After eighteen hours stuck in the middle seat on what seemed to be an unending journey back home, I arrived yesterday in San Francisco, whip lashed by a monster jetlag, and an email box full of messages. And all I wanted to do was meet up with the GigaTeam, and have a quiet drink to celebrate an important milestone in our brief start-up life: our first anniversary.
On July 5th, we turned one year old as a company, capping what has been the longest year in my life, and the shortest 365 days. Each day was different, each situation unique, and every crisis a flashpoint. Together, we all learned how to deal with whatever came our way. It has been a year, in baseball parlance, when we struck out a lot, adjusted, hopeful that we could hit one out of the park.
The biggest lesson for me personally: the start-up life is non-stop: no pauses, no breaks, no time to stop and smell the roses. We went from being me, and one blog, to four sites, and seven people. The journey has been made enjoyable thanks to team members, Katie, Liz, Joey, and Carleen. (Don’t worry – I will get to the other two in a minute.)
And that doesn’t include folks who have worked tirelessly through the year, either as contributors, tech gurus and our well wishers. Or the always-supportive True Ventures, who as backers have let me stumble my way through this start-up thing.
Looking back, this has been a satisfying year: we successfully launched WebWorkerDaily, NewTeeVee and FoundREAD. Of course we weren’t always this lucky – IPNetworked and GigaGamez didn’t work out so well for us.
I just wanted to say thanks to all you readers, for giving us your time, and sharing your insights with us, and helping us mature as a company.
Now back to those two missing names: Mike Sly, an old friend from Red Herring joins as a Vice President of Sales, helping us explore new opportunities as we ramp up our events business and grow the publishing operation. He is going to be working in tandem with Federated Media.
And of course, last but not the least, we have Adena DeMonte joining us from the Red Herring as a general assignment reporter, and helping us on something new we have cooking up. So folks, here is to next 12 months… now back to work!
Congrats Om. It has been a great ride so far and looking forward to many more. I am addicted to this website to the level of my wife threatening to leave me if I continue to follow your news and comments more frequently.
Congratulations Om and GigaOm team. I’m looking forward to another year of what I like to call ‘The Civilised TechCrunch’.
Congrats on the big milestone.
I’ve been a long time follower of GigaOm. From a small blog with just one writer and very little noise; to the worst period in the second half of last year when there was so much noise being published on the site (sorry for the honesty) that it became a burden for me to filter it out, to a more balanced, focused and well written blog.
Congrats Om! It’s been great reading the GigaTeam posts.
Wish you and your team years of success and celebrations.
Om, congrats on a great year of responsible – and interesting journalism (not always an oxymoron apparently).
Exciting news, good luck Om.
Great to see the network growing. WWD rocks. Congratulations.
Congrats. There is more wheat in GigaOm (and recently FoundRead) than other chaff-y “crunchy” networks.
The word that differentiates TechCrunch and GigaOm, is the word “HUMANIZED”. GigaOm is more humanized!
Congratulations, to the Om Circuits.
Congrats Om.
Congrats OM. Keep the flag flying.
Congratulations, Om and GigaTeam — keep on writing, and we’ll definitely keep reading (and commenting).
Congrats GigaOm team. Your blogs are very insightful. I would like to add that some of your sister sites have a deluge of articles and it’s difficult to keep track of all the posts. So, I like your “What’s on GigaNet” posts which have links to the important posts from the sister sites.
And btw, looking forward to attending your panel event at the IIT 2007 event tomorrow.
Congrats to the GigaTeam!
More reasons to read GigaOm.
Happy birthday Om
looking forward to the next 12 months.
You’re better off not smelling the roses Om. My parents always said “Never smell the roses, for they always have flies that you end up inhaling that give you the high and low of coke”. You keep your steady pace sir, and everything else falls into place.
On a side note, I certainly hope the sales folks you’re hiring don’t change GigaOm we’ve come to know and love. No offense to anyone.
Forgot to sing “Happy Happy Birthday!”
Has it been a year already? Congratulations!
I can’t believe it’s a year already. Thanks for a thoroughly good read. Good luck and all the best for the next 365!
What a funny guy you are, Om!
While you’re kind to be thanking us readers…it is us who should be (and are) thanking you…
So thank YOU…Happy Birthday…and a big wish for many more to follow!
Congrats guys!
Congrats Om and happy one year anniversary!
GigaOm is a great read, especially the telecom analysis, and the changes since you struck on your own have all been for the better. It’s also the best UI around and the easiest to read from my blackberry. I’m a big fan.
Keep up the great work!
Happy Anniversary. I hope you celebrated in style with a big cake. Here’s to many more!
In light of your trip last week, Mazeltov!
Congratulations on a great year, Om. Glad you made it through Homeland Insecurity – for another good year.
Congrats Om. You are best in the business.
Gigateam rules. 🙂
Congrats giga team…..
nice work done….this last year has been very inspiring.. personally you have given me many new insights and ideas to work on start-up…
The detail analysis of a business model or a new start up makes you different..
Though i m disappointed that content related to India has gone down over years…There is so much start up activity going on here which is not noticed…
Looking forward to many eventful and inspiring years…….
gigaom really stands out amongst all the techblogs out there. I really like reading webworkerdaily and newteevee too. You’re doing a great job.
Congratulations from Germany!
Congrats man … you are doing it well …
Cocgrats Om to you and the team on a terrific year.
I Love You Man!
🙂 Congratulations to Om and his team. 🙂
And remember: The world is bigger than the US. There are interesting stories and advanced technologies in other countries too.
I would e. g. love to understand the Asian stuff, but cannot read Chinese nor Japanese. Also the European (wireless) broadband business is always worth looking.
Maybe you could hire more correspondents abroad until the next anniversary?
I have been a reader of your column in Business 2.0 and your blog for the past few years. I would like to wish you all the best and thanks for the brilliant insight you provide.
Congrats Om and Team. Blogger years are kind of like Dog years I gather…
congratulations. Happy 1st Anniversary!
Congrats and keep up the great work. GigaOm and NewTeeVee are two of my favorite blogs.
Congrats, GigaOm team! Keep up the good work. How ironic for you that the 1 year anniversary is paper..not much use for that media here.
Congrats Om. I’ve been a regular reader for many months now. Good stuff..