A16Z Sells ‘Web3’ in DC While Tier 1 Snoozes
Andreessen Horowitz defines Web3 as “a group of technologies that encompasses blockchain, cryptographic protocols, digital assets, decentralized finance and social platforms.” — CNBC, Oct. 13
Andreessen Horowitz defines Web3 as “a group of technologies that encompasses blockchain, cryptographic protocols, digital assets, decentralized finance and social platforms.” — CNBC, Oct. 13
So back in August you got a hit in TechCrunch. At least on desktops/laptops, you reached less than three million American readers. Ars Technica, Axios and Wired would have delivered you more, not to mention the Tier 1s.
Fortune next week welcomes new EIC Alyson Shontell with a staff-only happy hour in a New York City drinking establishment…Natalie Gagliordi left ZDNet and now
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Senior technology reporter Ari Levy has “been there” — seven years at CNBC after 11 at Bloomberg.
Tier 1 audiences are plummeting, according to SimilarWeb data compiled by SWMS. Of 15 titles analyzed year over year, only Axios showed a gain. Every other brand suffered double-digit losses. Let’s take a look at the data.
Here’s a list of eight reporters who cover Africa — general news and business news — for top-tier publications. Included is SimilarWeb traffic data as of June 2021.
VC firm Andreessen Horowitz is building what you might call its own Wired — a pro-tech media brand appealing both to consumers and business. It’s unnamed as yet, but A16Z is hiring fast. So far, at least, parts of it appear to be pitchable.
SWMS contributor Rhiannon Pacheco writes: We connected with Bloomberg consumer tech reporter Mark Gurman to explore what it would take for him to cover a less well-established company than Apple, and why he’s excited to explore (and cover) the technology that will follow the smartphone.
Cade Metz is consistent. We interviewed him in 2008, 2012 and 2015. Each time he has carried the same message: though he reports on tech, it’s always about the people. This week we checked in with Cade to discuss Genius Makers, his new book about “the mavericks who brought AI to Google, Facebook and the world.” Again with the people!
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Well, for now it’s Jim Jordan… but such news illustrates the kind of world we seem to be headed for. Adweek has the details, subscription required.
No “predictions” post will appear on this site. That said, quite a number of subscribers have asked for a Zoom/MS Teams presentation on what 2025 will bring. A conversation is precisely the right tool for the job. After the election — and with AI transforming publishing and life — “2025” is best discussed among peers, not predicted. So if you’d like to have a confidential group exchange on what stands to unfold, and why, and how comms pros can come out on top in spite of it all, drop a line and we shall schedule something.
According to Adweek, Omnicom CEO John Wren and IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky were in merger talks for eleven and a half months before the transaction was announced this week. Amazing that it didn’t leak.
Should PR pros stop visiting X, with all its lies and hate? It’s only going to get worse. Or are tidbits from targets too important to walk away from? Click here to watch tech edit vet David Strom and I disagree (at high speed) about this, as one compelling visual after another pops up on your screen. In 2025, SWMS will officially launch “SWMS Sound Thinking,” designed to be “argumentative insight in six minutes or less.” Each segment will explore a timely and controversial topic of interest to tech comms pros. This prototype runs 5:25. Hope you enjoy it — feedback vital and welcome! –Sam
New EIC Jamie Heller has asked her reporters to start going on camera — for the BI TikTok channel — to explain the big, deep-divey story they just published. Other publications do this — especially archival Fortune. BI is now on that too. Game on.
At this time last year, Eric Newcomer and his two podcast co-hosts — Max Child and James Wilsterman — each formed an “AI startup fantasy team” and picked five AI startups to seed their rosters. We’re now in year 2 and it’s time to draft again. The podcasters wonder… which startups do they dump? Which do they add? The player whose startups accumulate the most total value by Nov. 1, 2028 is the winner, so there’s plenty of time to make adjustments. Here’s a link to the AI fantasy team podcast — you may need a password. Not sure.