe which is a regional blog in Europe there’s
is a regional blog in Europe there’s
is a regional blog in Europe there’s crunchbase which is our our database of
crunchbase which is our our database of
crunchbase which is our our database of companies which from nowhere now has
companies which from nowhere now has
companies which from nowhere now has thousands of companies and we have all
thousands of companies and we have all
thousands of companies and we have all this information about fundings and
this information about fundings and
this information about fundings and acting MMA acquisitions it’s all free
acting MMA acquisitions it’s all free
acting MMA acquisitions it’s all free it’s all open data that anyone can
it’s all open data that anyone can
it’s all open data that anyone can download and we have api’s people are
download and we have api’s people are
download and we have api’s people are building other websites based on this
building other websites based on this
building other websites based on this data so there’s a lot of different side
data so there’s a lot of different side
data so there’s a lot of different side projects as well know about know about
projects as well know about know about
projects as well know about know about now what’s been the biggest surprise
now what’s been the biggest surprise
now what’s been the biggest surprise since you’ve been at TechCrunch the
since you’ve been at TechCrunch the
since you’ve been at TechCrunch the whole way of running you know reporting
whole way of running you know reporting
whole way of running you know reporting and writing about a story really changes
and writing about a story really changes
and writing about a story really changes the way that we do things now is you
the way that we do things now is you
the way that we do things now is you know you have a new piece of information
know you have a new piece of information
know you have a new piece of information or new piece of news every post this
or new piece of news every post this
or new piece of news every post this kind of pushes the story forward and
kind of pushes the story forward and
kind of pushes the story forward and there’s this whole interactive element
there’s this whole interactive element
there’s this whole interactive element where you’ll post something you maybe
where you’ll post something you maybe
where you’ll post something you maybe have partial information you could
have partial information you could
have partial information you could affirm it or you feel good enough about
affirm it or you feel good enough about
affirm it or you feel good enough about it to put it online and you characterize
it to put it online and you characterize
it to put it online and you characterize it as such and then that then brings the
it as such and then that then brings the
it as such and then that then brings the real the real information to you that
real the real information to you that
real the real information to you that makes the company respond or that brings
makes the company respond or that brings
makes the company respond or that brings the person who really knows the story
the person who really knows the story
the person who really knows the story out of the Woodworks and then that is
out of the Woodworks and then that is
out of the Woodworks and then that is this iterative process that you sort of
this iterative process that you sort of
this iterative process that you sort of put everything out there for display
put everything out there for display
put everything out there for display you
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