Robert tonight you lost that shine
MAXroam is attending TC50 as an alumni next week and I arrived in San Francisco yesterday to make sure everything goes smoothly. The rest of the team arrives tomorrow and we have been running around like blue arse flies trying to get everything ready
I just arrived back in my hotel to read this from Robert Scoble
This is wrong, plain and simple, I cant stress it more, do you have any idea how much work goes into this Robert?, This exact moment last year whilst MAXroam was preparing for TC50 my team had been without sleep for 48hrs and I had just had my ass kicked by Jason for having a piece of crap demo and we were on a knife edge about being kicked out of TC40.
We pulled it off and done great.
This isn’t about DEMO and Techcrunch50, its about the companies, its about entrepreneurs who had a dream, raised a few bucks and worked their ass into the ground to be where they are on right now, on the cusp of greatness. It isn’t about winning or loosing or which conference they made it to, its about them and their product, wives and loved ones have been left behind, Kids haven’t seen Dad’s for months, credit cards are massively overdrawn and careers are being risked.
Robert this is insulting, its insulting to them, its insulting to me as an entrepreneur, I always had you down as the guy in our corner, helping the start-ups, giving us a little bit of that Scoble shine.
You lost that for me tonight buddy.
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20 comments...What do you think?
Trackbacks...
- Scobleizer — Tech geek blogger » Blog Archive Scoble Sucks «
- Respect | Argolon
- AJ McKee » Blog Archive » Why I bother if it all sucks!
- Scoble’s rant reflects badly on him, not the 72 companies — Alec Saunders SquawkBox
- Robert Scoble vs Startups at Demo’08 | LucaFiligheddu.com
- Scoble Sucks | Open Source Blogging
- Rethinking the DEMO, TechCrunch 50 Megalaunch | BuzzStream Blog
I agree with Loic completely. What Robert did was completely uncalled for. Reminds me of Loren Feldman… and it doesn’t seem like Robert…
I don’t believe it’s what Robert said that was wrong, but it was HOW he said it that could be interpreted as wrong. He could have been a lot more tactful, but this should NOT surprise anyone. That’s Robert, and I’d be more surprised if he WAS tactful.
I, for one, would absolutely welcome such harsh criticism from him of my startup’s website if deserved, once I get it going. If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, you need to have a thick skin. It’s part of the assumed risk.
I’ve been through dozens of revisions of one of my startup’s business plan, often changing it based upon criticisms telling us that parts of it “suck”. And I’m grateful for it. It’s so much better now because of it.
100% agree with you Pat !
Scoble seems to be a real good guy but the High-Tech bloggers are now so pretentious!
Pat,
You are right to get upset. Any attack on your business should cause this reaction.
However, comments like that from people who have never built anything, never put everything on the line, never gone to bed curled up in a ball with fear, should be given all the respect they deserve, none.
Robert is just doing good old-fashioned link-baiting and attention-seeking and it smacks of desperation.
Have an amazing time in San Fran!
Pat,
Well said.
Entrepreneurs need love, too.
We should treasure our dreamers, our risk-takers, those with the guts and passion to sometimes succeed, sometimes fail, and often land in the cold, grey twilight in between. But always try to learn and pick themselves up and try again.
But Pat, uh, when you have an opportunity, try get some sleep.
REG CROWDER
Freelance Financial and Investment Writer
London, England and Brittany, France
http://knol.google.com/k/reg-crowder/international-investing/6dyptd3yjxyq/2
110 % behind Pat Phelan here. For such person as Scoble to judge a book by its cover is irresponsible and thoughless imho.
But, AJ, impressions like Robert had upon visiting these sites is exactly why these companies should treat his post as a lesson. Sure, he could have been a lot more tactful, but the fact of the matter is, websites DO make a first impression, and the implication is that bad sites DO reflect what’s underneath. It can be unfair, but it’s still a fact of human nature.
For example, if you tried using potentially powerful software, but the user interface was bad, wouldn’t you suspect that the underlying code was buggy or poor? It could be the greatest utility in the world, but your first impression would be that it sucked.
I’ve been involved in startups, and was criticized harshly several times, and I’m completely grateful for it. That comes with the risk of entrepreneurship. You expose yourself to criticism, so you need a thick skin. Believe me, Robert’s comments are tame compared to what I’ve experienced.
@Mark Freedman, I hear what you are saying and think its quite a lot more eloquently put that “Boy, do they suck. Really, really suck.”
However, what has not been considered is that startups are by their very nature starting up. That means things get overlooked sometimes, the resources are not there, they are busy trying to generate revenue or pay bills or concentrate on build what they are building before they lauch a full site to get the message out there etc i.e. They can be raw and very raw..
Some mistakes such as negleted websites I think in my opinion are forgiveable. Plus what is not to say this is a deliberate strategy on behalf of some of the companies. Maybe they do want ot do a launch at DEMO. I can’t say that it is, but did Scoble take the time to find out?
When someone such as Robert, blankets everyone with a comment like that I don’t think its really fair and thought out. Sure most have a tick skin and you will need one, but at the end of the day high profile guys slate you before you really get started, its gotta have an impact somewhere.It was just a really sucky way to get across his point.
you say jason kicked your butt because your presentation was weak. and you benefited from that.
how much different are scobles observations than that? weak presentation, al the website.
c’mon.
Yep, AJ, the way Robert comes out and says things is pretty harsh, and if he spent just a few minutes thinking about how it comes across before clicking “submit”, he and everyone else would benefit more.
I do think that it’s important that websites are given much higher priority by startups. Five years ago I’d say it was a lot more forgivable to let that slide, but it should absolutely be given very high priority in this day and age. It does happen to be the first think people see about a company.
It doesn’t seem like Robert took the time to find out if the companies wanted to do a launch at DEMO, but even if they did, they really shouldn’t have made the websites live unless they gave it the attention it deserved.
I do agree that with Robert’s influence, he does have an “earned?” responsibility to make more of an effort to research and use more tact before shooting from the hip. If mistakes were made, he does magnify them. Knowing that, though, people do have to stay on their toes. It may not be fair, but it is what it is with him. Overall, I think he does more good than harm, but he is a wild card.
I think it’s incredibly sad. Coming out and slating all of the companies sites is small-minded. These companies have out their time, money, blood and everything else they have on the line.
Life is never pure and simple, and there are no ab Slating every single one of them makes great absolutes. Doesn’t that make the post even more surprising?
Saying things suck just doesn’t cut the mustard. It’s not constructive. Criticism when fairly pitched helps startups refine their offerings. Saying things just suck is akin to throwing one’s arms up the air and bitching. Robert, I’m disappointed in you.
Pat can you please fix my comment! I mean to say:
Life is never pure and simple, and there are no absolutes. Slating every single one of them makes great copy. Doesn’t that make the post even more surprising?
Sorry my laptop has gone mad!
Honestly, I can see both sides of this issue. It’s really, really, REALLY common. Last week I got a call from a startup looking for some help with the website they just more or less threw up to have a brand and a presence when they were getting their staff, backend dev and funding together.
They are launching in October.
I pointed out that they had left it very late to hire a designer for a job launching in six weeks that would take at least three weeks to complete and the company guy said “Oh. Yeah. We’ve been kind of… busy.”
To this guy, he has a great and exciting product with a winning team, the glory of cash money, and probably something that operates effortlessly under the hood. The front end is just one of many, many pieces he’s juggling into place.
But of course, from Scoble’s point of view, it’s the ONLY part he sees, and thus, the most important. Scoble has a very valid point, but it wasn’t made very graciously. It’s also statistically unlikely that all 70 do in fact suck and this probably was not the best occasion for hyperbole.