

The Techcrunch Embargo - vilpponen
http://www.arcticstartup.com/2011/12/05/the-techcrunch-embargo

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peteforde
Sorry, but startups should not be relying on TC or any other blog coverage to
launch their startup. TC only has power if you give it to them, because the
50k hits they give you are extremely low quality. 99% or more bounce after
reading 2-4 words because by definition they are pundits or other founders,
not customers of your service.

Remember, if you're in touch with real potential customers who are excited for
you to solve their real problem that you've qualified in exchange for actual,
bankable money then you don't need to even care that TC exists.

~~~
robryan
Maybe not rely upon but it is a good one time thing that you can get your name
across multiple tech blogs, hard to get that much attention so fast without
the blogs writing about you.

~~~
_delirium
If you have something interesting to TechCrunch's userbase (say, a SaaS aimed
at developers), then I could see that, but otherwise, I've found it much more
productive to get written up on a moderate-traffic blog in the right niche.
E.g. 5,000 people who care about, say, cooking, are way better than 50,000
TechCrunch hits, if you have something to do with cooking...

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ChuckMcM
tl;dr version: The PR world is full of people trying to get an edge.
TechCrunch is very aggresive and not loved by other PR people, and even by
some startups or personalities. This makes the author sad.

I remember complaining to my parents about the 'cliques' in high school that
were simultaneously desirable (since being 'in' was a positive) and despicable
because they would go to great unscrupulous lengths to besmirch you if you
crossed them (even if they only _thought_ you crossed them). My mom, the
psyche major in college, said "Chuck, you can only control the way _you_ are,
not other people. Be a good example and be a good friend."

So true and so unrewarding at the same time. The injustice of it all rankled
that piece of me that rebelled against the "fairness" of it all. But there is
no "fair" in politics. Wasting time worrying about that gets you no where.

~~~
dirtyaura
But it's important that these issues are discussed publicly. Here the point is
not the embargo per se, but the fact that TechCrunch is deciding the embargo
date, which might be really counterproductive for the startup, if it suddenly
starts to get traction.

When I first started in the startup world, I was stunned how the whole PR
ecosystem worked. It and it's ethics should be discussed more, not less, so
that both readers and new startups understand it better.

~~~
notahacker
Startups, like TechCrunch, are free to refuse to embargoes or even break them
altogether if they think the extra publicity is worth more than building
bridges with one media organisation.

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oldgregg
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.arc...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.arcticstartup.com/2011/12/05/the-
techcrunch-embargo&hl=en&strip=1)

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jpdoctor
I don't see it mentioned in the comments: The TC situation is exactly opposite
of the usual company/business-press relationship.

Normally, a company will cut off access to people in news organizations that
provide bad press. TC has managed to turn this on its head.

(It tells you why CNBC is all cheerleaders, all the time. The biz press pages
aren't exactly filled with the next Woodwards and Bernsteins either.)

------
johns
Welcome to the PR game. Embargoes are part of it. If you don't like this, find
someone else to run PR for your company or at the very least, find someone
with a lot of experience to advise you on how things work.

As hackers we're idealistic about how things work, expecting the world to
follow logical patterns. But trust me, the press does not work remotely close
to how one would hope. If you cannot stomach that, outsource it.

For TechCrunch, don't let them set the embargo time. Set one yourself, offer
it to them as an exclusive. If they pass it up, move on. If they don't run it
at the time you set, have a back up plan in place. TC will not make or break
you. Do not allow yourself to be at their mercy. They have way more experience
than you do. Act like you belong and control your own destiny.

------
icco
I'm really confused about this. So Techcrunch is telling companies that if
they want coverage, they have to not talk to anyone else? Couldn't they
instead just talk to everyone but Techcrunch?

~~~
johns
Yes. It's very common for blogs and press outlets to ask for exclusives with a
deadline at which it expires (embargo). If you want their coverage, you agree
to their terms. Or if you have your act together, you set your terms, pitch it
and have back up plans if they don't accept.

------
BlackJack
The TC reply to this: [http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/05/going-too-far-the-
techcrunc...](http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/05/going-too-far-the-techcrunch-
embargo-and-other-myths/)

HN discussion of reply: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3314206>

------
robinwauters
Thanks for the discussion, ladies and gentlemen. I responded on behalf of
TechCrunch here: [http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/05/going-too-far-the-
techcrunc...](http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/05/going-too-far-the-techcrunch-
embargo-and-other-myths/)

Have a fine day!

~~~
Angostura
And here's the salient sentence: "Do we break embargoes? Sometimes. Do we
break embargoes even after agreeing to them? Sometimes"

In other words,

"You cannot trust us"

~~~
robinwauters
The sentence goes on 'but very rarely'. In fact, don't think it's happened
once this year that I know of.

Bottom line is, well, the bottom line (that startups have nothing to fear when
it comes to trusting us).

~~~
Angostura
Oh, _very rarely?_

Remind me to try using that one if ever I have to explain to a a company that
I break my contracts 'very rarely' or my wife that I am unfaithful 'very
rarely, or a court that I drive while drunk very rarely.

You do it. You cannot be trusted not to do it.

~~~
robinwauters
Newsflash. Everyone does it.

~~~
cbs
So fucking what? "Its OK if they do it too" is not journalism, its sleaze.
I've heard people claim Techcrunch to be a rag, now I agree.

~~~
Angostura
Moreover, I was a tech journalist for 15 years and we _didn't_ do it. We would
argue very hard about them, but an agreement was an agreement.

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nchuhoai
I agree, Monopolies are never good. While TC is clearly not a monopoly, no one
can disregard their massive authority when it comes to the emergence of new
startup.

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ebbv
TechCrunch is a rag and everybody knows it. It's the TMZ of the tech world.
The response to this blog post by TC is even more indicative of the
journalistic rot going on over there than this blog post.

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zerostar07
Shouldn't startups sell themselves instead of relying on PR?

~~~
robinwauters
There are always exceptions, but yes, it works better.

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borski
Showing a 500. Can anyone find the Google Cache link?

~~~
akonan
Few reloads and I got the page. Seems to be under a heavy load

~~~
JacobIrwin
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.arc...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:www.arcticstartup.com/2011/12/05/the-
techcrunch-embargo&hl=en&strip=1)

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Concours
Hello Villponen, while I agree with you about the post and condemn this
practice from TechCrunch, I'm wondering about your own practices of covering
"ONLY" Nordic and Baltic countries Startups!? or am I missing something? Fact
is, TechCrunch is one of the biggest player and Entrepreneurs don't really
have that many choices while trying to get coverage from big tech blogs, and
probably when they are not from the Nordic region or very big, they can't
expect coverage from your own blog. Again, I condemn this practice, I'm just
surprise to not read it from a RWW, TheNextWeb...or other "world Techblog"
blogger but from you, while you already set your own Embargo from the start:
"Don't talk to us or don't expect coverage from us if you are not a Nordic or
Baltic Startup" . But of course, I could be missing something here!

~~~
giddas
I would think he doesn't have the resources of a techcrunch for one and the
focus that local news can give is valuable.

