20 VC FF 021: From TechCrunch to Founder to TechCrunch with the legend, Steve O'Hear

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The Twenty Minute VC

Finance, Venturecapital, Tech News, News, Siliconvalley, Technology, Investing, Startups, Business

4.4 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 13 November 2015

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Steve O’Hear is best known as a technology journalist, currently at TechCrunch where he focuses on European startups, companies and products. He first joined TechCrunch in November 2009 as Contributing Editor for TechCrunch Europe, where he worked alongside Editor Mike Butcher to help build TechCrunch’s European coverage. However, in June 2011 having caught the startup bug, Steve took a break from journalism to co-found the London and Prague-based startup Beepl. In November 2012, Beepl was acquired by Brand Embassy. Steve is also the writer and director of the critically acclaimed Silicon Valley documentary ‘In Search of the Valley’.

Before we delve into the show today, our dear friend and kind donator, Brad Feld has agreed to do a competition giveaway featuring signed copies of his amazing book, Venture Deals, all you have to do to be in with a chance is headover to the website at www.thetwentyminutevc.com and sign up for our newsletter. It’s that simple.

In Today's Episode You Will Learn:

1.) Where did it all start for Steve, how did you make he make his entrance into the tech industry, journalism and then founding Beepl?

2.) How did Steve find the transition from journalist to entrepreneur? What were the hardest aspects of the journey? What surprised Steve about the fundraising process for Beepl?

3.) In such a crowded space such as news generation, what is it about TechCrunch that makes it The Bible to the tech community?

4.) Obviously articles and news brings comments from the community. How do TechCrunch try and engage and unite the community? Have there been any difficulties with the commenting process etc?

5.) How does a platform like TechCrunch plan to monetize content with the ever disappearing ad dollar? Is it something that concerns TechCrunch?

6.) Where does Steve think we are going in both wider media and journalism? Is journalism heading to the short form with the increasing prominence of platforms such as Buzzfeed? How does the industry

Items Mentioned In Today's Show:

Steve's Fave Book: The Big Sleep

Steve's Fave Blog: Tech.eu

As always you can follow Harry, The Twenty Minute VC and Steve on Twitter here!

If you would like to see a more colourful side to Harry with many a mojito session you can follow him on Instagram here!

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the 20 minute VC. I am Harry Stebbings and you are listening to a very special episode of Founders Friday as our guest today is Steve O'Hare, best known as a technology journalist currently at TechCrunch, where he focuses on European startups, companies and products.
0:16.9	He first joined TechCrunch in November of 2009 as a contributing editor for TechCrunch Europe,
0:23.2	where he worked alongside editor Mike Butcher to help build TechCrunch Europe's coverage.
0:28.4	However, what a lot of people do not know is that in June 2011, having caught the startup bug,
0:34.4	Steve took a break from his role in journalism to co-found the London and Prague-based
0:38.7	startup Beeple. In his role as CEO, he helped the company raise its first VC round,
0:44.6	and in November 2012, Beeple was acquired by Brand Embassy. If all of that was not enough,
0:50.8	he was also the writer and director of the critically acclaimed Silicon Valley documentary
0:55.0	in search of the valley. But before we delve into the show today, our dear friend and kind
1:00.3	donor Bradfeld has agreed to a competition giveaway featuring signed copies of his amazing book
1:05.6	Venture Deals. All you have to do to be in with a chance is head over to the website at www.the 20-minutevc.com, all in letters, and sign up for our newsletter. It's that simple. However, it is now time for me to shut up and to hand over to the man himself. It is the fantastic Steve O'Hare from TechCrunch. Three, two, one, zero.
1:31.2	You have now arrived at your destination.
1:34.4	Steve, it's great to have you on the 20-minute VC.
1:36.9	I can't emphasize enough how much I love your writing, so it's a pleasure to have you on the show.
1:41.6	Well, thanks for having me.
1:42.8	Now, you've had a phenomenally successful career
1:45.1	with TechCrunch, but where did it all start? And how did you make your entrance into the tech
1:49.8	industry and journalism? Journalism was about 2004. I'd done some various web design projects and
1:57.5	stuff after graduating from uni. And one project I built was like a sort of YouTube for students.
2:05.5	It got picked up by the Guardian newspaper.
2:07.8	Always wanted to be a journalist when I was like a kid.
2:11.3	So I said to this journalist suffering project like, like, can you put me in touch with
	...

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