Why Seattle VCs don't blog |
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Why Seattle VCs don't blog
Why don't more Seattle venture capitalists write blogs? I've asked that question in the past, pointing to excellent VC blogs from the likes of Fred Wilson of A VC (who happens to be speaking at tonight's Naked Truth event) and Paul Kedrosky's Infectious Greed.
I've also pointed out that there's a room for a venture capitalist or two from the region to cut through the crap of the industry and really tell it like it is. That's even more of the case today with the industry in flux and many entrepreneurs debating whether venture money is necessary. But for whatever reason, most Seattle VCs remain silent.
Can OVP Venture Partners emerge as that voice? The Kirkland firm -- one of the oldest in the region -- recently started a blog where one can read headlines such as "Health Care is Not a Right" and "Behind Closed Doors." The firm is also asking for guest columnists to submit pieces.
Blogs can take many forms -- opinion, news, aggregation.
It will be interesting to see where OVP takes theirs. But, one thing is clear, a successful blog takes time. And even though VCs aren't deploying capital like they were a few years ago, they still have their hands full.
Take Madrona Venture Group's blog as an example. Madrona started it last fall, but it's been nearly two months since their last post and that happened to be an article that also ran on TechFlash.
There are also a few VCs who blog on the side, including Peter Zaballos of Frazier Technology Ventures who writes "Open Ambition" and Andy Sack of Founders Co-op who writes "A Sack of Seattle."
But it still feels like something is missing. Maybe it's because Seattle's venture community is small and collegial, and therefore no one really wants to upset the apple cart with a blistering post or two.
Or maybe the underside of the business really looks bleak.
Anyway, there's opportunity for a VC in town to explain what is really going on in the venture industry in clear and concise terms with no BS. I, for one, would read that.
John Cook is co-founder of TechFlash. Follow him on Twitter @johnhcook.
[Flickr photo via dabawenya]
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