Jason Kintzler
Founder of PitchEngine. New Media Cowboy. I'm about pearl snaps and web apps.
Updates
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In an effort to simplify life a little, I'm going to be posting exclusively to my Facebook Profile, instead of this Page from now on. Please either friend me or subscribe to my public updates there. Thanks for being awesome!5 hours ago
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I'm particularly fond of #9 :)5 hours ago
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Agreed.5 hours ago
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My littlest munchkin!5 hours ago
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So far I'm really impressed with "Seek or Shout" from the gang at Cision. I always wished HARO was a little more than an email "listserv" and this nails it. Plus, your PitchEngine pitches are piped in automagically!!!5 hours ago
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Surprise!5 hours ago
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So happy to share @dbreakenridge 's new book, Social Media and Public Relations! I'm psyched and proud to be involved!5 hours ago
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Has Facebook lost its luster?5 hours ago
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Going to start dropping some 'behind the scenes' and peeks at the new PitchEngine stuff soon. Subscribe or friend me up for more!5 hours ago
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Now, you can listen to music on Facebook with one click. (Sure beats the ol' no-click MySpace ;)5 hours ago
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If I told you today, that PitchEngine was going to change online/mobile content creation forever, you'd say I was full of it. Standby...5 hours ago
Updates
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Backseat buddy. http://t.co/E6cEr4zv
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@prweb lol - I'm well aware of when u started. I think you know what I'm talking about. ;)
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Flattered that @PRWeb is now using their Twitter favorites for testimonials, like @pitchengine has done since 2008. #greatidea
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@rachel_e_heller Thank you very much Rachel. We try hard to keep communicators communicating! Thanks for the feedback, glad it worked out ;)
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Dinner at the Governor's mansion. http://t.co/XwNUNxrw
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@maryschless @abarcelos Thanks. That's just a piece of what's to come. It's going to be BIG!! :)
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Dinner at the Governor Mead's house tonight. Does that mean no iPhone at the table?3 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Testing #pitchengine for iPad. This first touch marketing app? Stay tuned! http://t.co/hRRsfo8W3 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Testing #pitchengine for iPad. This first touch marketing app? Stay tuned! http://t.co/hRRwMYi6
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How to Use Pinterest as a Newsroom http://t.co/TAuAfTrU
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Making the move to ditch my Facebook Page and move exclusively to my Facebook Profile. Who wants to friend it up? http://t.co/B1U6LpBA4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@schutzsmith @markandphil soon as the video drops, we'll have a sign up there. Stay tuned! And, thanks for your support!
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@schutzsmith looking at beta access in a few weeks.
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@schutzsmith new, incredible version. no joke!
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Working on a teaser video for the new @PitchEngine. Not only is this one going to be fun, it's going to take things to a whole new level.4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@GreerTerry :)4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@Spartz I made the mistake of doing the "migrate to a page" because I thought it would be useful. Nope!4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@Spartz That's a good idea Bas. Would be sweet if my G+ would feed it!4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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@steveplunkett I do like G+ and I would probably use it more if I didn't have so much to manage on FB!4 days ago from web | Reply, Retweet, Favorite
Posts
Cision Partners with PitchEngine
09.08.2011- Lander, WY - PitchEngine, an online platform that makes it easy for people to package their news and promote their business online, today announced a partnership with Cision, the leading provider of PR software, services and tools for the marketing and public relations industry.
The partnership will integrate PitchEngine’s social publishing platform into Cision’s award-winning marketing and PR software solution, CisionPoint.
“As marketing has truly become a conversation, PR people are becoming earned and owned media experts with a new focus on publishing, corporate narratives and branded content and engaging in the dialogue of the social web”, says Peter Granat, COO of Cision, “Our partnership with PitchEngine uniquely positions us to assist our clients in participating in this conversation.”
"This partnership represents an incredible shift in the traditional PR mindset," said PitchEngine Founder and CEO, Jason Kintzler. "It's not enough to just write SEO press release anymore. Today's PR pro must be able to generate rich content for consumers and other influencers without paying each time they post like with the aging press release service models."
PitchEngine will be integrated within CisionPoint - a winner of the 2011 CODiE Award as 2011’s Best Marketing/PR Solution from the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). CisionPoint is an on demand software platform that allows PR and Marketing professionals to plan campaigns, connect with audiences, monitor coverage globally, and analyze results. It has been adopted by over 30,000 users in more than 20 countries since its launch in October 2007. CisionPoint is available in eight languages and used by 49 of the top 50 PR agencies, corporations, nonprofits, universities and solo practitioners.
