TechCrunch40 | Croncast - From Cool to Cul De Sac

SXSW Wrap Up

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:04:16 -0500

It's been nearly a week since I arrived back home and I've recuperated enough from the festivities, work and recording to make this post. Never mind that I saw Billy Bob Thornton and his band play, I was working angles!

What I can say is that it was an event that was really about connecting with nerd brethren. My BlogTalkRadio cohorts and I recorded tons of content and did multiple live shows. But at the core of all of it was connecting with people that we typically only interact with online.

Aside from connecting, I did have another experience worth mentioning here. Like every other conference I have attended there is a simple take-away if you keep your eyes open. Much like TechCrunch40 and the hand washing lesson. That was a great one.

The lesson learned from SXSW interactive was this:

Thousands of attendees, very few media makers.

That's it.

The AMD B5media Bloghaus was filled day after day with the same people. They were a minority of the attendees numbering around 100 I would say. Of that number, even a smaller amount were making media of any kind - blog posts, audio or video. I would guess 40, tops.

I was left wondering why there weren't more attendees outside of the Bloghaus posse making media instead of consuming it. I don't know the reason.

I am having trouble articulating exactly what it meant and means to me. So I will leave it at that. Lots of people at a media making conference and only a handful actually doing it.

Tags: amd bloghaus austin texas interactive media makers

TechCrunch40 in 60 seconds - a belated tale

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:33:28 -0600

Remember TechCrunch40 from a few months back? I do.

Some of you have lived it through my eyes as I recounted the story on the show and others of you at parties. This 60 seconds I will never relive again but I knew it was magical moment. Consider it Parable 2.0.

Scene: I am in the lower level bathroom of the Palace Hotel brushing my teeth. It is silent for twenty seconds. Silence is broken by a guy leaving a stall. I have no idea he was in there. I see his badge in the mirror, Demo Pit badge. He walks right out. Didn't wash his hands. Note to self - wtf, that is gross he is going to be shaking hands all day. I'll live.

Ten seconds later another stall door opens and out walks another guy with a Demo Pit badge. He walks up to the mirror. Begins running fingers through hair. Finishes and walks out of the bathroom. Doesn't wash his hands. I am completely grossed out.

I am finishing up brushing my teeth. Ten seconds later in walks a VC (one that we all know) and he comes over to the sink. He makes small talk while washing his hands. Walks away to use facilities.

Twenty seconds after my thoughts are complete. The lesson that has been taught to me is clear:

A Demo Pit guy will rub his hands in his butt and shake your hand, but a VC will wash his hands before he touches his junk.

Tags: Purell Parable 2.0 Demo Pit TechCrunch40

Betsy and her husband Kris Sep 21, 2007

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 14:47:11 -0500

Croncast - 2007-09-21.mp3
Show: #413
Length: 20:11
Size: 13.8mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris Sep 21, 2007

Show us some love and leave us a review at iTunes

STICKERS! They'll be here on Tuesday
Here's what it will look like . . . inside the red area with rounded corners
To get your sticker send $2.00 support from the site or get 3 stickers for $5.00

Short on show notes to get this thing out the door on time.

Audience Survey, please fill this out for us
Look for the graphic on "Audience Survey" on the main page

Tags: TechCrunch40 hand washing demo pit Shoney's i'm talking

TechPlane40 back to ORD

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 17:40:08 -0500

Sitting at SFO waiting to get on the plane back to Chicago and I thought this the perfect time to thank the folks that put me up for the last few days, Rick and Robin! Your hospitality was greatly appreciated. Now when you sell this house (hopefully a long time from now) you can say, "Kris Smith stayed here." ;-) Inside joke, they will get it!

This was a really good trip for me. Hanging with Brogan and Schlomo was definitely the highlight. It was only about two hours together but it was the best conversation about video on the net, present and future that I have taken part in. Those dudes are smart! I rank second the 20 minute conversation Chris and I had yesterday about PodCamp and a need (personal need) for returning to a more unconference format in the sessions . . . this should be be its own post. Check.

