A VC« Aracade Fire Does The Cure at 2am in Union Square | Main | The Soul of A Blog (continued) »
The Soul of A Blog
A friend recently told me that Dan Primack of Thomson Private Equity Week was on podtech.net recently and made some negative comments about the fact that I blog about things other than venture capital. I took the time to listen to Dan's comments and I'd like to address the issue of blogging about stuff other than business.
I know that many of the readers of this blog only read it because I am a VC and they might eventually do business with me. They read it to get insights into how I think, what I like to invest in, etc. And they could care less about what I think about new musicians, politics, my family, etc.
For these people, I have done a number of things.
First, you should read the Union Square Ventures weblog where many of my tech and vc posts end up and where my partner Brad and our analyst Charlie also blog.
Second, you can subscribe to my VC/tech only feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/AVcVentureCapitalAndTechnology
Third, you can visit the vc/tech category of this weblog here.
Fourth, you can subscribe to my vc/tech posts along with lots of other VC posts at Nivi's VC Channel at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/thevcchannel.
Or you can read or subscribe to tech.memeorandum which does a great job of grabbing most of my good tech and vc posts.
Many of these services have been available for a while. I created the vc/tech feed about five months ago.
But I find it interesting that I only have 400 subscribers to the VC/tech feed out of a total of approx 7,500 RSS subs.
I think that's because most people like getting a sense of who I am. They can quickly scan past the posts they don't want to read. But having those posts there gives them a sense of the other parts of me.
As I said to my friend when he told me about Dan's comments, "a diversity of post topics is the soul of a blog". All head and no soul makes for a boring read.
Comments (15) | | TrackBack (2)
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451b2c969e200e55022272d8833
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference The Soul of A Blog:
» Fred Wilson responds to Dan Primack Comment on PodTech from Comments from the PodTech Gallery
Fred make a good post to respond to Dan Primacks comment on his podcast on PodTech.
Having done the interview with Dan and being a reader of Freds blog I have a unique perspective. First I think that Dan looks at this through the ... [Read More]
Tracked on Nov 9, 2005 11:17:04 AM
» The Soul of This Blog from Mashalist
Last fall Fred Wilson explained why he blogs about his family, politics and music in addition to just technology and vc issues. As he put it in “The Soul of a Blog”: … most people like getting a sense of [Read More]
Tracked on May 21, 2006 1:32:05 PM
Posted November 8, 2005 in Venture Capital and TechnologyComments
Why do I read?
1) I find a lot of posts interesting. You're not just a venture capitalist, you're a person with some really great insights. Some I don't agree with at all, but overall it's good writing and it sparks thoughts--and debate.
2) I enjoy the discussion about network effects, web 2.0 (though I disagree with it), and the occasional business post. 2a) The cross-talk between you and other VC's is interesting to watch.
3) You attract a lot of other entrepreneurs, (which means you're getting deal flow), and most of them leave a trail for us to check them out. So you've become a bit of a hub for ambitious entrepreneurs doing some cool stuff.
4) There is no number 4.
5) You don't condescend to your readers.
6) You're not Dan Primack.
Anyone else?
Posted by: charlie crystle | Nov 8, 2005 5:05:51 PM
Now that there is an official USV blog containing your VC-related posts, and you've categorized and provided feeds for your VC-only posts, the title of this blog may be throwing people off. While you are a VC, I see more Fred Wilson here than 'Musings of a VC'
You've done more than enough to help people out who want just the VC stuff. I think that everyone who gripes about what your personal blog contains should hush.
Anyhow, you just named this blog to show up first in my feedreader! ;)
Posted by: Mxyzptlk | Nov 8, 2005 5:16:25 PM
I think I've mentioned this to you before, but I dig the "whole spectrum of Fred" thing. Even as a VC, you're investing in this space and you don't just talk the talk. You actually have a blog that you use for...blogging! I imagine this would give you insight that a pure "marketing" blogger wouldn't get. You get to see what it's like to have a relationship with your readers. You also get to experiment with publishing your music/book/movie tastes (all pretty typical blogging topics) so when entrepreneurs come up with tools to enhance these topics, you should have a better sense of what's useful and what's not.