Read the full Pitch™: http://pitch.pe/170677
Last month, Wyoming became the first state government to go Google and now, we're going Gowalla.
The latest campaign, Road Trip Wyoming, was created by Wyoming Office of Tourism and includes a Gowalla Stamp collecting mission for visitors. So cool to see our state taking leaps ahead in online technology. With our budget consistently in the black, it does enable us to focus on driving things forward. However, it takes an independent mindset to do what isn't "proven" yet. I'm proud of the Cowboy State, home to PitchEngine.
If you read my blog or follow my posts at all you know how proud I am to be from Wyoming and to be building PitchEngine here as well. We're working hard to make sure our state not only sees the value of our innovative space, but also benefits from the high tech jobs we'll bring. People here are very independent and, in my opinion, epidimize what it means to be entreprenuers. From in-state clinics to an open door policy, we're encouraging our residents to learn about social media and web technologies so they can be better businessmmen and women.
Recently, Google announced that Wyoming has become the first state to use Google Apps for Governement making them 100% cloud based. That's pretty big.
Building a successful startup here comes with its challenges, afterall, PitchEngine the most remote in the lower 48 states! However, low taxes, an independent streak and a killer lifestyle make it well worth the journey. One day we'll look back and find we've discovered a new natural resource, and it too can drive an economy forward.
I've been diving into Google+ for the past 24 hours or so and I have to say I'm thouroughly impressed. I was among legions of social media types who have watched Google's attempt at "social" fail time and time again. But, this time is different. In the past day I've seen some interesting comments to my posts and tweets and I wanted to clarify a few things for those of you who haven't seen Google+ in person just yet. It isn't Facebook. In fact, It's a lot better. Here's why:
1. The functionality is superiorThis is expected. Often times, it is easier to build from scratch than to build-on to something that wasn't designed to do everything (I know first hand :). Google+ feels super-stable. No dissapearing images, spinning wheels while I await uploads, etc., Google's devlopers have thought through many of the hangups with Facebook and capatilized. For example, to quote a Google+er, "It's not 1996 anymore, I can edit my posts!"
2. No Games, pokes or birthdays
Out of the gate, Google+ just feels more productive. This may be a turn-off for certain Facebook users, but it's also why the social media and tech savvy types are flocking (and begging for invites) to Google+. I'm certain there will be people trying to make a buck here soon, but right now, it's incredibly clean.
3. Circles, not squares
In Google+ you create circles or groups of your friends, professional contacts, industries, rugby teammates, whatever. It's a simple drag-and-drop process that takes seconds, not minutes. All of your circles make up your stream, which can be filtered in a click displaying only those posts from specific circles.
INstead of "friending" people, you just add them to your circle. So, just like "following" someone on Twitter, these people are added to your stream of content. They can add you to their circle (follow back) and then you become "friends" which is yet another stream you can exclusively follow.5. Hangout with your peeps
This feature is incredibly cool, but I haven't had an opportunity to test it out much yet. You can instantly create a video chat room full of your friends. It's one of the best group video applications I've ever seen. Here's a video that explains it in more detail:
6. +1 is the dealio
Instead of a "like" on Facebook, the +1 has a much larger impact on content. +1 ties directly into Google search making it a much more valuable button-push than any like. The implications of +1 could obviously be huge.
I'm not sure if this will hold, but I kind of like that there are no businesses or brands vying for my affection. A Facebook friend posted a comment on my post that he'd like to get an invite to Google+ so that he could create a page for his client. I'm not sure if this is the place, at least not in this format, for brands and businesses, rather endorsements of them. I think Google has some tricks up their sleeves here that could be winners.Will Google+ myspace Facebook? My gut says Google+ is here to stay and that Facebook is too. My parents won't be using Google+ anytime soon, but my social media savvy friends certainly will.Gotta run, my G+ tattoo is calling.
1. You don't have any relationships in your client's industry.
2. Your agency doesn't "do" social media.
3. Your client has a bottomless budget and they're happy just knowing their press release "went out." (See The "Magic" Behind PR Wire Distribution)
4. You are fired-up that you could be entered to win a "Free iPad."
5. Corporate Compliance says, "This is how we do things," and you're cool with that. (See Google Drops PR Wire for Earnings)
6. You think journalists will tell the story better than you or your client - assuming you actually get through to one. (See Brand Journalism)
7. You think email attachments are "handy" and the Word Doc is an industry staple.
8. You just can't get enough webinars and whitepapers about engagement, influence and ROI.
9. You signify the end of your day with three hastags.
###Do yourself a favor and try PitchEngine.
