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Should There Be A TechCrunch40 Disclosures List?
One of the discussion topics that came up throughout the day on the IRC channel for the Techcrunch40 conference and on breaks was around disclosures. The first expert panelists weren’t asked if they had any conflicts, but Jason did a good job of asking the panels after that. In each session, there was at least one disclosure around an expert already backing one of the startups they were discussing. I don’t get why they didn’t organize it such that a vc was never on stage while their firms were on stage.
Tonight we learn that MC Hammer’s new DanceJam company is backed by Michael Arrington, Ron Conway and others. Don Dodge has the details on the startup and the VC backing. I went back and checked and there appears to be no disclosure on the posts on TC and TC20 blog when Hammer was selected to be a panelist. So I am guessing the funding must have come after the panelist announcement was made?
What we need is someone to create a matrix to see how (and/or if) each startup and each vc/panelist/host is connected.
To me, TC is all about the green since they started to operate their blog much like a company, hiring a CEO, linking the company to the useless directory called crunchbase that offers no extra information about the company, trying to pump traffic in every little sneaky ways.
TC20 becoming TC40 is never about the too many good proposals or startups that they just cannot turn them down. Its about building the “relationships” MA is trying to sucker the VC up to. Funny how POWERSET got the first spot, the only video online and none of the rest. Funny how its started with startup launching products and becoming VC-funded startups that already launched but are launching “new features” – such as thisnext, flock?? wtf??. So TC40 is just a big show for MA trying to get closer to ranks of VCs. Nothing much…
Keep up the honest work Allen!
But even with disclosure, there is no way a judge can be impartial. How can they disregard all the due dillegence and extra knowledge they have on the company they funded, compared to the 10 minute presentation by those on stage.
Allen, overall you don’t seem that impressed with the companies. We you expecting more or am I just reading your tone wrong. Did Powerset show anything different than the controlled demos they have been pushing for the last year?
Danny – I am a tough grader of conferences – I always try to take the price of the conference in and compare it to the value – so that readers and friends know if its worth it for next time.
I didn’t see many startups that wow’d me. Check the other day 1 wrap up post for my general thoughts.
there was a post going over at TC about where to find the coverage that got deleted and I had posted there about how some of these companies ended up there. I remember it was supposed to be for companies that cannot afford to do events like DEMO. It strikes me that a few of them could.
http://valleywag.com/tech/conflicts-of-interest/techcrunch40s-vc-sponsors-300996.php
Rumor has it that the key to raising VC is having the “right look”.
http://smartstartup.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/secrets-of-rais.html