Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption

A Progress Report

This space has been fairly quiet of late, as I have been deeply involved in growing and transitioning a number of businesses, ventures, and projects. I thought I'd take a moment to update all of you loyal readers about what I'm up to and in a subsequent post I will share what you can expect from Pardon the Disruption going forward. I'm sure I'm missing things in this update, but this covers much of what's going on for me at the moment.

Eaglon. A lot of my work time has focused on this new media company that I founded last year. I'm proud to say we have a number of properties already in production, including Cork & Knife, Start Rocket, and Media Bullseye (the last one in partnership with CustomScoop).

Of these, Media Bullseye has matured quite quickly in just a short 60 days or so to become a leading source of information and commentary on the changing communications landscape. It has attracted some tremendous writers and guests for its Media Bullseye Radio feature. Sarah Wurrey and Jen Zingsheim from CustomScoop have contributed significantly to this rapid development. I'm proud of what we have achieved this far and excited about our plans for the future.

In Cork & Knife, I have discovered a real talent in Lauren Schulz who initially came on board last year to write one column a week. It quickly became three columns weekly. Just recently, she has agreed to take on some of the editorial responsibilities for the site, helping to recruit and manage writers. The quality of content we're producing for this publication has been quite high, and we have some important developments on the horizon as well.

The newest publication, Start Rocket, started just this week but I have been fortunate to be able to quickly recruit a strong cadre of correspondents who will be covering a wide range of companies, events, and perspectives in the coming weeks and months.

In addition to these, there are several more on the drawing board, and I'm in discussions with a number of individuals and companies about creating more publications on a partnership basis. The future of the Eaglon model is strong, and I expect to spend the majority of my time in 2008 focused on these efforts.

CustomScoop. The company I co-founded back in 2000 continues to be strong, offering a wide range of self-service media monitoring and full-service media analysis for customers from solo practitioners to Fortune 10 companies. Over the years my role has evolved, and today I remain active in developing a vision, guiding product development, and serving as the public face for the company (unfortunate, perhaps).

In 2008, you can expect to see a number of significant product announcements from CustomScoop, and we will continue our aggressive outreach activities in the new media universe. We have been proud to support things like For Immediate Release with Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson and Bryan Person's Social Media Breakfast, and we will keep it up this year.

American University. Some of you may know that I am a graduate of American University. In recent years, I have become increasingly involved with the school as a donor and volunteer. My current activities include service on the School of Public Affairs Advisory Council. In addition, I recently started a blog called Beyond Ward Circle (named after a traffic circle that marks one corner of the main campus) focused on content for and about fellow alumni. This has proven to be a great way to reconnect with old friends, meet new contacts, and develop support for the University.

I have already promised to increase my involvement in 2008, and I will provide periodic updates on significant developments for those who may be interested.

AOS Ventures. I remain active with this small angel investing group that I began with a few partners a couple of years ago. We target 1-2 investments per year, so this isn't a huge time commitment, but it does enable me to spend time getting to know entrepreneurs and their ideas.

The Rest of the Bucket. I'm not building a Bucket List in the sense of the current movie of that name, but rather here are some of the other things that I'm involved with these days:

* Photography - Like CC Chapman, I'm committed to stepping up my photographic efforts this year. It has the benefit of being something I like to do, as well as something that meshes nicely with many of my new media efforts. As a little added bonus, as I get heavier lenses, tote around more equipment, and get more active with seeking photography opportunities, it gets me out of my desk chair and moving around which is a good thing for me.

* Cooking - I'm still passionate about cooking and like to put on events for family, friends, and colleagues. I cooked for about 100 people at our annual Holiday Cocktail Party, and just recently for a sit-down dinner for 30 CustomScoopers at my house. Fortunately, in both cases I got some help from friends who enjoy cooking as much as I do. I expect similar events to keep me busy in my "free" time in 2008. Not nearly as healthy as the photography, unfortunately.

* Reading - I don't manage to consume as many books as Brad Feld seems to be able to, but I very much enjoy reading and try to make sure I maintain a healthy mix of fiction and non-fiction. This is one of those passions I have had as far back as I can remember and will have for as long as I am able.

* Downtime - I don't balance very well as my business partners, colleagues, employees, and family will all likely agree. Typically, I am either working or thinking about work. In recent years, I have begun to get a little smarter about this and realize that it isn't healthy from any perspective. So I know schedule more downtime, both in the course of a week and on a biannual basis. I take a week each in the spring and fall for a Think Week where I decompress and plan ahead for the next 6 months. I take several weeks of vacation a year where I try to work as little as possible. It's an improvement, but I can do even better in 2008.