The easiest way to package your news and promote your business online.Follow Jason on Tweeter and The Face Machine.
The first time my dad hoisted me up into the saddle I was about three-years-old. I still remember the fear I had sitting atop that seemingly HUGE horse. I was just a kid that really wasn't all that into horses. I was raised around them, but never felt the need to get serious about them. My dad however, had a different idea.For him, it wasn't about me being ready or comfortable getting on a horse. Instead, it was an early childhood lesson - a sort of trial by fire.
I've always had an inclination that my "cowboy" upbringing would play a critical role in my life as an adult. I didn't exactly grow up with spurs on my boots, but I was branded with a sort of independence and self-reliance that's indicitive of the cowboy. My philosophy has always been that hard work pays off and no one owes me anything. I think this mentality can foster great entrepreneurs who aren't afraid to make the difficult decisions, take chances and be solely responsible.
Although there were many seeds of ideas and concepts, PitchEngine was my first startup. I had no experience in building a business, especially one without a roadmap or competitors. Of course, I had my reservations. It would be difficult to come up with enough money to begin production. And, I had to balance it with my current career and newly started family (I was married the summer before I launched PitchEngine). However, I knew that I was on to something. It was just a matter of pulling the trigger on an idea that had been keeping me awake for months.
With eyes wide open, I rode up the mountain full speed. It didn't matter that there were huge risks. If I got bucked off - which I did several times along the way - I would get back on and ride thru it. I didn't take anyone's lead. Instead, made the rules up as I went. If I failed, it would be by my own doing. That, I could live with.
Today, now that I have two little buckaroos of my own, I'm reminded of those lessons that their cowboy grandpa gave to me. It's these lessons and this lifestyle that will contrbute to their success in life. If I could have a hand in breaking-in the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, I'd round them up and teach them the fundamentals and cowboy work ethic that I was fortunate enough to recieve - whether I liked it at the time or not.Cowboy Entrepreneur Lesson 1: In Order to Ride You Must Risk Being Bucked Off.
Here's my shortlist:
1. The average Facebook user now has 16,003 friends, spends 9 hrs/day on their newsfeed.
2. A NY Times headline reads: "Study Finds Many Businesses Think Social Media is a Passing Fad"
3. Gary Vaynerchuk completes his purchase of the New York Jets, Palms Hotel.
4. Twitter, Inc. stock thrives after acquisition of Associated Press; Journalists share stories by text in 140 characters.
5. Robert Scoble makes first voyage to Mars to interview a few new tech startups there, checks-in with Foursquare.
6. Doctors begine to implant Near Field technology into us at birth. Automatic 'likes' are generated with each physical handshake.
7. The Sarah Evans "@PRSarahEvans" Fall fashion line debuts at Macy's.
8. Google attempts to break into social media space with new "Realtime Chat Meets Mind Search" product.
9. Peter Shankman declares, "the press release will be dead in 6 months."
For a limited time, readers who "like" the New Media Cowboy Facebook Page will have a chance to win a pair of Ariat Cowboy Boots, compliments of yours truly. Thanks for paying attention to my little blog! :)
As a former reporter/anchor I can usually appreciate a little hustle from the newsroom. However, today this ABC affiliate KIII-TV in South Texas may have stepped over that ethical line. See for yourself (I was able to screen cap it just before it was deleted from their Facebook wall which btw, had more than 80 negative comments).
Update: The station posted this in response:
"Previous posting asking for pictures of reported jumper on freeway was inappropriate. Posting has been removed. Not the policy of Kiii-TV to ask for images of such incidents. It was a dumb move. Internal action has been taken."
