It’s a new year. Time to reflect. To reminisce. But also to look ahead. And to think about doing things a little differently. Better even.
With all of this reflection, one thing has become amazingly clear to me: I’m letting you down.
You see, I’ve got this massive list of interesting things that have happened in the Portland startup scene. A “to be posted” sort of list. Problem is, that list keeps getting longer and longer and longer.
So while I’m lucky enough to be aware of all these interesting startups and events and whatnot, you’re not. And that’s not awesome. Nor is that awesome for the startups who are busting their ass to make things happen.
It’s not that I don’t want to write the posts. That’s not the problem. The problem is that I want to write the posts. But see, that’s not exactly scalable.
Especially given all the stuff happening.
I’ve come to the realization that, sometimes, news doesn’t need an elaborate post. It simply needs to be shared. Quickly. And concisely. And, yeah, brevity? Not my strong suit.
So you’re going to see a few changes here at Silicon Florist. And they’re changes for the better.
I’m going to work on sharing more news, as I get it. I’m going to work on getting the news out there, rather than try to couch that news in twelve paragraphs of fluffy context.
Because you deserve to hear the news sooner rather than later.
And when I write longer form pieces? It will be with purpose. About things that require context. Or insight. Or some thought.
But I don’t need to couch everything in copy.
Now, like any other New Year’s resolution, it may take me a bit of time to learn to ride this bike. But I’m going to give it a shot.
No more “to be posted” with news. We’ll save that for the features pile. Instead, news is going in the “post now” file. Because you deserve to know what’s going on. Because I feel I have an obligation to help Portland get better and better. And I hope that Silicon Florist can continue to be a resource that helps do that.
But if I don’t improve it, it won’t.
So I’ll try to do better. And I’ll hope you’ll join me.
Happy New Year, Portland! I’m thinking your 2012 is going to be a thing of beauty.
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Rick,
No need to apologize on this. You have kept us posted on Portland startup scene and have mostly on top of it.
I can completely understand the deliema of being perfectionist. But also agree with other people here about getting some extra help. I hope you can find someone who can match your style of writing.
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Completely agree with Adron!
Rick, think about it this way – if you offer an apprenticeship program for Silicon Florist, you may be bringing extremely valuable experience and connections. They’d get valuable experience and an audience, and you’d have more eyes and ears in the crowd.
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Rick, no need to apologize. Your blog is a very valuable asset to the tech and ecomomic development communities. And will continue to be regardless of the format. I look forward to the new approach and posts this year!
Thanks, Chris and thanks, Jeff! I’m glad I’m not the only one seeing the potential here. And thanks, also, for continuing to do stuff that keeps the list of awesome startuppy stuff growing.
You don’t have to apologize, you are doing tons for the community, just spread through different avenues.
I have the same suggestion as Adron: bring on contributors. Especially for things like event announcements and recaps. I’d write a couple a month without expectations of compensation of any kind.
What @Adron said! I’ve been wondering why you haven’t “hired” more “assistants” for a while now. I know it’s most likely a money thing, but I’m sure you can find “volunteers” looking to build their “street cred”. Ok, enough quotes… I just agree that to scale this site you’re going to need help.
Thanks for all the work you put into this in your spare time, Rick.
Thanks, Adron! I’ve consistently struggled with bringing on another write, mostly because I can’t pay them to write. And I don’t like that. I’ve got this very “I’m perfectly willing to spend my time working on this, but I’m not going to ask anyone else to do that” stance.
But it’s time to put some real energy into figuring that out. Because this format just ain’t cutting it anymore.
Ever think of taking on some writing assistants or actual writers? Having some backup might help. You could still control quality & edit everything. You could then help bring up some notable writers in the area while maintaining quality on the blog.
In a way, it’d be like improving and enabling yourself to contribute even more! 😉