Family. I leave this for the end not because it is least important, but rather because it is something that I don't address much in this space. I try to raise the curtain a bit on personal issues on Pardon the Disruption, but for the most part I don't shine the spotlight on it, and that's how it is likely to remain. Suffice to say with two little boys (ages 6 and 3), my wife and I have our hands full on the home front. With my extensive travel schedule, I remain amazed yet grateful that my wife has been able to survive the onslaught these two mount on a daily basis.

Start Rocket Has Launched!

The moment that at least one of you has been waiting for has now arrived. Start Rocket, my new multimedia magazine focused on high-tech entrepreneurship from an outside the Valley perspective, has launched at StartRocket.com.  The first piece is a profile of Chris Shipley and DEMO -- a conference that will likely interest the tech blog scene a bit this week.

Tomorrow, we'll have our first interview for Start Rocket Radio (you'll have to wait to see who it is), and we also have some great correspondents lined up to contribute pieces in the coming days. Of course, if you're interested in contributing, we're still looking for part-time paid correspondents, so just drop me an email.

Check out StartRocket.com and be sure to sign up for the RSS feed if you're so inclined.

If I Only Read One Blog

I keep fighting the battle of bloat with my RSS feeds. And it got me to thinking about the question: if I only read one blog, what would it be? The answer came to me very quickly: Scott Karp's Publishing 2.0.

Almost every post that Scott writes provides something to chew on -- food for thought. He tends not to do a lot of the "me too" posts that other blogs all too often feature. He puts real substance into what he writes, rather than limiting himself to a few hundred glib words that merely skim the surface of a topic. He provides timely news, information, and commentary. But most importantly he offers real insight into topics that I care deeply about, and he offers new perspectives, not recycled or commonsense opinion.

As important as the content, though, is perhaps Scott's style. He is clear and thoughtful. He eschews bombast and embraces analysis. He writes with the same care that one has come to expect from professional media. He cites sources, provides evidence, and offers accurate information.

None of this disparages any of the other great blogs out there, it just epitomizes what a good blog is, in my mind.

Now it's your turn. What's the one blog you couldn't live without?

Are You Headed to DEMO Next Week?

I'm looking for someone who will be at the DEMO conference next week to file some stories for Start Rocket. It could be a nice way to pick up a few extra bucks and participate in the launch week for the new publication. If you're interested, email me.

Should I Opine About Politics? That is the Question

Some of you know that in a past life I was involved in politics and policy in Washington, DC.  I spent time on Capitol Hill, with a think tank, and in various advocacy or public affairs positions.   I haven't been involved in politics regularly in about 7 or 8 years, but every so often the political bug bites me.  Nowadays, it tends to be more on the analytical side (as it was when I Twittered about the NH primary last Tuesday, assessing the TV analysis). I do consult from time to time with corporate clients trying to navigate politics and policy online, but for the most part am out of the game.

I still have my political views, which frankly have moderated quite a bit over the years, but I tend to keep them to myself.  Certainly in public I tend to refrain from such discussion because too often it degenerates, especially in the social media space.  But in private I do share my view from time to time.  Shel Israel, for one, knows my general outlook, and we are able to agree to disagree without being disagreeable.  If that's how it were with everyone, I'd be more inclined to offer up occasional political commentary.  Or perhaps even add a political blog to my ever-expanding repertoire.  After all, I used to publish (in the dead tree media) at the rate of about one op-ed per week more than a decade ago.

VC blogger Fred Wilson sometimes shares his political views, and I admire him for doing so, though I most often disagree with his outlook.  It always makes me think about dipping my toe in that water, even if just a little bit.  Twitter friend Matt Searles (another whom I tend to disagree with, based on our private conversations -- notice a trend here?) encouraged me this week to talk politics more often.  I appreciate that.

I'm still not sure I'll speak out, and if I do so, it likely won't be very often.  But I'm certainly considering it.  I like to think I have useful and interesting things to say, but politics online today all too often becomes polarizing rather than energizing. 

As Fred pointed out in a recent post,

"I know that I mostly irritate people when I write about politics. I frequently get comments from readers who say something like 'how can you be such an idiot when it comes to politics?.'"

To me, passionate political debate -- or frankly vigorous debate about any topic of import -- should be embraced, but so too should it be conducted in such a way as to be both civil and productive.  I have many friends who agree with my outlook and countless others who disagree with some or all of my political views.  And that's great.  But the coarseness and partisanship of political discourse today often frowns upon cross-party friendships.