It's been a couple of years since we launched PitchEngine, and people still ask me what exactly it is and what it can do for them. Truth is, we were asking similar questions as the platform, our users and social media continued to take shape. It's been such a cool thing - listening, watching and tailoring the application around the feedback. What did we learn and where does it fit? I think it's very telling about what lies ahead for you, the "social media veterans." Check this out:
Learn
As our business grew, we were surprised by what we saw. While it was exciting to see large, recognizable brands signing on, it was the small businesses that flocked in big numbers. We quickly realized that PitchEngine was about more than press releases - traditional, social or new. For us, PitchEngine has come to represent the need for brands to create better content. To be their own publishers. Some would argue that a blog or a website is where content should live exclusively, but I disagree. For most brands, their websites and blogs are on an island. They struggle to get people to come there, either through search engine optimization or social media. It's a big bite to swallow for businesses, especially small and mid sized ones. They understand how to connect with custoimers and tell their stories - they don't all understand how to blog.
I have a feeling that we're about to define a new space - one that exists for users already engaged with their customers on Facebook, Twitter and other networks.
After Facebook and Twitter
Today, most savvy businesses are using social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare to connect with their customers. But, for most, that's the extent of it. Now, they need content - news, promotions and just good media to share with their friends, fans and followers. Businesses now have a captive audience. They "own" this audience, as opposed to "renting" it from traditional media outlets like newspaper, television or even blogs. Now, there are almost unlimited opportunities for touch-points with customers. It's the "what's next" for brands who want to provide their audience more value.
By keeping an eye and ear on our users, we've seen businesses of all sizes become their own brand journalists and publishers. It's the next logical step in the evolution of social media.
We are hearing incredible, inspiring stories almost daily now and that's got us all giddy here at PitchEngine. Small businesses making big waves and sharing what they're passionate about. It's the "Thank You Economy" personified (hat tip to Gary Vaynerchuk). Businesses are doing it on their own. A friendly smile and a great product count for something, once again.Thank you all for shaping a new path. I'll be listening.
This "press release is dead" talk never ends does it? I've read ALL the articles and always advise against the "traditional" version, mostly because I think it's lazy and uninteresting to today's reader. However, these" death of" posts and comments I read, the more I realize it's really just a question of semantics. Let me take a stab at a sharper, more meaningful description.
Now: The Press Release as Swiss Army Knife
You know what's still cool about the press release? The utility. A person can convey a lot of meaningful information and content in a press release. Today, the press kit and the press release can be synonymous. Assuming the content is newsworthy, images, videos and the like all make a journalist's life better. It's easier on the newsroom budget to get plug-and-play images and videos rather than having to reshoot them in-house. The text press release used to be plug-and-play too, back when typesetting was a necessity. But let's be honest, that was ages ago.
Next: The Press Release as a Finished Work
I'm a big proponent of Brand Journalism and Consumer-Facing PR, not just the same, old "marketing-speak" for the sake of our CEO or (client). You can read more about that in my earlier posts. The concept is to tell or "publish" your own story. You don't have to rely on a gatekeeper, or media outlet, to tell your story anymore. If you're not cultivating your own audience, it's time to start. Whether it's via Facebook, Twitter or a solid email list, you now have the tools to create your own media empire - even if it serves just a handful of people who care about your brand. Those are the people that will purchase your product, attend your event and evengelize your brand. When was the last time you or your client said, "That press release just sold 27 items at 100% margin?"
The trick is, creating the press release of tomorrow probably won't happen in a Microsoft Word doc pushed through a news wire. Why? Because that content has to be deemed "newsworthy" to legions of editors (or automated number systems) before it will be sent out to journalists who may or may not think it's relevant. This is where all of the free tools like at your disposal come into play, and more importantly, your ability to cultivate and communicate with your audience, or your clients. What's more, the traditional format of isn't conversational and it's debatable whether anyone even like sto read them - I'll leave that to the staticians at the newswires.
Why should you care? Because now is your opportunity to play a larger role with your clients. It's time some of those ad budgets gave way to PR and this is how you're going to get there.
Jason Kintzler
@jasonkintzler and on The Facebook
PR Wire Distribution is Magic
I get asked all of the time about my thoughts on PR distribution. My answer is usually this: If you think you need to distribute your story to journalists, first, consider your goals.
