Austin Archive

My Crazy, Crazy 2008

The end of the year is naturally a time for reflection, and it's even more so for me, what with my birthday wedged in between Christmas and New Years. Two years ago at this time, I'd just quit BusinessWeek-- a job I'd slaved for some eight years to get-- to write my first book. A lot of people thought I was crazy on both counts: It's not like we're swimming in media jobs these days and back in 2006 a lot of people didn't even think the companies in my book would still be in business by 2008. 2007 was a year I had to deliver and prove them all wrong. At least professionally, it was the most exhilarating year of my life. 2008 on the other hand was, well....it was amazing, exhausting, transformative, exciting, terrifying, emotional and well....how the hell was it just one year?

All reporters have to do these dorky year end surveys, quizzes and lists this time of year. I know-- because my SXSW interview has been on seemingly ALL of them. But believe it or not other stuff happened to me too! As I look back on 2008 and get ready for 2009, here's my list of the biggest moments of what I can only call one of the most unimaginable years of my life.

10. Buying a house. I know that sounds materialistic, but my husband is an artist and I'm a writer. We never thought we'd be able to buy a house in San Francisco. The second we saw the house we knew. I sent a note to my realtor that said "We are in love" in the subject line with the address in the body. She replied, "Well, do you want propose or just flirt with it a while?" We wrote up an offer later that day. There were a million points where the deal should have fallen apart-- not the least of which was an exploding credit market.

9. Taking my family and my in laws to Mexico for Thanksgiving. Again, this was one of those things we'd never assume we could do-- for one thing I have a big family! We'll probably never be able to afford it again, but it was worth every penny. I'm incredibly lucky that my family and my in-laws get along so well. It was an idyllic week with perfect weather, water and food.

8. My first grownup keynote. I've been on stage a zillion times but never doing a paid, Power Pointy keynote. I don't know why, but it was terrifying!!! I've sat through so many bad keynotes and I didn't want to be that guy. Also, I kinda felt like a fraud. Why am I up here? I'm just a reporter. I freaked out for months and was so happy when it was done! Huge props to Olivia for helping me through it and to Al Campa for hiring me to do it!

7. April. Before 2008, I'd barely been outside the country. Growing up in a family of seven with parents who are teachers means no cushy summers abroad, unfortunately. But that's only made me appreciate the opportunity to travel more. I spent most of April in London, Cannes and Israel-- three places I'd never been before. London was just pure fun, thanks in no small part to Mr. Robert Loch who I met for the first time on that trip. In Cannes, I was speaking at a conference and had a near-panic attack when the car picked me up at the airport and drove me to a comped 400-euro-a-night hotel. "Who do these people think I am?" Israel was even more amazing, particularly touring Old Jerusalem.  (Even with near-pneumonia.)

6. Launching this blog. Yeah, it's even weird to me: I've been blogging since 2005, but never on my own site. Granted, the blog is a weird mis-mash of a personal diary (ahem, including this navel-gracing post!), a legitimate news blog, and a lifecast. You never quite know what you're going to get here. But it's mine and I love it and I don't care if it ever produces a dime of revenue. Huge props to my illustrator Sophie Askew and web designer Stephanie Chu for building such a beautiful site.

5. SXSW-- really. I've already talked about it in nearly 100 interviews, on stage, on this blog and everywhere else, so I won't belabor it. First off, it was huge in the name recognition department, driving tons of people-- even people who hate me-- to my site, to buy my book, and to every event I hosted. Second, there's something great about low expectations. You have no idea how many times I've heard someone say in a stunned voice, "You know. You're actually not horrible in person!" Third, I've never been one of those people who wished for mind reading abilities. I really just don't want to know. But there is something powerful in knowing every horrible, sexist, offensive, mean thought a mob of people are having about you. There's no mystery and whether you agree or not, you can always learn from it, and become a better person as a result. Fourth, you learn a lot about who your real friends are when it's fashionable to trash you. And last, before SXSW I was getting a lot of accolades. The best way not to believe your own hype is to get publicly brutalized.

4. User Generated Book Tour. In the up-and-down year that was 2008, my book had a great launch and then sales started to slip. I decided on a whim to do a book tour, and it was probably the best business decision I made all year. I've already written a ton about why, but in short I got to meet thousands of entrepreneurs and spend the bulk of my fall outside the Valley's echo chamber after nearly a decade inside of it. Oh, and I sold a bunch of books too.