Shel Israel touched on this sentiment to a degree this week, and I embrace the gist of his view:

I don't see Republicans as my enemy. I see them as sincere and dedicated as my friends who are Democratic. I understand their distrust of a big government who usually screws it up. I understand their loyalty of a free market economy.

As an entrepreneur, investor, and communicator, we ignore politics and policy at our own peril.  It really behooves us to speak up, as people like Brad Feld have done when it comes to patent reform.  We need to understand the policies that impact our businesses, our clients, and our lives.  We shouldn't be afraid to voice our opinions, and it is unfortunate that it so often leads to childish taunts and inflamed rhetoric.

Now certainly as a player in the political game for nearly a decade, I'm not innocent of bombastic or hypocritical rhetoric and actions.  I don't apologize for them because those were the rules of the game, and I was in no position at such a young age to change the gameplan.  I did like to think I took a more sober view of my actions than others, but that's more likely ego than reality.

Which all brings me back to the question of whether I should opine in this space or elsewhere on politics and policy.  I certainly have the itch, but my fear is that it would detract from all the other work that I do. 

What say you, dear reader?

Are you a writer with a passion for startups?

I'm looking for a few good writer to serve as part-time correspondents for Start Rocket, my new media publication focused on high-tech startups outside of Silicon Valley.  Specifically, I need people in Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York, and Washington to start who are willing to write between 1 and 4 articles each month about startups, entrepreneurs, and VC's in their regions.  I'm also looking for others to write in specific regions (like Texas, the Southeast and Southwest) so don't feel left out -- unless you are based in the San Francisco area.  I'm trying to offer a fresh perspective on the high-tech startup scene from people in those geographic regions.

You will be paid for every article we publish.  I'm looking for high quality writing from people willing to write original stories. It doesn't need to be investigative reporting, but I'm also not looking for a story that just refers to what others have already said.  I want news, perspectives, product discussion, profiles, etc. that include original reporting.

If you think you might be interested, email me and let's see if there might be a good fit here.

The Combo Laptop/Camera Bag I Picked

Thanks to all who shared their advice on the right bag to use for my laptop and D-SLR camera/lenses/accessories. I ended up selecting the Lowepro CompuDaypack. I took it with me to Washington, DC this week and it fit all my gear, if a bit snugly, and was able to be stowed under the seat in front of me on the airplane (again, a bit snugly).

Overall, I'm pleased with it so far. It held my Canon EOS 30D, Speedlite, 3 lenses (18-55, 28-200, 50), and various computer and camera accessories. I also managed to fit my MacBook Pro with no difficulties and squeezed in an umbrella, various cables, a small Sony Handycam, and a few other things.

At this point, the bag is at its limits for me, so if I ever end up pulling the trigger to get the 70-200 IS/2.8 Canon L lens I am lusting after, I'll probably have to get something bigger and live with stowing it in the overhead bin.

(Re)connecting with College Alumni

I graduated back in 1994 from American University in Washington, DC. I confess that I haven't done the best job of keeping in touch with many of my fellow graduates -- actually I can count on one hand the number of classmates I still socialize with regularly. But in recent years I have become a strong supporter of the University and serve on the Advisory Council of the School of Public Affairs at AU.

Recently, however, I came up with an idea of a good way to keep in touch with fellow graduates, as well as to make new connections with other alumni. To that end, I started a blog (Beyond Ward Circle -- named after the traffic circle marking the edge of the campus) to feature news for an about AU alums. It will feature news briefs, Q&A, and interviews. In the past few days as I have begun working on it, I have already made some good new connections and spotted many folks who were AU graduates who I hadn't been aware of.

Alumni interaction has been a key to the success of many of the Ivy League schools over the years, but many other universities and their graduates don't really take advantage of all that school networking has to offer. I aim to change that for me and other AU graduates, but I suspect that there are many others of you out there who might find similar value in (re)connecting with graduates of your college or university either with a blog or simply with good old-fashioned email and phone calls.

Looking for Camera/Laptop Bag

Most of you know that I travel a lot. When I'm on the road I carry my laptop and various gadgets, but in the new year I want to do a better job of bringing my digital SLR along with me for photographs because I get such better quality out of that than any of the smaller cameras I usually tote along.  (Yes, truth by told I just don't like having the little camera when I sit next to the Big Ones held by guys like David Parmet and Josh Hallett).

The problem is my laptop bag doesn't hold the D-SLR well, so I need something better.  Key requirements are that it must be able to hold my MacBook Pro (15") along with my Canon EOS 30D with a 70-200 lens and a spare lens or two.  Of course, it needs to be suitable for airline carryon since I find myself in an airport most weeks of the year.

Any suggestions?