Now that Gigaom is all grown up, it's time for the next chapter

It’s a new year (although it’s well underway) and I’m excited to talk about the new phase at Gigaom. In the interest of not burying the lead, here is the TL;DR version:

  • We have raised $8 million in new funds from Shea Ventures (which led the current round) and our existing investors, True Ventures, Alloy Ventures and Reed Elsevier Ventures.
  • I am joining True Ventures as a partner, and therefore hanging up my reporter’s notebook.
  • I will no longer be a day-to-day employee at Gigaom, but will spend most of my time in a supporting role as a board member, occasional columnist and a regular fixture at our events.

And now for the long version:

In 2008, our company decided that we would not pray at the altar of pageviews and advertising metrics that do nothing but devalue our readers’ time and attention. Instead, we opted to take the road less traveled — subscription revenues.

Now in 2014, we have built a new, dynamic research platform that counts some of world’s largest companies as its customers. It is a business that is growing at an astounding rate, which is why we have added new capital to our coffers and plan to keep growing our research business.

The growing success of our research business gives us the luxury to have an editorial operation with a singular focus: providing value to our readers and respecting the attention they accord us. Together with events, our editorial operation is a free-standing business and one I am very proud to have helped create.

The company, however, has evolved well beyond a mere blog to what it is today — a group of more than 70 really smart people — thanks to the efforts of Paul Walborsky, who has been our chief executive since 2008. Together with other members of our management team, we have built a company that embodies and echoes our five core founding values.

  • Give respect: the respect we want.
  • Take less, give more.
  • Others don’t have to lose for us to win.
  • Better, not more.
  • Keep it simple, keep it honest.

On a personal basis, I have decided that it is time for me to no longer be involved in day-to-day operations. I’m looking forward to a long-needed break after more than 25 years at the daily grind of writing the first draft of history.

While I will continue to write, it will be at a more measured frequency. I will be at most of our events. (I hope to see you all at Structure Data, March 19th and 20th in New York City.) I am looking forward to co-hosting Roadmap, our experience and design conference, with Katie Fehrenbacher in November 2014 and we will soon announce further details.

I will remain on the board of directors at Gigaom and will spend all my energies as an assistant to Paul and the rest of our stellar team. I am so proud that what started as a solo WordPress blog seven years ago has blossomed into a modern media company.

Our editorial operations are in good hands. Tom Krazit, our executive editor, is a man of many talents and has the youthful vigor to help nurture and grow a media entity for a 24-hour life cycle. Krazit, along with my editorial colleagues, including my longtime friends Katie Fehrenbacher and Stacey Higginbotham, are great stewards of what we have all built together. It’s an editorial approach that is built on simple principles: We love technology, we write with passion and we vow to treat our readers’ time and intelligence with respect by giving them the most complete picture of our modern technology world.

Om Malik — Founder, Gigaom Katie Fehrenbacher — Senior Writer, Gigaom
Om Malik — Founder, Gigaom Katie Fehrenbacher — Senior Writer, Gigaom

What we have done, and will continue to do, is different and difficult. Our writers and editors will continue to produce the most impactful events and provide the best coverage and commentary in the world of technology, bar none.

“Now it is time for the next chapter,” wrote Derek Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop and my 2nd favorite Yankee (behind Bernie Williams), sharing his intention to retire at the end of 2014. “I have new dreams and aspirations and new challenges. And I want the ability to move at my own pace, see the world and finally have a summer vacation.”

I relate to Jeter’s desire to find life outside of work. Living a 24-hour news life has come at a personal cost. I still wake in middle of the night to check the stream to see if something is breaking, worrying whether I missed some news.

It is a unique type of addiction that only a few can understand, and it is time for me to opt out of this non-stop news life. After five years as a “venture partner,” I am joining True Ventures as a partner, and thus bringing an end to my life as a professional journalist.