If you want the best story of my trip you'll have to listen in to tomorrow's show. It's only going to be about 2 minutes long but well worth it.

Thanks also to all the other folks that I met at dinner on Monday night.

Tags: techcrunch40 hand washing Chris Brogan Schlomo Rabinowitz

TechCrunch40 Day 2

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:04:36 -0500

Back on the train heading for the event.

Hoping for some sizzle today . . . no big 'wow' pitches yesterday.

My favorite part of the day was lunch with Chris Brogan and Schlomo Rabinowitz. Thanks to both of them for the great conversation and not kicking my ads for ordering the lamb burger, the only burger on the menu, but an instance where a giant beer can should have fallen from the sky and crushed me.

Tags: techcrunch40 lamb burger Chris Brogan Schlomo Rabinowitz thirtsy bear

Betsy and her husband Kris Sep 14, 2007

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 10:00:26 -0500

Croncast - 2007-09-14.mp3
Show: #410
Length: 34:42
Size: 23.8mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris Sep 14, 2007

Show us some love and leave us a review at iTunes

Early insert for TFF - Tell a Friend Friday
Go out and tell a friend about Croncast
We now have a way for you to even tell strangers
STICKERS! They'll be here on Tuesday
Here's what it will look like . . . inside the red area with rounded corners
To get your sticker send $2.00 support from the site or get 3 stickers for $5.00

Now to the show notes
Trescadecaphobes yesterday was the day
Today it is safe it is the 14th
It was a good 13th for me
You are on a nerd high Mr. B . . . I'm gonna let you roll
Yeah, I am stoked
I saw in Google Reader that TechCrunch 40 had 5 press/blogger passes available
Sent Jason Calacanis a message
Hour and a half later I was good to go
So thanks to Jason . . . I am really looking forward to the event
I'll crank out some podcasts
Thanks to Rick and Robin for putting me up next week
I'll get to see the solar panels
We should buy carbon credits from them
It's good to be all in Mr B
Like I said, you've got to strike while the iron is hot
Can I now tell my story, Kris
I had a creepy thing happen to me last night
I gotta thank people
I don't tell people thank you enough
You don't
I know baby
I had the best lesson taught to me by my uncle
He sent me a thank you note
Then on the back it said, "This is what a thank you not looks like."
He told you!
Betsy's problem is she buys them and writes them but just doesn't follow through
The only person that always gets them in neighbor . . . I can walk them over
So what happened on your dark night
Yeah, your creepy story . . . sorry that I asked
Get off the stage bitch
I don't have to work with anyone
I reallize that I left my purse in the bar
The drunk bouncer stops me and cuts me off
He's a drunk frat boy
Where them diet chocolate shakes at
He gets all up in my face
Sucking in my oxygen, that close
Listen, I am as old as dirt
We get into this battle of the wits
My she is fabulous . . . she is so witty
Do you know what he did?
Started crying
No, he kissed me
Silence
The most disgusting moment of my life
I know you stepped back into his personal space
So he kissed you . . . where?
My lips
I was shocked
I can't believe you are telling me now, not last night
You didn't seem to mention it
Yeah, I'm running away with the bouncer
Takes a certain type of dude to handle a lady like you
Don't take that personally
Your behavior can be interpreted different ways
I did not invade this man's space
Think of the sweet alley action he gets
I gotta tell you not a big fan of improv night or Bar Louie
I didn't expect to hear this
No, I don't find it alright to deal with
The most competent individual you can hire for $6
The score is 1 me, you 0
The reason that I have an issue with it is that I would have rumbled
I would have hit him
Really?
Notice how I said I would have hit him, not kicked his ass
Oh, Mr. B
Improv class might not be my thing
Betsy tells us all about improv
You are milking that imaginary cow all wrong
Oh, no, no . . . I was in FFA I know how to milk a cow city man

Audience Survey, please fill this out for us
Look for the graphic on "Audience Survey" on the main page

Tags: Bar Louie TechCrunch 40 Jason Calacanis TFF croncast stickers