Sarah Lacey, the now host of Yahoo Tech Ticker who is perhaps well known to TechCrunch readers as being the person who was suppose to have thrown a drink on Michael (she denies it), interviews Michael in the video above as well providing a brief tour of TechCrunch HQ.
As the rank outsider on the TechCrunch team (Americans can insert foreigner there, both in nationality and physical location) I’ve always found the way Michael runs TechCrunch fascinating, particularly as someone who has been involved in the blogging community for a long time (years before Michael discovered it). It wasn’t that long ago that running ads on a blog was frowned upon (hey Dave), then later blogging for a living was something very few people did, and even then, it wasn’t great money.
The tour through alone is worth watching, even if they did turn the lounge (couch) around for the interview. Laguna (Michael’s dog) greets Lacey at the door, and you get some feeling for how the Crunch empire exists.
You can also see Michael’s response to the question “Are You an Arrogant Ass?” here.
(thanks to Agentbleu for the tip)
Can we not descend the comments into asinine Frat jokes? Grow up trolls.
Gosh – She is so hot! It was a great interview too!
All she’s thinking during the interview, is “this guy has big f*cking ears”
Damn it, Michael needs to sleep a little bit more (or/and stay away from the screen). Those dark circles under the eyes don’t look very healthy.
What is not said but seen, is the amount of work that the team puts into outputting the content that they do. Anyone who has blogged will understand this. They work 14 hour days and slog it out with the rest of the industry to keep this rollercoaster moving.
What I find really interesting (and like) is that TC is run from MA home and we get to see it all. Also MA talks about his inner feelings about how it feels for a blogger in his position, to be constantly harassed by the likes of us (me), for coverage. The position is an odd one, having to ignore 99% of the requests, generates some really pissed off people and thus makes him an easy target. Also his insecurities about the business, anyone in his position paving the path for a new business model, which is challenging traditional media companies that could rightly be described as sharks, would be somewhat naturally insecure.
I must say also that MA is doing a sterling job at bringing more women into this male (nerd) dominated world. Keep up the good work MA and get a good nights sleep….
@gentbleu
That was a nice inside view of the inner workings of TC.
http://finance....u-an-Arrogant-A**;_ylt=AgmF.A2VVPE5jQ9xekxvrS5k7ot4?tickers=
this one is the most funny…
Really interesting interview and Sarah Lacey is great- funny and really sharp. Thanks for posting.
Any idea what he meant by “I love conflicts of interest”? I think TA discloses the companies its team has invested in or otherwise has an interest in, but I found the statement interesting.
hey michael what is the deal with the popups from this. Hey check your ad server. by the way nice interview got a little on the shtick side LOL
Fun interview. It would be great if Y! offered these videos in HD.
Wow! Awesome awesome!
Great mike.
Like the interview short and nice. and more importantly and the best part is to see where you are working from… Nice HQ..
Thanks..
CHeers, Nag
Keep up the great work Mike (and TC team). TC has become my favorite website.
One thing I feel people don’t quite understand is that a successful business doesn’t need to be ran in a traditional manner (i.e. having regular office space). I really appreciate the approach you’ve taken by running it out of your home. It saves quite a bit in overhead and quite possibly makes the working environment more comfortable.
As for revenue, $3m is pretty impressive for running this site. You all put in a lot of work, stay up to your neck in the industry and provide such a great resource. Although it isn’t pulling in numbers like other sites/startups, you and your team are on the right track. The numbers will continue to rise, popularity will continue to grow and the interest of either outside investors and/or acquisitions will come with greater force.
-Ron
Interesting that you have decided you, yourself are newsworthy. This often happens with journalists — they consider themselves the story, not the news.
Too bad….it was nice when you were just reporting stuff..
With $3mill revenue why not open an office? Heather didn’t look too happy – though maybe she prefers keeping the $ in the company….
Mike, good you did not go into acting
Also, what’s with this staged stuff? Like we don’t see it’s fabricated?
Disgusting setup, but informationally awesome interview.
This is my first time on TechCrunch… what a great introduction. Is the revenue all generated by ads or affiliate payouts? Would love to know, though probably won’t get an answer
. I think the main focus of any blog should be information then monetization and from what it seems like here, that’s the case. Builds trust and readership… Look forward to reading more!
Live Awesome!
Kevin
Building the business sounds more important to me than having an office. I can imagine that office space in that area is quite expensive, which is money that could be spent to grow the site. I could be wrong though
Questions – that were not covered in the interview
How long did it take to get on Technorati top 100
How long did it take to rise to #3
How did that effect the blog’s popularity and finances
What I liked was the honesty in it all – the office space – the frank conversation about valuation – having the dog running around. With all the pomp and positioning that goes on it is just refreshing to see real people working and not posing. You can see why they are cash positive – they run a lean and mean shop and that is what it takes.
Thanks for the posting that interview.
Cheers – Eric
1.5M UVs?
Interesting, Compete is 50% off.
Quantcast is also off, not even even listing non-U.S. estimates.
Je consulte (de Québec) Techcrunch à tous les jours.
Depuis la fin du magazine Business 2.0, je croit que Techcrunch est la référence en matière d’information Internet.
Avec tout le travail qu’il accomplie, c’est normal que Michael Harrington ai les yeux fatigué!
