Comments on: TC50: 1 – Demo: 1 – Startup: 0

By: TC50 Ups The Previously Upped Ante: Doubles Down Demo | CenterNetworks

TC50 Ups The Previously Upped Ante: Doubles Down Demo | CenterNetworks — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:05:39 +0000

[...] Jason, Heather, Mike and Matt remember the end goal and don’t get back to last years “TC50: 1 – Demo: 1 – Startup: 0“. centernetwork257:http://www.centernetworks.com/tc50-advertising RSS [...]

By: centernetworks

centernetworks — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thanks – I actually think I met you at the W during a break in the TC40 schedule. Whoever came second in the scheduling could have easily went with say August or October.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

TC claiming that they had no choice with the dates is utter nonsense. This is yet another attempt by Michael Arrington to level everybody around him so that he can get all the glory and all the money.

I have no doubt that Arrington decided to do this last year when there was a conflict between a couple of the TC40 selectioned companies and Demo.

Allen, you're right that this ultimately hurts the startups, but as somebody who was at TC40 and went through the selection process and everything last year, I'm here to tell you that he doesn't give a damn. The man only cares about himself as the center of his universe and wants all eyes on him alone. There's no place in his ego for Demo.

Anybody who want to know what the DemoPit was like at TechCrunch40 should read my post about it:
http://dawnkey.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/is-techcrunch-doomed-to-be-replaced/

Save your money. Or spend it at Demo. Don't bother paying to be in the DemoPit. We got less than 50 hits the days we were there! All eyes were on stage. Nobody cared about the DemoPit, and they will care even less when attention is split between TWO stages.

By: Karim

Karim — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

"It's about helping entrepreneurs succeed." O RLY? Let me know when the post is about who wants to kill whom. That will be more fun than playing Clue. I suggest Mr. Arrington in the Auditorium with a Candlestick.

By: Aaron Mann

Aaron Mann — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

This is a post that needed to be written, and I really wish more people would call the players on their complete lack of sensitivity to the startups they supposedly want to help. Saying it is one thing, but scheduling this type of conflict is just the opposite. What happened last year was’t perfect, but it was manageable. And ultimately being a week apart would let the best conference win. We were a finalist for TC40 and launched at DEMO. The process was challenging to manage, with the TC selection process being repeatedly delayed. First year teething pains, but we needed to commit and move forward. Still, it worked out for press, VC’s, and most important the attending startups.

Allen, I agree wit everything you said above. And I’d add that on the VC/investor front I think you’ll see an amplification of what happened last year – TC drawing the bay area investors and few outsiders, DEMO drawing everyone else but not Sand Hill Road.

While I’m at it – c’mon quality 140 startups (misnomer since there are plenty of big companies launching new “features” at both events) all ready to launch in September? I don’t think so.

By: James Bruni

James Bruni — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Thx to livestreaming, you can watch both conferences at once. Attending is another story, but I think a lot of journalists, especially here in NYC (the tech editors at Business Week, Fortune, Forbes, WSJ, NYT) just watch from their desktops. As for the Jason vs. Chris flap, it’s just good natured trash talk from Jason, a good guy who has always looked out for the interests of startups, especially here in NYC. I’ve played basketball with him many times, and can tell you he just drives forward with his head down.

By: sean percival

sean percival — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Guess we finally get to meet then! Guess which one I’m going to :D

By: centernetworks

centernetworks — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

yep, looking forward to meeting you as well!

By: Andrew Hyde

Andrew Hyde — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Don’t you view TC50 and Demo as two startups dueling it out to have a monopoly?

You almost want to see a college or non-profit step in and say “this is for the startups, no one else.”

But who are we kidding, that wont happen, this will be a drawn out battle.