The music industry used to rely solely on record labels for distribution. Then, artists and consumers realized there were alternate ways to discover and purchase music. Sound familiar? PR wire services, like record labels, are the "deciders of news." Not only do they decide what's newsworthy by vetting the content you produce, they also own the content you publish on their sites. Then, they resell it to financial news sites and other third party outlets. Another little-known fact is that ALL of the wire services utilize the same distribution mechanism (it's called, Comtex) to publish stories on downstream sites. It's questionable whether your audience reads any of these downstream sites, which typically display your release in places hardly visible to anyone.Here's an example:
I paid a quick visit to the homepage of Marketwire, the Canada-based PR wire service. I chose a random press release: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Xicato-Announces-New-Spot-Module-Range-1392361.htm. Then, I "Googled" the headline. I found a couple of those downstream posts, like this one: http://finance.bnet.com/bnet/news/read?GUID=17063812. At first glance, you're like, "Cool, there's our story on BNET!" But, with a little deeper investigation and a visit to http://bnet.com, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything on the brand, Xicato. Yes, Marketwire did what they said they would do by publishing on news websites. But, was your goal to get indexed on random sites, or to reach people? Was it worth the bill? That's a question you'll have to answer yourself. And I'm not just singling out Marketwire - all of the services do the same thing, since they feed their vetted news through Comtex.
Usefulness aside, for decades many public companies were required, by law, to utilize a wire srvice. The SEC required what they defined at the time as, "simultaneous distribution". Now, however, we can all distribute content simulataneously and alert people faster than practically any of those services. To their credit, the SEC has started to loosen those requirements and companies like Expedia, Google and others have followed suit, choosing to publishing their earnings information and press content on their own sites rather than via a PR wire service (We launched our Embedded Newsroom to enable brands to put their news on their own sites with this in mind).
Because I founded PitchEngine, doesn't mean I can't be objective to what's happening in the industry. I was blogging about these topics long before PitchEngine and I will continue to. The reason PitchEngine is thriving is because communicators are discovering and having success with the alternatives. They're starting to ask "How can I enagage with our customers" instead of, "Where does my press release go." We see the future of PR as Brand Journalists creating Consumer-Facing PR content.
I've met some smart people who work at each of the wire services throughout the past couple of years. We even brought on former PR Newswire President, Dave Armon, as an Advisor. What I've learned is that people know what's happenning, but they're in a tricky spot. Regardless of the monitoring services they buy, or the social share buttons they add to press releases, their business model relies on distribution. And that model is not sustainable. This is why they won't just, "build a PitchEngine," as I've heard people mention before. Shifting from their distribution model is like turning the Titanic. That is assuming their planning to turn.New Distribution:
One of my favorite examples of "New Distribution" happened a few months back when the iPhone 4 launched. Here's the story of how a pitch™ and a tweet propelled massive distribution to more than 1.3 million people - who actually cared about the content. And here's an example of how the press release of tomorrow can be a sales tool as much as an information source. Want to hear more? Just ask me, the list goes on for days.
Jason Kintzler
@jasonkintzler and on The Facebook
I've been a vocal proponent for steering PR pros away from using the standard, AP-style press release exclusively. I think good writing is still critical, but the stale template makes us lazy as communicators.
When we set out to build PitchEngine back in 2007, one of the fundamental questions we had to answer was about the type of content we would allow. The wire services like PR Web, PR Newswire, Business Wire and Marketwire all have editorial guidelines that prohibit content they deem not "newsworthy." Some of the services have editorial departments, while other have mathematical formulas for how they vet press releases. I firmly believe that the future of public relations is consumer-facing. And, consumers don't read press releases, regardless of what the holdouts will claim. The gatekeepers of the past will be left holding the gates. And Chris Brogan's "gate jumpers" will pass them up.
Ad Age ran a great article this week about this shift toward conversational content this past week. It's only going to get more important for communicators.
Influencers, which include journalists, bloggers, and your customers, are all news consumers. They read content because it looks engaging. That means you must have more than a snappy headline these days to garner attention. What's more, you have to make it concise, conversational and catchy. That's why PitchEngine has made such an impact on the PR industry in just a few short years. It enables communicators to be creative on behalf of their brands and share their stories, announcements and digital flyers with actual people who care. Why? because you took to the time know them. Beth Mansfield uses PitchEngine for Carl's Jr. and exemplifies the combination of creative and formal brand journalism. Take a look at this pitch, targeted to the restaurant's demographic, an 18-24 year old male. From the headline to the Twitter Pitch, there's not much about this that screams "press release." Instead, it's a fun, conversational piece of content - a pitch - with the wherewithal to go viral with her audience.Think about it.
- As a communicator, you are now a brand journalist.
- You (or your brand) own your audience - you're not just renting it from a news outlet.
Breakout of the old and get with the now. It can be very liberating.
Listen to my interview with Emily Lenard and Al Krueger on Comet Branding Radio from December, 1st at 11AM CST.
