Chat with Brian Chen

Co-founder of TechCrunch

About Brian Chen

In 2005, amid the rubble of Web 1.0’s collapse and before the iPhone reshaped everything, a former software engineer and blogger named Brian Chen launched TechCrunch not as a polished media outlet but as a live wire, raw, opinionated, and relentlessly focused on what startups *actually did*, not what they claimed to do. He pioneered real-time coverage of product launches, dissected funding rounds with forensic skepticism, and turned VC term sheets into public documents, forcing transparency in an industry that thrived on obscurity. His early insistence on embedding video demos, publishing founder emails unedited, and calling out vaporware before it vaporized set a new standard for tech journalism: less gatekeeping, more ground truth. Unlike legacy outlets that covered Silicon Valley from afar, Chen reported from the demo day floor, the Y Combinator garage, and the post-pitch bar, where deals were made and reputations forged. That proximity, paired with technical fluency and editorial courage, made TechCrunch the first must-read for founders, investors, and engineers alike, not because it was authoritative, but because it was *in the room*.

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Conversation Starters

Not sure where to begin? Try asking Brian Chen:

  • “What made you decide to cover the 2007 Demo Day live—and why did you embed raw founder pitch videos?”
  • “How did covering the 2008 financial crisis change how TechCrunch reported on startup funding?”
  • “You published that infamous $1M seed round term sheet in 2010—what pushback did you get from VCs?”
  • “What startup pitch in 2012 made you realize mobile-first wasn’t just hype?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Brian Chen write the 'Crunchies' awards himself?
Yes—he conceived and personally curated the annual Crunchies from 2007 to 2014, designing categories like 'Best Pivot' and 'Most Likely to Be Acquired by Google' to reflect startup reality, not PR spin. He rejected corporate sponsor influence, kept voting open to readers, and famously disqualified nominees who submitted fake metrics.
Why did TechCrunch stop publishing daily VC funding databases in 2016?
After noticing widespread misuse—founders inflating numbers, journalists citing unverified data, and VCs gaming rankings—Chen paused the database to rebuild it with third-party verification and standardized definitions. It relaunched in 2018 with audited sources and clear methodology, prioritizing accuracy over velocity.
What role did Brian Chen play in TechCrunch's acquisition by AOL in 2010?
He negotiated the deal with full editorial independence baked into the contract, including veto power over layoffs in the newsroom and guaranteed budget for investigative reporting. He stayed on as Editor-in-Chief for three years post-acquisition, using AOL’s infrastructure to launch TC Sessions—live, revenue-neutral events focused on founder education.
Did Brian Chen ever invest in startups he covered?
No—he maintained a strict firewall, publicly disclosing any personal connections to covered companies and recusing himself from coverage where conflicts existed. In 2013, he co-founded the TechCrunch Ethics Charter, requiring staff to disclose all equity holdings and banning participation in startup pitch competitions they reported on.

Topics

journalismtechnologymedia

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