February 1, 2008

So Long, Nick. We’ll Miss You.

Michael Arrington

53 comments »

The list of former TechCrunch writers who’ve gone off to greener pastures grows longer today. Yesterday was Nick Gonzalez’s last day at TechCrunch - today he starts a new job at the San Francisco startup Social Media.

Nick started at TechCrunch in June 2006 and has worked along side of me, day and night, since then. For many months in early 2007 he was the only person other than me writing for the site. He was a perfect business partner, always steady emotionally as my temper flared at regular hosting outages, missed stories and pissed off readers. In addition to writing and general analysis, Nick also kept the site running and wrote any new code we needed. Basically, I worked him to death.

At some point late last year he simply burned out, telling me (jokingly?) “I just can’t write about another fucking startup.” I think we both knew at that point that it was time for Nick to move on to the next step in his career.

He soon had offers from a bunch of startups and venture capitalists, and I think he made an excellent choice with Social Media. I suspect he’ll give his reasons for joining, as well as some juicy gossip about TechCrunch, on his personal blog in the near future. For now, you can read his bio on our About page.

Nick joins ex-TechCrunchers Marshall Kirkpatrick (now at ReadWriteWeb), Natali Del Conte (now at CNET TV) and Ben Meyer (now at Facebook) who’ve abandoned us over the years. I miss working with all of them, and all are still very good friends.

You’ll be missed, Nick. Come by any time to write a post or two, for old time’s sake. And good luck at Social Media. They are very lucky to have you.

Update: Nick speaks.

Loading information about Social Media…

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Comments

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  1. Any closer for Duncan Riley?

    Okay. you love Duncan. You won’t fire him. Anything for Duncan?

    uhm… you know…. Microsoft & Yahoo thing…

  2. allen stern

    Good Luck Nick - if you’d like to do an exit interview, let me know :)

    I can only imagine what Social Media does!

  3. Roy

    Cheers, Nick! You’ll be missed. Maybe more by Michael than anyone, but we readers will certainly feel your absence at TechCrunch. You were one of the most concise and articulate blogger’s I’ve read.

    It will be fun to see how the rest pick up the slack ;)

  4. Quit writing VC funded rounds

    Did you know lot of writers got pretty bored after writing VC funded rounded?

    This is why they quit.

  5. Faramarz

    Michael, I’ll intern move from Toronto and inter for Nick if you sponsor me for a working visa. :D

    Michael, you need lock in these talents for longer terms somehow. You’re a lawyer, use some trickery!

    In any case, Congrats Nick.

    p.s. Arrington, with yesterdays spot-on prediction of the Yahoo! deal, I’d say you’ll be just fine running the show solo. haha

  6. How much do they get paid?

    What’s average salary for Techcrunch?

  7. Faramarz

    Shit! there goes my shot at the job. haha I need to proofread my comments!

  8. dave mcclure

    congratulations nick! (and condolences mike & heather ;)

    here’s to a great new gig at SocialMedia, and hope to see you at Graphing Social Patterns in San Diego!

    mike/heather: more like nick, please!

    - dave mcclure
    http://graphingsocial.com/

  9. Michael Arrington

    #6 - we start all of our writers out at $250k, but of course there is a bonus on top of that. plus stock, health care, 401k and a company car. each writer also gets an administrative assistant. and a cat.

  10. Erick Schonfeld

    Nick, you will be sorely missed. It’s amazing how much you know about startups and technology.

    Even 3,000 miles away, you’ve helped me out so many times in the past four months. since I’ve joined TC. Thank you.

    Social Media really lucked out.

  11. babyjesus

    good luck nick! remember not to let the highs get you too high, or the lows too low. :-)

    -mike

  12. Nate H

    The cat benefit is new to SV

  13. Nag

    ooh! Nick.
    We’ll miss you. I liked your posts next to Mike( very nice ).

    Well wish you good luck. Getting nostalgic, but yes as mike mentioned please do come down once in a while to write a post or two.

    Mike, readwriteweb was from ex TC’ers good to know that. one more blog i keep checking often, nice one.

    Cheers, Nag

  14. Anand

    Good luck Nick.

    @Michael

    You may hire me if you so choose..Our blogs have similar names :))

  15. Henry

    Just remember Nick, that after a year and half, thousands of elevator pitches, and millions of posts, you left with ‘Jangl Powering Anonymous Phone Sex On PlentyOfFish’.

  16. Mark Hendrickson

    Mike, where’s my cat?

  17. Nick Gonzalez

    Mike, I’ll miss the company Benz the most.

