Mike ButcherEditor-at-large, TechCrunch

Twitter.com/mikebutcherLinkedIn.com/MikeButcherFacebook.com/MikeButchermbites.com/contactmike@techcrunch.com

Going global from HERE

Or… How create global companies from anywhere

Silicon Valley looks like this

And operates in this

And we look like this

First, think SMART.

WHERE WAS SEESMIC BUILT ?

NOBODY CARES

REMOVE ALL LOCATION INFO

EMPHASISE THE PRODUCT ABOVE ALL ELSE

GET TRACTION IN A MARKET YOU UNDERSTAND FIRST

(THIS MAY BE HOME!)

• International market•Bigger pool

AIM FOR A NICHE

50% OF STARTUPS IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION

News is a Purple Cow

News is “Man Bites Dog”

Just BEING a startup does not make you

“News”

The fact that you exist is NOT news!

The fact that you exist is NOT news!

Conversations usually beat press releases

Why? Conversations are about getting to

know the news media.

A day in the life of a stressed tech writer.

INCOMING!!EmailSMS

Voice callsSkype / IM

Facebook IM / Messages

Twitter @repliesTwitter DMsFace-to-Face

Then I get this:

“@mikebutcher Hey

Mike, we just launched our startup! Want to

writeabout it?

”

So, for me to drop everything and write about you, your story needs to be BETTER

than everything else.

Answer: Unlikely.

So: pre-brief!

“Mike, we’re doing X next week. Are you

Interested?”

Ideal pitch over email:Mike!We are launching X.It will compete with Y.It’s better than Y because.We have raised Z money.From XYZ investors.It’s all yours/ EmbargoedHere’s more links (no PDFs)

But put substance into the first pitch

And don’t ask permission.JUST DO IT

“Hey Mike, Would you mind if I sent you a

press release?”#FAIL

And: Get to the damn point!

Mike, given your background, I thought you could be interested in talking to the founder of BLAH BLAH BLAH. With on-going debates on whether we are entering a second Internet bubble and predictions that this year would yield the most IPOs of technology stock since 2000, BLAHs trongly believes that the new wave of tech start-ups would only be successful if they can add value by creating new markets, rather than focus only on streamlining efficiencies. A case in point is his business – 80% of the properties Flat-Club offers have not been previously available in the market. BLAHcan also talk to you about what it means and what it takes to be a successful Internet start-up today. If you are interested in talking to him please let me know and I can arrange an interview. Below I’ve provided further information on BLAH. 

OR

Interview with the founder of this startup?

He’s experienced because…

He can talk about… the tech bubble… donkeys… whatever

Here’s some more info below. Here’s a link

Thanks

Even better:

Great products make news.

A product that goes viral is much better

‘news’ than a PR release.

So build a GREAT product.

Understand who you are talking to

Should you hire a PR firm? No.

PR firms = Relationships

Introductions do the same

Please pitch like a human

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”

So What IS a Story?• Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”

So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”• Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”• Insight: “Trend X will change the world”• Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”• Success: “Awesome Y created!”• Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”• You are The Story: “Kid creates FB”• Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher invests!• Moldova company hacks Facebook!

What should you send the media?

It’s all about saving the media time• LIST OF KEY BULLET POINTS FIRST

• Crunchbase entry

•  Direct hyperlink to web-ready logo (NOT a hi-res image. This is not a fucking print title)

• Press Release IN PLAIN TEXT IN THE EMAIL(Do NOT send press releases as attachments)

TELL A STORY

NOW GET ON A PLANE

Get on a plane to:

BUILD CONTACTS

RAISE MONEY

http://fundersandfounders.com/how-funding-works-splitting-equity/

USE THE TOOLS:

AngelistCrunchBase

Crowd-Equity (Seedrs)LinkedInFacebook

Twitter

Don’t rely on re-creating Silicon Valley

Create SILION BRIDGES

CREATE THE LINKS:• Your country• Europe• Big cities: London/Berlin • New York, SF or Asia

Now investors have gone hunting European

startups

HOW DO THEY FIND YOU?

CLUSTERSmake it EASIER

and MORE EFFICIENT for INVESTORS

to find STARTUPS

When you cluster you create NOISE

Noise creates

hype

Hype creates

attention

Attention attracts

investors

You’re part of a movement!

London’s Tech Startup Cluster in 2009

Silicon Roundabout /Tech City2 years laterSee http://www.duedil.com/site/london-real-tech-startups

Big tech firms like clusters = Talent!

‘Silicon Allee’ in Berlin

‘Silicon Sentier’ in Paris

In fact, we can graph this:

What helped?

DRINKING! Silicon Drinkabout

Startups & Clusters are sexy!

Geeks in feature articles?!

Geeks in Fashion

Magazines?!

The Media LOVES Startups

WSJ, FT, VentureVillage, TheNextWeb, TechCrunch etc

Learn the skills of pitching and networking

• Learn how to pitch mediaTinyurl.com/How2DealMedia

• Learn how to network! Tinyurl.com/NetworkRight

Yes Mike, but how do I get on TechCrunch?

Yes, but how do I get on TechCrunch

Thanks.

Questions?

@mikebutcher