Despite our busy week, Jason and I had the chance to sit down to do an episode of OMG/JK yesterday. We focused on a few key topics: Facebook’s new subscribe social option, their smart lists, the first Windows 8 developer preview, and TechCrunch Disrupt.
Obviously, it’s impossible to talk about Disrupt without mentioning Mike’s exit. So we address that at first, before going on to discuss the… → Read More
So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark —that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back. – Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
To those who have been following the recent TechCrunch drama, this post won’t come as much of a surprise. A little over… → Read More
Earlier today at The Paley Center for Media’s International Council, IAC Chairman and Senior Executive Barry Diller took the stage for a keynote conversation with Jason Hirschhorn, CEO of reDEF Group. Among the topics discussed: AOL’s recent announcement that TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington had “decided” to move on.
Diller has extensive experience and strong opinions about media — IAC… → Read More
For starters, Mike doesn’t care in the least about startups or VC dynamics or whatever. He does care about the bits of humanity that fly off the wheel as he spins through the Valley and its impact on our lives. He’s a standup comedian looking for what we are hiding, or think we’re projecting, a kind of techno-Seinfeld extracting the underlying cotton ball-edness of the thing we call the… → Read More
There’s confusion – way too much confusion – about my status at TechCrunch and TechCrunch’s status at Aol after last week’s announcement that I was launching a venture fund, partially backed by Aol.
The multiple conflicting statements made by Aol on Thursday and Friday of last week are evidence of that confusion, but that isn’t the core issue. My employment relationship with TechCrunch and Aol… → Read More
This is a post I never thought I’d have to write. Unfortunately, I do. And the worst part about it is that it should be Michael Arrington writing this post, not me.
But he can’t.
TechCrunch is on the precipice. As soon as tomorrow, Mike may be thrown out of the company he founded. Or he may not. No one knows. And if he is, he will be replaced by — well, again, no one knows. No one knows… → Read More
Tax the rich. Those bastards.
I get why people who aren’t rich hate those that are. No one really cares what they have, they only care what they have relative to others. When there is inequality, and there always is, even the hyper intelligent call for a redistribution of wealth. It’s an enduring longing for us as a species, and no evidence to the contrary will convince people it just doesn’t… → Read More
I’ve said this before, but working at AOL is my first experience working at a “big” company. I’ve watched, mostly with amusement, as a Dilbert cartoon has come to life around me. Some of the policies and bureaucracy are useful (I’ll think of some examples, just give me a second).
Some are hilarious (forced drinking events). Some are really annoying. For example, every couple of weeks I get an… → Read More
It’s never too late to fix bad press with a straightforward, unconditional apology. That’s what the world got from Airbnb today. It was the first time that the company addressed the robbery/ransacking issue on its blog, and CEO Brian Chesky offered an unconditional apology. From the post: → Read More
This last week we’ve all watched in horror as the story unfolded about an Airbnb user who had her home ransacked a month ago.
Other than the sideshow of us getting dragged into the story, it seemed to be winding down yesterday. The company appears to be bending over backwards to compensate the victim and avoid another of her blog posts where she writes about how scared she is, still homeless… → Read More
You’ve doubtless heard about the Airbnb fiasco – being dubbed #ransackgate by some – that’s been exploding the last couple of days. If you’re not familiar with the story, we first covered it here, and there’s some terrific source material from the woman who’s home was ransacked and robbed here and here.
Today Y Combinator founder (and Airbnb investor) Paul Graham wrote this: → Read More
Yesterday we wrote about “EJ,” a woman who had her San Francisco apartment burglarized and vandalized by someone who rented her home for a week via Airbnb.
There was some confusion about how Airbnb was and is dealing with the situation. See the updates to that post above, and CEO Brian Chesky’s post here on TechCrunch later yesterday talking about the situation.
The event happened, which is… → Read More
Until now everything has been just great for Airbnb, a service that lets people rent out their homes and become a sort of mini-hotel. The company launched in 2008 and has grown rapidly. They’ve been cloned by the Germans, which is always a mark of success. And they’re now a part of the billion dollar valuation club. Even the clone raised $90 million.
Which is all super great. But now the story… → Read More
It’s been months in the making. It’s taken innumerable twists and turns along the way. It’s survived an acquisition. It’s been a challenge and a privilege to coordinate. It’s my incredible pleasure to present the all-new, completely redesigned TechCrunch. With special thanks to our launch sponsor, Dell.
I’ve been acting as product manager for the TechCrunch redesign since the beginning of 2011. → Read More
Austin, TX
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Boston, MA
Disrupt Europe: Berlin Hackathon
Berlin, Germany