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Is success in tech really all about how much VC funding you can get?
Just a few years ago, I was an entrepreneurial sponge. I just couldn't get enough Fast Company or Inc. Magazine. I'd read every issue cover-to-cover squeezing out all the inspiration I could from the stories of "successful" entrepreneurs. As my determination and knowledge grew, I migrated to Mashable and ReadWriteWeb for my fix and followed bloggers like Robert Scoble. The startup scene looked so romantic from the outside. But, it was the business side that left the biggest impression on me as an entrepreneur.I still read Scoble, who recently posted, "Is the Tech Press Needed Anymore," which got me thinking about this very post. After a couple years of being a new business in the tech space, I've gained some insight that I thought I would share with those of you that might be looking to follow a similar path. This is not to discredit the efforts of hundreds of entrepreneurs who build companies to sell. Those entrepreneurs have battles of their own. It's those very battles that today, we choose not to fight.Tech SavvyLast year, I was honored to be invited to present in the Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator at SXSW in Austin. We were among five companies in the Social Media Business category. I pitched for two minutes to a group of three judges. No problem for a speaker and former news anchor, right?
The two minute pitch began with the emcee making a crack about me being from Wyoming, then it proceeded with a line of questioned on a myriad of seemingly trivial things like, "How much did brand X pay you?" Despite my pitch, business model and already thriving business, it didn't amount to much in the judges eyes. I'm a competitive guy, who always wants to win, however, the lesson I learned that week has stuck with me months afterward. Those judges weren't looking for a business, as I understood it, they were looking for something completely different. It didn't matter that PitchEngine was already a real business sustaining an income for numerous families. It didn't matter that we just may have been the only business with actual revenue coming in. To those judges, and most of the tech scene, it matters only who's funding you, how many users you have and how it compares to Groupon (insert next tech flavor of the month).
My Founder Friends
I have several friends who have founded startups which were VC funded. Some of them started as CEOs and exited as "Product Managers," others just turned their back from the very thing that got them up in the morning. When I ask what they'd change, it's essentially always the same answer, "Hold out from taking VC as long as possible." For some, however, the goal was always to build it and sell it. Which is okay, if you're wired to do that. I also wonder how long the, "I worked at Google" angle will keep VCs funding them.
What started as just me, has grown into many. I'm thankful and fortunate to surround myself with like-minded people who have a similar passion for their jobs and more importantly, their ideals about what success means to them. I didn't create a business to see how much money it could raise. I created to fix some problems people were having in an industry that was as stale as old crackers. Our business model is simple, and so is our path forward. We hear all the time from VCs who call about how hard it's going to be for us and how we NEED money to get where we need to be, but the truth is, in many ways we are where we want to be. We wake up and want to be at work. We decide what the next feature will be, the next hire we'll make and what color the font will be. Plus, I get to challenge the companies that have been here for decades and are satisfied with PR status quo.
Granted, it's not as easy as just adopting the, "Rework" 37signals approach, but there certainly are some parallels. It's pretty simple, to me really: You build a product people will pay for. Then, you've done something.
To the tech press, PitchEngine might not have that consumer sex appeal, but to our users it does. We truly believe our industry needs PitchEngine and we've got big plans for it. Time will tell how much attention we'll get, but at the end of the day, it's not the attention that keeps us driving.
Thanks to all of you who support and inspire what we do.
UPDATE: This, from the FREE Brian Aitken Facebook page: "It's official---Governor Christie has commuted Brian's sentence and he will be home before Christmas!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU everybody. If it wasn't for your letters, phone calls and support this never would have happened. What a joyous Christmas this will be. Thank again from the bottom of our hearts. Brian Aitken has been freed!"
Here's the story:Last week, I received a letter from Brian Aitken, a Rutgers grad and NYU grad student who is also the CEO of Allister & Paine Magazine and Creator of the "Young Entrepreneur of the Year" competition. To my surprise, the letter was stamped and addressed from the Mid-State Correctional Facility in New Jersey. I read through the hand-written letter from Brian and couldn't believe what had happened. In fact, like everyone I tell this story to, I thought, "There must be more to the story." So, I started doing a little research. I read the blog posts, the news articles and listened to radio interviews with Brian's attorney, his father and his mother. My conclusion, this guy got screwed. What's more - he's in prison, away from his infant son and we have to get him out.