Posted by: Toby | Nov 8, 2005 6:42:30 PM
I hope this is the last time you feel the need to post this, I'm tired of reading about how some people don't like your non-VC posts. All your posts are VC posts because you are a VC. You owe these folks nothing. You owe me nothing, in fact I owe you. You got me rolling in the blog world, and it wasn't your VC posts that hooked me. I do read some of them, but mostly I read your blog to see what your up to, hip to, and into. Obviously, since I'm your brother, I care about your family and enjoy reading about them. If I had a family, much to their shame, I'd blog about them as well. You are a Dad here too, you have blog-children; me, Chrispy, Tony Alva, Dave Cavalier, Mike Dot, all stem from your blogging.
I got two words for the whiners, and you know them well....
Posted by: jackson | Nov 8, 2005 7:42:03 PM
I had been wondering when this might bubble up, and it seems the time is now. So let me explain myself:
First, my podcast comments/tone come of as needlessly harsh, which was unintended (although I recognized it when the interview ended). For that, I apologize to Fred.
As for substance: My basic point was that Fred is well-paid to manage other people's money (as are most VCs), and that this blog sometimes seems like a distraction. Often it's a enjoyable and insightful distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. If I'm a limited partner, I want my VC to spend most of his working minutes on my money, and any work-related blogging efforts should thereefore focus on the work(throwing up ideas to see what sticks, telling entrepreneurs what Union Square is looking for, etc.). That isn't to discount the importance of personality in a blog, but to say that certain VC blogs (including this one) sometimes seem more focused on the personality than on the work.
It is important to note that my podcast was recorded well before the Union Square blog was launched, and I think it's now a much better setup. In general, however, my basic belief in "more work, less play" for VC bloggers stands. Maybe it's too old school or unrealistic, but it's what I've heard from the limited partners whose money is being invested by Union Square and other firms.
Posted by: Dan Primack | Nov 8, 2005 7:47:14 PM
One could make the argument that the division between work and play is blurred depending what one does for a living and I dare say that running a venture capital firm is one of those areas.
Marketing and deal generation are based on relationships. I think this blog gives a reader a good understanding of Fred's personality and approach to venture capital, which is important if you are getting in to bed (figuratively) with someone for the first and helps to initiate the creation of relationships with an entrepreneur. It says, hey, drop me a line, I am not some elitist money managing snob and if you play your cards right and I finance your company, maybe we can hit some concerts together.
I guess if LPs really had an issue with blogging, they could come up with some statistical analysis of blogging vs. IRR and see if there is a difference in fund performance based on the amount of time a fund manager spends writing a blog. Would there be a difference? If there was a difference, what would it be? What would happen if it turned out that blogging VC's had better portfolio performance than non-blogging VCs? What if non-blogging VCs kept non-electronic personal diaries that were not accounted for in this study? Rather silly isn’t it?
My point is that if LPs worry about the time a guy like Fred spends on his blog, they are probably worrying about the wrong things. If I were an LP, I would worry about a VC fund manager making “me-too” investments, paying ridiculous prices for stakes in companies, or playing with investor money like they had nothing to lose. But that is just me, a non-LP, non-VC talking.
Posted by: josh kerbel | Nov 8, 2005 8:23:53 PM
I like the wide range of things you blog about, too. If you only blogged about VC things, you probably wouldn't still be in the top level of my bloglines account (the read every day level). I love the mixture of music, business and family writing. (And without the VC posts it wouldn't be as interesting, either.) I like whole person blogs so much better than single topic blogs!
Posted by: Jill | Nov 9, 2005 12:32:41 AM
Boy, were I an entrepreneur looking for cash, I'd WANT to know what kind of guy I was dealing with. The non-VC content allows potential pitchers to get a read on you--and, for that matter, to draw some dodgy but perhaps not worthless conclusions about VCs in general.
And your soul comment is on target, as well. That's what makes a blog different from a newspaper, CNN, or magazine--it's personal.
Posted by: Max Leibman | Nov 9, 2005 12:48:51 AM
I don't see this blog as personal musings as much as I do personal modeling of very powerful changes that are occurring because of the Internet and the blogosphere. Fred's creative use of Flickr, del.icio.us, podcasts, RSS, and so on is highly instructive.
This is classroom instruction at its entertaining best.
That's why it's no wonder that he gets creative ideas that result in posts like the one on posting, tagging, subscribing, and searching, which was so on the money: creative in, creative out.