Excellente entrevue, simple, honnête et vrais.
I like to read TC because it is focused on the subject and it is frequently updated throughout the day. You can’t really get this type of info from TV or other sources except blog.
Like Heather said, it is really a future media.
@Ray Burt MA did not post this, Duncan did, and only after I tipped him off about it. If you don’t like seeing the workings of the blog you visit daily then your obviously more interested in seeing your own company on the front page (we all are), but this is a more interesting story IMO none the less!
&Eric Dewhirst … agreed. I ran my last business out of my home, even after I had my own factory, I still kept the office at home, with 2 staff in there. Only after we got much bigger did we move into a bigger space, and combined the office and factory, and that was when all the fun started going out of it……
I have to say, the relatively humble surroundings, running a business from a cluttered home with a dog and a couch give me a new respect for TechCrunch. Much more similar to the boostrapping startups out there. That will serve the business well if/when we hit recession this year…
*Erik Sieb
“Avec tout le travail qu’il accomplie, c’est normal que Michael Harrington ai les yeux fatigué! Excellente entrevue, simple, honnête et vrais.”
Roughly translated: with all the work that MA does, it is normal that his eyes look a little tired! Excellent interview, simple honest and true….
good clip….. MA is human… who knew
SL is hot! knew that — but didn’t know she was funny as well!!
#11 – I see snap shots going behind the video which is annoying. Is that what you mean by a popup? I have them on my site and found you have to add a wmode tag and they work great.
It was interesting to hear Michael’s ambition for TC. I worry that as you expand your will lose the edge that brought so many of us here. keep it real.
yea nice straight up stuff. props Michael and the TC crew
I really enjoyed the interview and you came across as very forthcoming. You’ve got a good brand, but, more importantly an excellent team.
No matter what you do PLEASE don’t take VC money. If anything take on debt for your hyper speed growth. Your strong cash flows will allow you to service it while maintaining complete control.
>> Laguna (Michael’s dog) greats Lacey at the door, and y
Cool name for a dog. Please correct the spelling from greats to greets.
-Peyton
http://www.techbanyan.com
Every time I see Arrington videos, the man has a clear understanding of what should actually drive the valuation of a company. He routinely reports the exhorbitant valuations that Silicon Valley companies are getting in deals that are rolling out these days.
I refer to TC as the “Blog of Record”, but if he’s willing to concede 20-25X EBITDA is aggressive, you can guess he sees them around $25-75 million depending on their operating expenses. What does that say about other pure advertising plays?
Two more things he says that I think are interesting:
1) Great Marketing Event – The press received when companies get a VC investment provides them with a mental viability factor in the minds of potential clients and partners
2) Inevitable Financing Event – Arrington will certainly stand on his principles in any financing negotiations, but given the peers he runs with, he should consider personal investments from the accredited individuals he knows, set the terms for a pure common stock issuance, and maintain control of the board and direction of Crunch.
Excellent video, wish it had more of a Cribs feel, we barely saw anything regarding his workplace.
that’s the poorest edited professional video i’ve ever seen.
Idea for TechCrunch….
So, in the interview you speak about expanding the property and this is just a blog (print), but what about creating a YCombinator/American Idol reality show/video blog using the TechCrunch brand?!? I think this would be a great way to expand your brand as you could syndicate this reality video blog across multiple platforms! MA could be one of the three judges….
The startup world in print fascinates us, I think it would translate even better on video!
Can someone explain why Arrington rents his house? Why not buy one? Surely he can afford something with all his millions…or is the real estate market in CA that expensive?
Michael, try the Monster Energy drinks (sugar free).
Ok, Ok, bad taste joke. Good vid
With all the sh*t and negative commentary targeted towards Mike on TC nowadays, you’d think he was a complete ass. But this interview, and his Conde Naste Portfolio interview shows that he’s actually a decent guy you could have beers with. Who knew. Good luck with TC Mike – am sure the hard work will pay off (but get some sleep).
sarah lacy just eats up sarah meyers as a tech journalists
I think you guys should do a day in the life of tc and all wear head cams.
I feel sorry for Heather having to work in the spare room, does she get the day off when you have guests over :p
This one gives more depth http://tinyurl.com/2w4fsm
This is the first Duncan Riley post where he didn’t say something completely idiotic. Way to go, kiddo.
Nice interview.
Mike,don’t drink sugar-free stuff as Ryan Merket advises – it’s carcinogenous stuff, and we need you for many more years.
Yes, we need you – get some rest and keep TC humming. It’s like air for me so you take care of yourself, ok?
I don’t know why no one has mentioned the fact that Michael may be rolling out a startup only blog soon (Like TechCrunch used to be). I really like TechCrunch as it is, but this idea makes my mouth water.
Good luck with this idea. I hope you do it sooner than later.
Wow, I never realized how goofy looking michael arrington was.
no wonder he hasn’t moved into an office yet….
When I seem someone that I have a ton of respect for do an interview like this it just makes me want to meet and learn from him even more.
I bet the home office is a great write off.
Almost as good as when those euros woke mike up
Home office ftw
Nice interview and thanks for a lot of interesting numbers and candid talk! I’m also happy that my office is bigger than the TechCrunch CEO’s digs.
wow the quality of this video stream is so much better than YouTube !