Two months ago, Brian was sentenced to 7 years in prison by a judge in New Jersey. Why? Good question. He was arrested for "Unlawful Possession of Firearms" while moving from one residence to another in New Jersey. The two hand guns (which Brian purchased for protection in Colorado when he lived there with his young family) were unloaded and locked in his trunk - just like New Jersey law requires. There were no victims, much less any laws broken. In my opinion, his personality and attempts to fight the false charges before the trial angered the judge - who by the way was removed from the bench from Governor Christie.
Read more on the specifics of the case in this Examiner article: "How can New Jersey imprison a gun owner who broke no laws? You can also visit his blog http://briandaitken.com (which is being handled by his friends now).
And here is the Summary of Facts prepared by Brian's attorney.
I'm a gun a lawful gun owner who could have easily been in this same predicament. If you think about it, you, or people close to you could have too. I'm ALL for following every letter of the law, but this is unbelievable. Honestly though, it's not the first time I've seen a judge make a bad call either.
If you know Brian, or you feel like your freedom is threatened please help us FREE Brian Aitken.
Why am I doing this?
I felt truly compeled. I've worked with Brian in the past - even wrote him a letter of recommendation for the NYU Master's program. I think with your help, we can correct this. Share this, tweet this, post this on Facebook. If you can - write to Governor Christie and tell him to commute Brian's sentence.
CALL TO ACTION!
Brian's lawyer is requesting Gov. Christie to commute Brian's sentence. The more letters he gets requesting clemency, the better! Please show your support and ask Gov. Christie to Free Brian Aitken, via e-mail or snail mail:
http://www.state.nj.us/governor/contact/Office of the GovernorPO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
You can also visit the Free Brian Aitken Facebook Page. If any blogs have the guts to be real journalists - I'm happy to put you in touch with Brian's family, supporters and friends.
Brain's Address:
Brain D. Aitken
737585C / 664864
Mid-State Correctional Facility
PO Box 866
Wrightsown, NJ 08562
Sometimes it takes more than a webinar or a whitepaper to get the point across.
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Profile
Summary
A former anchorman turned PR pro, Jason got his start in content creation at a young age - ripping out the pages of his Dr. Suess books and pasting in his own. He was first published nationally in 3rd grade when Wombat Magazine ran a full feature including his story and illustrations. Throughout his career in television and media, Jason met and interviewed many politicians, thought leaders and celebrities who helped shape is approach to business and life.
Jason regularly shares his passion for new media and business by speaking to groups of all sizes at events like SXSW, PRSA and at universities like Stanford, USC and Marquette. He believes that success is directly attributed to an incredible work ethic, passion and creativity and requires jumping fences and challenging status quo at every juncture.
A tribute to social media and a gritty Wyoming independence and work ethic, Jason bootstrapped his startup in 2008, refusing venture capital investment and multimillion-dollar acquisition offers along the way. He believes that through PitchEngine, businesses of all sizes will create better content and tell their own stories in new ways.
Jason has been credited with “heralding in a new era of public relations” by creating “one of the PR industry’s most transformative innovations.” Jason and/or PitchEngine have appeared in several popular books including; Engage, Twitterville, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, SocialCorp and Social Media Marketing for Dummies.
Experience
- 2008 - PresentFounder/ CEO / PitchEngine“The easiest way to package your news and promote your business online.” PitchEngine isn’t just a website or a piece of software, it’s a new way of doing business. It’s the first publishing platform built for a new kind of storyteller – you. While we can’t take credit for the advent of social media, we take full responsibility for helping businesses create better content to share via social networks, search engines and mobile devices. Before PitchEngine, a digital flyer was a pdf document and a press release was only meant for journalists. Founded in 2009 by Jason Kintzler, a former anchorman turned PR pro, PitchEngine was first created as an alternative to the traditional press release and push distribution process. Instead of sending documents via email or news wires, for the first time, PR pros could easily package-up their own branded content into a single web page called a “social media release.” Over time, we opted to call it a “pitch” which helped users move past the press release template mentality. In a way, the pitch™ has become our “tweet” or “wall post.” PitchEngine has been called, “one of the PR industry’s most transformative innovations” and is credited with “heralding in a new era of public relations.” The company has appeared in several popular books including; Engage, Twitterville, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, SocialCorp and Social Media Marketing for Dummies. We’re especially proud of what our users have to say: http://twitter.com/pitchengine/favorites