Download - Rockit Summit, Mike Butcher presentation
Mike ButcherEditor-at-large, TechCrunch
Twitter.com/mikebutcherLinkedIn.com/MikeButcherFacebook.com/MikeButchermbites.com/[email protected]
Going global from HERE
Or… How create global companies from anywhere
Silicon Valley looks like this
And operates in this
And we look like this
First, think SMART.
WHERE WAS SEESMIC BUILT ?
NOBODY CARES
REMOVE ALL LOCATION INFO
EMPHASISE THE PRODUCT ABOVE ALL ELSE
GET TRACTION IN A MARKET YOU UNDERSTAND FIRST
(THIS MAY BE HOME!)
• International market•Bigger pool
AIM FOR A NICHE
50% OF STARTUPS IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION
News is a Purple Cow
News is “Man Bites Dog”
Just BEING a startup does not make you
“News”
The fact that you exist is NOT news!
The fact that you exist is NOT news!
Conversations usually beat press releases
Why? Conversations are about getting to
know the news media.
A day in the life of a stressed tech writer.
INCOMING!!EmailSMS
Voice callsSkype / IM
Facebook IM / Messages
Twitter @repliesTwitter DMsFace-to-Face
Then I get this:
“@mikebutcher Hey
Mike, we just launched our startup! Want to
writeabout it?
”
So, for me to drop everything and write about you, your story needs to be BETTER
than everything else.
Answer: Unlikely.
So: pre-brief!
“Mike, we’re doing X next week. Are you
Interested?”
Ideal pitch over email:Mike!We are launching X.It will compete with Y.It’s better than Y because.We have raised Z money.From XYZ investors.It’s all yours/ EmbargoedHere’s more links (no PDFs)
But put substance into the first pitch
And don’t ask permission.JUST DO IT
“Hey Mike, Would you mind if I sent you a
press release?”#FAIL
And: Get to the damn point!
Mike, given your background, I thought you could be interested in talking to the founder of BLAH BLAH BLAH. With on-going debates on whether we are entering a second Internet bubble and predictions that this year would yield the most IPOs of technology stock since 2000, BLAHs trongly believes that the new wave of tech start-ups would only be successful if they can add value by creating new markets, rather than focus only on streamlining efficiencies. A case in point is his business – 80% of the properties Flat-Club offers have not been previously available in the market. BLAHcan also talk to you about what it means and what it takes to be a successful Internet start-up today. If you are interested in talking to him please let me know and I can arrange an interview. Below I’ve provided further information on BLAH.
OR
Interview with the founder of this startup?
He’s experienced because…
He can talk about… the tech bubble… donkeys… whatever
Here’s some more info below. Here’s a link
Thanks
Even better:
Great products make news.
A product that goes viral is much better
‘news’ than a PR release.
So build a GREAT product.
Understand who you are talking to
Should you hire a PR firm? No.
PR firms = Relationships
Introductions do the same
Please pitch like a human
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”
So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”
So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”• You are The Story: “Kid creates FB”• Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher invests!• Moldova company hacks Facebook!
What should you send the media?
It’s all about saving the media time• LIST OF KEY BULLET POINTS FIRST
• Crunchbase entry
• Direct hyperlink to web-ready logo (NOT a hi-res image. This is not a fucking print title)
• Press Release IN PLAIN TEXT IN THE EMAIL(Do NOT send press releases as attachments)
TELL A STORY
NOW GET ON A PLANE
Get on a plane to:
BUILD CONTACTS
RAISE MONEY
http://fundersandfounders.com/how-funding-works-splitting-equity/
USE THE TOOLS:
AngelistCrunchBase
Crowd-Equity (Seedrs)LinkedInFacebook
Don’t rely on re-creating Silicon Valley
Create SILION BRIDGES
CREATE THE LINKS:• Your country• Europe• Big cities: London/Berlin • New York, SF or Asia
Now investors have gone hunting European
startups
HOW DO THEY FIND YOU?
CLUSTERSmake it EASIER
and MORE EFFICIENT for INVESTORS
to find STARTUPS
When you cluster you create NOISE
Noise creates
hype
Hype creates
attention
Attention attracts
investors
You’re part of a movement!
London’s Tech Startup Cluster in 2009
Silicon Roundabout /Tech City2 years laterSee http://www.duedil.com/site/london-real-tech-startups
Big tech firms like clusters = Talent!
‘Silicon Allee’ in Berlin
‘Silicon Sentier’ in Paris
In fact, we can graph this:
What helped?
DRINKING! Silicon Drinkabout
Startups & Clusters are sexy!
Geeks in feature articles?!
Geeks in Fashion
Magazines?!
The Media LOVES Startups
WSJ, FT, VentureVillage, TheNextWeb, TechCrunch etc
Learn the skills of pitching and networking
• Learn how to pitch mediaTinyurl.com/How2DealMedia
• Learn how to network! Tinyurl.com/NetworkRight
Yes Mike, but how do I get on TechCrunch?
Yes, but how do I get on TechCrunch
Thanks.
Questions?
@mikebutcher