TechCrunch has emerged as the premiere blog for technology startups looking for exposure. Getting covered by TechCrunch has become the preferred method for tech companies to reach the "early adopters".
Dan Fost from the San Francisco Chronicle has written a nice profile on the rapid rise of TechCrunch in his December 6, 2006 article "Valley's 'Mr Web 2.0' seeks next big thing."
Some facts about TechCrunch:
- Launched by Michael Arrington June 11, 2005.
- Over 2 million page views and 1 million unique vistors a month (circa December 2006).
- Generated $180,000 in ad revenues for the month of November 2006 with a staff of 7.
- Arch nemesis: Nick Denton (ValleyWag). Arrington's quote, "Nick Denton is evil."
- SuperFriend: Om Malik (GigaOM).
- Greatest Hit: Broke the story of the $1.65 billion YouTube acquisition by Google.
So how did TechCrunch acheive its status as kingmaker for new technology companies?
1) Timing: Despite the general popularity of blog forums, the best known Silicon Valley/Technology blog at the time of TechCrunch's launch was ValleyWag. ValleyWag is the antithesis of TechCrunch. ValleyWag is fascinating because of its fearless nature is taking on tech industry giants and making them look foolish.
2) Connections: Arrington comes connected from his days at the #1 Valley law firm Wilson Sonsini. He moved from Wilson Sonsini to startup RealNames, which raised over $100 in VC funding. Arrington connects lawyers, VC's, and entrepreners together in order to get the latest scoops in the industry.
3) Dedication & Breaking News: If you are a regular TechCrunch reader, you will see new articles popping up through the day & night. It is not uncommon to see a new story posted at midnight. TechCrunch takes advantage of the blog format to beat the traditional media properties to breaking stories.
4) Positive Attitude Towards StartUps: Generally TechCrunch is enthusiastic and sees the the potential for a wide spectrum of tech trends and startups. If you are a tech startup fortunate enough to get TechCrunch coverage, you are likely to get a favorable review.
With 381,000 feed subscribers, TechCrunch is extending its dominance as the go-to blog for the latest trends, news and companies in technology. As they eventually pass the 1,000,000 feed mark, it will be interesting to see how TechCrunch manages its break-neck growth. Will they need to appeal to a broader audience, leaving an opportunity for a narrowly focused blog to take over as the domain for startups?
Arrington has deftly handled the growth, despite envy of bloggers, traditional news writers, and jilted startup companies to date. Good bet that he will be able to navigate TechCrunch successfully as they reach the next level.
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