RT @alexismadrigal: I Gawkered @nicknotned’s @Gawker post: http://bit.ly/ht7bXV 5 Takeaways from his must-read post on Internet media.
December 2010
November 2010
“As the founder of Gawker, Nick Denton may occasionally be reviled, but the man has his fingers on the pulse of the Internet. His clear thinking and willingness to go where the (traffic, revenue) data lead him make him one of my favorite thinkers about our business. I may not always agree with him, but he brings data to what is often a words-only fight about the future of media.”
—5 Takeaways from Nick Denton’s Must-Read Reflections on Internet Media - Alexis Madrigal - Technology - The Atlantic
“Now these stories don’t themselves bring in advertising revenue. We can’t predict a surge in traffic; and often advertisers don’t want to be associated with scandal, however enticing it is to readers. But the experience of Gawker, Deadspin and other sites shows that — once the dust has settled — advertisers flock to buzz and growth. It is only in the last few months that Deadspin, for all its earlier critical acclaim, has been specifically requested by alcohol and other advertisers.”
—Why Gawker is moving beyond the blog
“Outside observers will note that this layout represents some convergence of blog, magazine and television. That’s true in the abstract but it’s more of a description than an argument. Here are the concrete reasons for the evolution of the Gawker template beyond the straightforward blog format.”
—Why Gawker is moving beyond the blog
“Los Angeles once had a large, intricate and thriving public transportation system, with so-called Yellow Car trolleys that ran on downtown streets and a vast network of Red Cars, operated by the Pacific Electric Railroad, that ran throughout the region. This was dismantled amid the city’s fervent embrace of the automobile (encouraged, in no small part, by oil interests in Los Angeles that realized the economic potential of the car).”
—Los Angeles Mass Transit Is Expanding - NYTimes.com
“For your first key hires, three, five, maybe as much as ten, you will probably not be able to use any kind of formula. Getting someone to join your dream before it is much of anything is an art not a science. And the amount of equity you need to grant to accomplish these hires is also an art and most certainly not a science. However, a rule of thumb for those first few hires is that you will be granting them in terms of points of equity (ie 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%).”
—A VC: Employee Equity: How Much?
“Keisha Sutton-James, a granddaughter of the late Hon. Percy E. Sutton accepted a HARLEM WEEK award on her family’s behalf, a drawing of Harlem’s legendary “Gang of Four,” The Hon. Charles B. Rangel; Mr. Sutton; Hon. Basil Paterson; and Hon. David Dinkins, created by the renowned Daily News illustrator Bill Gallo. Mr. Sutton was a co-founder of HARLEM WEEK.”
—Harlem graces Gracie Mansion « UPTOWNflavor
“And that’s when I had my brainstorm: It should be a group of readers. Which is how, during a snowy week in February, ten women from across the country found themselves flying to Chicago to join me for a taping of the show and some lively conversation in my Harpo office.”
—Oprah Gets Interviewed by O Readers - Oprah.com
Play
“Totally agree with your overall point. But at the end you saying this period reminds you of 1999 struck me. Putting aside the fact that valuations and amounts of money raised are puny compared to then, isn’t the big difference that the fundamentals of the tech/internet industry are incredibly strong?”
—A VC: Pacing Yourself
“So when I look at where we are right now, it reminds me so much of 1999 and frankly it scares me. But we are not pulling back. We are sticking with our investment strategy and putting out cash and adding new names to our portfolio. But we are doing it with a very close eye on pace, both in terms of names and cash outlays. I think that is the right approach and that it will serve us well as we navigate the tricky waters we find ourselves in.”
—A VC: Pacing Yourself
Sadie (Joanna Newsom cover)
M. Ward
wow
wow
And all that I want
And all that I need
And all that I got
Is scattered like seed
And all that I knew
Is moving away from meM. Ward - Sadie (Joanna Newsom cover)
Starting cover Friday with coffee and this one.
RT @cdixon: So much fear on VC blogs these days. I say just focus on investing/creating great stuff and ignore market ebbs and flows.
Play
“We figured each $50,000 ad deal was like getting another angel investor,” says Ted Rheingold, Dogster CEO.”
—Dogster and ICanHazCheezburger Join Ad Forces