    Thanks Erick and errr babyjesus

  18. Mark Hendrickson

    Oh and Nick, you’ll be missed. I’ve already taken your desk =)

  19. Michael Arrington

    Henry - great catch. Nick, nice one. way to go out on top.

  20. Ouriel Ohayon

    Nick, this is i guess a great news for you and a great loss for TechCrunch. I want to personnally thank you for your outstanding support and help at TechCrunch France. I am sure your new team will appreciate your qualities

  21. Peldi

    Is this a sign of Techcrunch heading to the its own deadpool?

    How many are still on staff? How many currently open recs?

  22. Andrew Meyer

    Nick, congrats and good luck at Social Media. Your TechCrunch story is a big reason why I wanted to intern there. :)

  23. sd

    whaz the retention rate at TC?

  24. Steel

    Nick

    Lots of luck in your new venture. Before you go, can you do all TC readers a realllllly big favor? Ban the jerk at comment #1.

    May the wind always be at your back. Be well.

  25. Andrew Meyer

    Hey Mike, your “compensation” comment has been taken seriously. Haha.

    See here: http://techcrunchies.com/how-m.....s-writers/

  26. Frank Gruber

    Congrats on the new gig Nick!

  27. Geoffrey Arone

    Nick, it was great getting to know you. I remember grabbing fish and chips with you and Mike during your first week there! Best of luck on your new gig and please stay in touch. Cheers, Geoffrey

  28. Neil K.

    Nick, I remember talking to you pre-TC as you were weighing options. It looks like it worked out. Good luck with the next one.

    Neil

  29. drew olanoff

    ATTN: Michael Arrington
    Techcrunch

    I am writing this letter announcing my intentions of a bid to become the next TechCrunch writer.

    I believe our many synergies, including my energetic personality along with your less than creative at times filler articles would be a perfect match.

    I believe your non-existing shareholders will agree.

    If you do not accept this bid, I will be forced to take further action, and go directly to your readers one by one to lobby for our grand merger.

    I look forward to your reply.

    Steve…err…Drew Olanoff

  30. lawrence

    $250K for writing a blogs for TC?

    someone tell me that was sarcasm…

  31. Johnny

    Hire this guy above.

  32. Natali Del Conte

    I can attest to the fact that all of what Michael wrote about Nick above is true. In the short time that I worked with Nick I found him to be knowledgeable, patient, thorough, and even-tempered. He’s great!

    Congratulations on a big move, Nick! I’m excited for you!

    - Natali (without an “e”!!!!)

  33. Nick Gonzalez

    What, are we going to have a group hug? Why is Erick the only one who’s been posting this morning?

    Get back to work people. :)

    But really, thanks readers, and special thanks to my friends in the comments (Geoffrey, Natali, Dave, Neil, Andrew, TC crew…)

  34. Xavierv

    I love how writing about one writer leaving leads to ten writers dropping their applications.

  35. techcrunchreader

    Best of luck Nick, i enjoyed reading your posts!

  36. John Biggs

    Where is my $250K? I got the damn cat, which you can have back, Michael, but I got none of this other stuff!

    Good luck, Nick. It was great working with you, dude.

  37. Peter Nixey

    Nick, all the best, you’re going to be a great asset to Social Web but all of us at YC are feeling the loss ;)

  38. Tom

    See you Nick, good luck.

  39. ipanema

    “I just can’t write about another fucking startup.”

    hilarious. sometimes we get tired of routine, among other things.

    good luck!

    Marshal Kirkpatrick is a good writer. The more I enjoy RWW.

  40. dave mcclure

    um… does Laguna know about this new ‘cat’ benefit thing?

  41. Andrew Michael

    Congrats and good luck Nick, thanks for all the help with the TC forums. We’ll continue to keep in touch.

  42. davidw

    Nick quit when he received this

    http://www.marbleweb.net/books.....shasin.jpg

  43. Anand

    @25

    That was supposed to be a link-bait, which I thought looked silly in hindsight ;)

  44. Mike Butcher

    Nick - Sad to see you go, but congratulations on the new gig. Thanks for helping me out on TechCrunch UK. It was a pleasure to read your work, and so now I’m off to go subscribe to your blog right now.
    All the best,
    Mike Butcher, TechCrunch UK

  45. Kazeliyq

    Hi webmaster!

  46. Kazeljlx

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  47. Kazeltzr

    Hi webmaster!

  48. Kazelktm

    Hi webmaster!

  49. KC

    Nick, you have a nice jaw.