Living the technology like this has gotta lead him to some great technology and some great companies - I can't imagine otherwise - along with a whole lot of entrepreneurs who want to talk to him because he has street cred. It isn't just this blog that has soul.
Posted by: Brooks Jordan | Nov 9, 2005 12:58:42 AM
Dan, some questions:
1) Do you know Fred's schedule, and if so, do you know how the blog fits in?
2) My company will have revenues of $10 million next year. Do you think it's a good or bad thing that i'd probably want to have Fred invest because of his blog?
3) Do you think LPs want Fred to create deal flow?
4) why do you hate freedom?
5) there is no 5
6) thanks for posting to Fred's blog and joining the cult of Fred. Perhaps it's time for you to start your own?
Posted by: charlie crystle | Nov 9, 2005 1:02:02 AM
These online conversations are very similar to offline conversations where people mix in personal matters with business topics. If a VC held all their meetings with entrepreneurs, corporate execs, investment bankers, etc. without spending any time on personal chit-chat about family, current events, movies and such those meetings would be dry and boring and relationships would not develop from them.
Bottom line is that people want to do business with people they like. So while Fred may discuss personal matters in his blog more frequently than most VCs...well that's just a reflection of who he is in that personal matters are very important to him. There are valid business reasons for him getting that out there because it is a differentiator of him as a VC and therefore will create business relationships that he might otherwise not have had. And it makes the personal chit-chat portions of the offline business meetings he has more relevant because people already know the personal side of him better.
Posted by: Dan Malven | Nov 9, 2005 8:11:38 AM
Having done the interview with Dan and being a reader of Fred's blog I have a unique perspective. First I think that Dan looks at this through the prism of the financial market - I think that his point is somewhat valid. Someone in venture capital not in this sector may scratch their head and agree with Dan. On the other hand I think what Fred is doing is not only cool (and soul worthy) but very practical. I've been a big fan of Fred and Brad Feld who in my opinion are actively investing in this user generated sector or as some say social media (or even I'll say it Web 2.0). The best way to understand the market is to be a user. My venture PodTech.net has alot going on but it wasn't til I starting being a user (my infoTalk show) that I truely understood the platform and backend challenges and opportunities.
Kudos of Dan to put it out there (then clarifying) and kudos to Fred for not only investing in the future but creating it!
John Furrier
Founder PodTech.net
Executive Producer, InfoTalk Podcast
Posted by: John Furrier | Nov 9, 2005 11:13:19 AM
the humanity issue and professionalism is a chimera. i do not for one think Dan's too much professionalism is in the right direction.
the market will test which blog is having an impact. diary or not is not the central issue.
For one, i was dragged into Wilson's site thanks to Dan.
Alex
Posted by: swey-shen chen | Nov 10, 2005 3:49:07 PM
1) It seems for once I'm in a majority
2) I love Charlie Christie and I don't know him
3) There is no 3
4) I couldn't resist Charlie....
Posted by: Jackson | Nov 10, 2005 4:50:00 PM
After reading (and sharing) Dan Primacks’ comments with my fellow co-workers we had to respond and offer you all a little insight into Dan’s personality. We have known Dan for while and have become very accustomed to his antics. First off, Dan is notorious for making statements or allegations that have no basis in reality. His standard response when these allegations are challenged; deceive, inveigle, and obfuscate. Which is a great trait for a reporter to have, never let the facts get in the way of a good argument right Dan? Then he’ll follow that tactic up with a sprinkle of retribution. His apology to Fred really had us all in stitches. No one can ever remember him apologizing for anything.
What really had us all rolling in the isles however, was his line: “That isn't to discount the importance of personality in a blog, but to say that certain VC blogs (including this one) sometimes seem more focused on the personality than on the work.” As any subscriber to his Wire can attest, this is exactly what he does. No one cares about his Trusty Pontiac, his wife’s birthday or his socialist political ideals. As one of our esteemed collogues put it; “The best way to sum up how Dan Primack views the world is to paraphrase another short-statured tyrant . . . “I am private equity, and private equity is me!”
Posted by: N. Boney | Nov 29, 2005 1:16:08 PM
Main RSS Feed of All Posts
VC and Technology Posts Only
