The techcrunch crowd

You’ve probably read or heard about techcrunch. Which is one of the most popular – technology / startup / silicon valley style blogs. Many tech savvy web addicts trawl it daily if not hourly for the 15+ updates a day.

techcrunch-logo1

Not sure if you’ve ever bothered to read the comments. But they are literally 90% negative. Sure, some or a large part of the ideas or start ups on there will disappear, but it’s not as if every success story only has positive comments either. There is no discerning between any of them.

Rentoid got featured over 12 months ago and got bagged big time. More than 12 months later we are still here, while the pundits are “still in their cubicles”. Calling it from the cheap seats!

The techcrunch crowd – ‘the commentators’, are the type of people us entrepreneurs should stay away from. Their disease of negativity, isn’t worth catching.

The point of entrepreneurship is the journey into the unknown and excitment of creating change, and maybe even proving a few people wrong. Nothing wrong with that.

Any entrepreneur worth his salt is way too busy making their stuff happen, to spend time citicising other peoples efforts. So when someone looks down on your startup, smile and ask them to show you theirs.

6 thoughts on “The techcrunch crowd

  1. Good call.

    I think when you’ve got people using your product or buying what you’re selling you’re already proving these kinds of people wrong

    When I saw your tweet I thought this was going to be a list of people who had slighted you in the past…

  2. Hmm….I have been reading techcrunch for more than a year now.. well …not all comentators are qualified guys .. u dont have 2 take all of them .. but there are good guys too ..

    between, did u bootstrap rentoid personally..i m a struggling techie here .. may b i could take a few advices from u ??

  3. I was about to pen a “hear hear” response, but as I went searching for a supporting Arrington quote, I happened upon this video of his address to Y Combinator’s Startup School 08.

    http://omnisio.com/startupschool08/mike-arrington

    A few quotes:
    “We only want to write the stories you don’t want written; use that to your advantage.”
    “Embrace criticism.”
    “Don’t embrace the trolls.”

    He concludes with a Theodore Roosevelt quote:
    “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

  4. Tom – your comments are exactly what I mean. Feedback from people playing the game, matters alot more than stuff from spectators, which is exactly who the majority of the tech crunch crowd are!

    Thanks for the thoughtful and valuable input.
    Steve.

  5. My experience is that most people like to complain about things, shoot new ideas down and generally behave in negative ways in order to feel better about themselves and their own lives.

    A little different from the original entry, but nevertheless very similar sentiments – when I had decided to undertake an unusual career choice a few years back, family, friends and even people who barely knew me were suddenly experts on why it was a bad choice of career.

    Often, those who know the least have the most to say, and a large percentage of what comes out of their mouths is negative.

    Btw, that Theodore Roosevelt quote is one that I really identify with, so very true.

    Cheers, Darren

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