Checking In with Alex Wilhelm on the Boom of B2B Tech

Just Checking In

Welcome to the very first episode of Just Checking In! There's no better way to start this journey than by sharing this space with a Twitter personality. Alex Willhelm, AKA @alex is a Journalist and Senior Editor for TechCrunch, and an official source of information for the current state of the tech industry. In this episode we cover everything about the cloud services shift that the pandemic has triggered and its implications for both companies and consumers in this remote-working era. Plus, the best and the worst parts of being an independent voice with a big audience on Twitter.

Join technology comms pros Becky Buckman and Keyana Corliss as they cut to the heart of today’s tech-news cycle and the general craziness that is high-tech corporate communications right now. With a short, not-too-serious take on the industry - with plenty of humor and irony thrown in - they’ll bring you the best in the biz, across comms and media together, for one-of-a-kind insights and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else!

Jump straight into:

(00:33) - The launch of “Just Checking In” - “I can not believe that we are here and launching “Just Checking In.” We should probably start by explaining to people why did we call this podcast “Just Checking In?”

(3:43) - Tee’ing up our first guest, Alex Whilhelm of Tech Crunch - “We kind of skipped ahead and talked to him about some market-related issues and his views on the big themes he’s covering.”

(5:16) - Are we in a new tech bubble? Diggin' into the Cloud IT accelerated growth due to the pandemic - “Software revenue is one of the most valuable substances in the world. It has a recurring high margin and it expands. It has it all.”

(9:08) - Facing new environments: How will online consumers’ habits change in the post-pandemic era? - “Enterprise software is the absolute sinew that holds American and global business together. It wasn't something you could decrease spending on it.”

(11:32) - Media industry geographic focus: Remote working before it was cool - “I think once you decide you can hire anywhere and that the global talent market is your talent market versus people who live within a 20-mile radius of your office or will move there, it's hard to go back.”

(17:56) - Everything is turning digital: On the growing value of content and the future of media’s business models - “One thing that I'm concerned about is constraining the access to correct information only to people who can afford it because then the truth is expensive and lies are free.”

(20:28) - The freedom to talk about anything: Finding balance in having a personal brand on Twitter as a journalist - “I couldn't imagine going to work for a big name newspaper publication where I would have to wear their jersey all the time.”

Episode resources:

Alex Willhelm’s Twitter and Linkedin

TechCrunch

Thank you for listening to Just Checking In by Battery Ventures. Go follow Becky and Keyana on social media to know more about them. If you enjoyed this show leave a review and help us find new audiences!

This show is produced by StudioPod Media in SanFrancisco. Nicole Genova is the Show Coordinator. Editing and music provided by Teresa Buchanan.