Thank you for reading, and if you so wish, you can also keep up with me on Twitter @om and Facebook. I also have a personal blog in case you like the Yankees, have a fondness for electronic/global music and like to obsess about shoes. Don’t worry, I will continue to write; just at a pace that is more befitting my new lifestyle and about things that have nothing to with deadlines, pitches or news.

In closing, I quote the famous Japanese writer Haruki Murakami, who once said, ”Writing, to me, is the meaning of life. My life became something special because of writing.”

177 comments

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Om Malik is a San Francisco based writer, photographer and investor. Read More

177 thoughts on this post

  3. Congratulations Om. Promise us that you won’t ever stop speaking the truth when others are reluctant to. It is this reason that has made me a huge fan of you and your voice. All the best on your next chapter!

    Reply

  12. Sad for us, regular ‘deadline news’ readers, and happy for you.
    Thanks for your very unique voice and thinking outside the box on daily basis.
    Am sure you’ll bring it with you to the next chapter.
    Happy trails and best of luck!

    Reply

  16. Good luck to you in your big new venture, Om. You and your team have delivered high quality content and ideas for years, and those of us consuming the news are better for it. Thanks for being a thoughtful and sharp Silicon Valley player.

    Reply

  19. Great job Om! Sure we will get to hear you one way or the other. You have been humble, incisive and to the point in your articles and how GigaOm has conducted itself. Cannot say that of many others in the field. Good luck

    Reply

  20. Congrats Om. I’m sure you feel like you’re on top of the world right now. Looking forward to see the next phase.

    Reply

  21. I know we go back to our Red Herring days but being part of the initial build up of Gigaom with you and the others has been a total thrill ride!

    Go Red Sox!

    Sly

    Reply

  22. Thanks for all the articles and gigaom… I started reading it from the very early days and still keep coming here specifically for your articles. So good to hear that you will continue to write 🙂 Best of luck! Enjoy!

    Reply

  23. Best of luck on your new ventures Om. For what it’s worth, your honesty, work ethic and respectful approach to covering tech has had a big impact on me. Cheers!

    Reply

  27. Bravo! I can’t whine about reducing time spent at the tasks of business – or complain about you having more time for private, personal discoveries on your own time, at your own pace. It’s what I’ve been doing for eleven years, now.

    But, I will miss a reduced number of opportunities to read, listen, reflect upon your vision of this fascinating life around us.

    I will enjoy what we can share even more.

    Reply

  33. Interesting, I find a lot of tech guys “have a fondness for electronic/global music”. In fact, just saw Shpongle last night. Something in our DNA?

    Reply

  37. Good for you Om. They’re all the same stories over and over again. You won’t miss a thing! I very much enjoy reading your writing so please do keep it up.

    Reply

  40. Love that mantra which doesn’t always fit Silicon Valley–

    “Others don’t have to lose for us to win.”

    Good luck with your next adventure.

    Reply

  42. Congratulations on all your great achievements here with GigaOM! Wishing you all the best in your new role!

    We met almost a decade ago… its been great watching you come this far! Cheers – V.

    Reply

  43. We couldn’t be more grateful for all you have contributed, not only to the industry, but to the battle for common sense. I know I speak for many when I say the trust we have for you is unparalleled and we’ll miss your day-to-day comments. I look forward to this next chapter!

    Reply

  44. Congrats, Om! I remember well the days back in the early 2000s when a handful of us were blogging about VoIP – and there you were with your ideas to build something so much bigger… which you did! Congratulations on a job extremely well done – and I look forward to seeing what comes next for you!

    Reply

  45. Congrats! Om has set himself, as usual, an even higher bar for success in his next chapter when measured against those other journalists-turned-VCs 🙂 (Was Moritz the first?)

    Reply

  51. Hey Om,

    Thank you so much for your years of service to your readers! I am relieved to know you will still be writing. Your broad understanding and deeper insights into the business are quite valuable. Good luck in your latest “venture”.

