<![CDATA[John Battelle's risky conversation - Valleywag Comments]]> <![CDATA[John Battelle's risky conversation - Valleywag Comments]]> <![CDATA[John Battelle's risky conversation]]> true be that. but when wired writes "gawker media could fetch $100M" - true or false - it reinforces your rationale to a) conceive of this blog, b) edit/write it, c) invest in it to grow it etc.

this one is strategic, it puts gawker media right in the middle of the bankers and financiers that could make wired's claim - no matter how lofty on the surface - go from concept to reality.

i should personally spend 100% of my time on watchmojo.com, yet i spend a good % of my time on the hipmojo blog (1700 posts in 17 months, mate!), why is that? i've always said it: "yes, it's fun, i learn a lot, but it was, is and will be strategic."

you have a great vehicle in VW in that it balances everything else that is out there (Rafat's PC, Arrington's TC, Om's GigaOm).

Battelle's chosen a different route, to build the ad network, it's not perfect, but it ain't bad either.

ashkan

]]> <![CDATA[John Battelle's risky conversation]]> @ashkan: On the other hand, you could argue that I shouldn't be writing this site. It's one of our smallest; it has little economic potential; and much to alienate potential partners and competitors. Writing a blog is absolutely exhausting. But it is good fun, and has given me a few ideas I wouldn't have otherwise come up with. Battelle's book might do the same: think of it as a marketing vehicle for FM.

Nick Denton

]]> <![CDATA[John Battelle's risky conversation]]> this is not really a comment on Battelle, but you have to be pretty crazy to take your focus away from the Web to publish a book, in my humble opinion.

after i left news corp./fim, i started writing my 3rd book on the whole "context is king" theme and realized it was such an opportunity that i launched a company around the theme.

unless battelle is being offered insane money - and i don't doubt he might after the search - i'd view this as a mixed blessing and focus on FM instead.

i don't see you nick writing too many books these days, after all ;)

ashkan

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