TechCrunch is 20 years old. I somehow were here half that time, and this was the best job of my life.
Before I jump into the nostalgia that milestone birthdays inevitably bring, I would like to pause and explain why this particular anniversary is so important to me. After working for several major media companies early in my career (Time Inc., Dow Jones, Reuters), I can say with confidence that there is nothing like culture here. Paradoxical, clever, cheerful, hardworking. Almost every person at TC wears multiple hats. Anyone who worked here would tell you. This is not just another media company. It’s a place where people are interested in everything, where everyone cares about the crazy amount of brands (and each other), and not only is it encouraged by challenging traditional wisdom, but it’s also expected.
This approach opened doors that could otherwise remain closed. Over the past decade, TechCrunch has had the opportunity to sit with the incredible personalities in every corner of the tech world, from CEOs such as Sam Altman and Evan Spiegel, anti-trust enforcers like Lina Khan, venture capitalists like Mark Andressen and Serena Williams, to venture capitalists like Conan O’Brien and Elgo, to things like Finland’s Marine. We interviewed founders who create defense technology, build consumer giants and sell software companies for billions of dollars. Collectively, our team spoke with thousands of founders and operators who are perceived daily to impact our lives. From these conversations we learned what we had learned – then explained to our readers – we learned how technology, policy, and human ambitions intersect to shape the world.
We did this from our homes, from our coffee shops to our offices, as well as from the world, and from many places TechCrunch brought us.
All of these cities, we sat with superstars who became prisoners and founders who became superstars. We have seen boring technology take over the world and celebrate technology left to the trash can fire.
We have seen the whole industry come into being, mature and sometimes wither. From the subscription model to the gig economy and more recently the AI rollup, we introduced two startups that have become $1 trillion companies, and talked about business innovations that have turned the industry upside down. We’ve reported on a breakthrough that changed everything. We also featured a “breakthrough,” which is equivalent to Bupkis.
We continue to show up every day. For the past few weeks, TC has been sitting with the Greek Prime Minister and the Mayor of San Francisco. It broke stories that included prominent VCs, startup founders and big technology. I stack transport, startup, cybersecurity and AI coverage for everyone.
These are tough times in the media. It is one of many industries of liquidity. But to everyone who was willing to write about the supposed end of TC, we are still here! Twenty years later, we continue to break important stories, hold power accountable, and sneak peek into the next big thing before it becomes clear to everyone else. We are doing it for a growing audience too.
Thank you Michael Arlington for creating this brand that is far more than any of us could have imagined. Thank you to all the parent companies who supported us and helped us continue to do what we love, including today’s Regent. Although ownership of TC has changed over the years, it is our mission to find noise signals and tell the story that things remain the same.
The perspective that 20 years give you, and for another 20 years, asking tough questions, helping readers look around the corner and helping them work with great people.
Thank you to everyone who is part of this story, including writers, editors, editors, readers, attendees, speakers, critics, cheerleaders and more, for creating TechCrunch, trust us to place and passionately believe that technology can make the world better, and to call it when it isn’t. It’s a privilege every day.