    Reply

  54. Congratulations fellow-Delhi and Stephens friend! Will Miss your Gigaom Posts and hope you will keep up the writing therapy for the sake of your readers and fans.
    I love your quote at the end:…

    Reply

  55. Om:

    What a brilliant, influential, and humane contribution as a journalist. I hope you inspire legions of entrepreneurs in this next phase.

    Reply

  56. Om, sweet and sour for me. It takes a lot of courage to leave a company you’ve founded – I think you are making the right move and can be proud of what you’ve build. Congrats! I will however miss your news analysis and the stories you shared as an entrepreneur. You are the first site I go to when major tech announcements are made – you always seem to be one step ahead of anyone else when it comes to understanding what’s really happening inside these companies and markets. You are a great person and am rooting for your success! Thank you Om and good luck!

    Reply

  57. Om, I’ve been reading your site for years. Reading about startups inspired me to leave Apple, your coverage of the news industry motivated me to found Inkfold, and your story about Matter led to my first investor. Thank you for everything.

    Reply

  60. I only learned about GigaOM last year and became an avid reader. Love your 7-stories posts. Best wishes on your next endeavor.

    Reply

  65. End of an era, but the end of your byline. You won’t be able to tear yourself away from the keyboard.
    Best of luck buddy. Proud of you.
    David

    Reply

  66. End of an era, but not the end of your byline. You won’t be able to tear yourself away from the keyboard.
    Best of luck buddy. Proud of you.
    David

    Reply

    1. David

      Thanks for being a believer back when no one offered a chance. Thanks for giving a helping hand and teaching me the lessons of life and journalism 🙂 I have tried hard not to let you down and as I leave the profession — I so so with head held high and with pride that comes from making my teacher (you) proud.

      Reply

  67. Congrats! Seems like the right next step on a great life path. Come to Seattle, will get you tickets when Yankees are in town. You can see “Cano” play here instead of NYC… 🙂

    Reply

  73. Om — We really don’t know each other but I look up to you as a fellow journalist for your intelligence, integrity. and from what I can tell — a true love for the work you do. Thanks for setting the bar for the community — your precedence serves us all.

    Reply

  76. Om, you’re the man in the arena! Thanks for all the writings and good times, from B2.0 days.
    Best of luck and keep posting the “What am I reading..”

    Reply

  77. Happy for you Om; take it easy! & please keep writing your free-spirited gems. Best of luck for your next chapter.

    Reply

  78. Om,

    Congrats. You were one of the first folks in tech media to believe in what we were doing at CB Insights and in our data so wanted to say thanks. Look forward to hearing more about your adventures on the “dark side” 🙂

    Congrats again.

    Cheers,
    Anand

    Reply

  84. Om, you rock. That’s whyom I’m sad you’ll no longer be involved with GigaOm as a daily journalist. But, as a long-time beneficiary of your professionalism and dedication, I have no doubt that you have earned the right to a saner lifestyle. I wish you all the best as you acclimate yourself to new habits, like sleeping through the night.

    Reply

  85. Congratulations Om, I have always enjoyed speaking with you at your conferences and TechCrunch about my latest endeavors, books and companies. You’ve always been a kind person, and I wish you best of luck on your new endeavor at True Ventures and hope all your investments succeed long term. Stay the same person and true to your goals!

    Nitish Kannan
    CEO/Founder http://www.circlepluspayments.com

    Reply

  87. Best wishes. Will miss you 7 stories to read this weekend — always had interesting content. Enjoy the summer vacation (just kidding).

    Reply

  90. All the very best Om.

    And when you finally decide to hang up your “boots”, join me as planting partner – we will plant some trees.

    The world needs it.

    Reply

  91. I connect to your last ending line and glad that you thought ahead of pageviews.
    Good luck.
    On another note would it be correct to say that content on its own cannot stand as a long term business along with keeping the editorial freedom.

    Reply

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