3. TechTicker launch. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. We'd worked so hard for so many months, and it was so great to finally show people how we were reinventing financial video news. I developed a whole new appreciation for the way you can tell a story visually that you never can in words. Also, I gained valuable lessons in hair and makeup. I'm not kidding-- some mornings at 6 a.m. I walk into Yahoo looking homeless, yet somehow manage to look sunny on camera. I'll always remember the first day I shot at the Nasdaq with Henry Blodget. I'd never met him before and was completely charmed within minutes. They also had a big, fancy New York hair and makeup girl who put such heavy eyelashes on me I could barely open my eyes. And after years of watching financial news shows, actually filming at the Nasdaq was surreal. I kept thinking, "I'm just a print reporter! What am I doing here?"

2. Geoff's art auction moment. For all the time I spent putting myself out there in 2008, I never actually had to watch people publicly bid on my work. But my husband did. He killed at SF Camera Work's annual art auction-- one of the only pieces that went for more than the list price. I was so proud of him.

1. Debut of the book. (Duh!) Walking into the opening night party to see so many friends, do all my first signings, and eat "Once You're Lucky" or "Twice You're Good" cupcakes-- that was all just magic and a moment I never thought I'd be lucky (har, har) enough to have. It will always be one of the best moments of my life, probably second only to my wedding.

Thanks to everyone who stood by me, challenged me and defended me in what was an unbelievable year. I'd say, "Here's to a calm 2009," but who am I kidding?

[Photos: Me blogging before my birthday dinner by Geoffrey Ellis; me on the beach in Israel by JD Lasica; screen grab from TT and me walking into my book party by Jim Merithew for Wired.com] 

Virus Threatens UGBT: Exclusive Behind the Scenes Footage!

Let me start by again apologizing to readers who come to this site for serious business analysis for the torrent of lifecasting. Believe it or not, I've actually done a lot of substantive reporting on this trip. But Mr. Lacy couldn't join me so he asked me to keep a diary of the madness, and I figured, why not turn that into blog fodder too? Two birds right? Just indulge me a few more weeks and then my life will be boring again.

Now to the video at hand: It seems all that late night schmoozing, 5 a.m. Yahoo mornings, skipping meals and travel have taken their toll. (Again.) We decided the responsible thing would be going to the doctor before it got worse, given the upcoming travel schedule. And, of course, we had to flipcam it-- mostly so Mr. Lacy would give me props for actually being responsible and going to the doctor for once.

It was about 15 minutes of random hilarity, as happens when too many people come in the exam room with you....here's a small taste. Props to Dr. Tsai for being such a good sport. I mean-- does that guy know how to play to the camera or what??? He clearly steals the show. If you are in Austin and overworked, go see him!

UGBT Austin: Conjuncture(d) Junction, What's Your Function?

Coworking. The notion tickles me to no end. Back in my glorious college days- an epic four months ago- it was fairly commonplace for a random group of people to sit at a large table and tippy tap on their computers on various papers or presentations and keep each other company. Clemons Library became Club Clemons- you weren’t cool if you weren’t there on a Monday. With bloodshot eyes and moo goo gai pan breath no less.

Thus, our visit to Conjunctured Coworking in Austin filled me with a flood of familiar warmfuzzies. Just barely over a month old, the space has been refurbished with all the amenities of home, combined with the open feel of a creative think tank and some solid camaraderie. And Rosie. And, er, “Lenny?” Interesting.

And remember, if you have a fantastic coworking space you want SarahLacy.com to infiltrate, head to the UGBT website to check out tour stop dates and times and a way to get in touch with us!

Coworking in Austin from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

UGBT Austin: Why Not Eat (Alot) When You Have To?

So, as I type this, @sarahcuda-the ONE, the ONLY-and I are squooshed into a teeny commuter jet leaving Austin-one city down, four to go. We could not have asked for a better start. Austin has so much brewing that assuming this town revolves around “South By” is like assuming Memphis revolves around Elvis week. Read: both events are just a few days where the out of town freaks come out to play-aaay. In reality, Austin is a unique pocket of amazing, creative, and dare I say it, innovative people, who are putting their ideas into action. From the incredible turnout at the UGBT event during Austin Tech Happy Hour, to an animated speech at AMD, to a tour around a burgeoning co-working space, the tech scene in Austin is so multi-layered that it is truly impossible to describe it in words.

Which is why we brought the Flip cam along for the entire ride (and not just in the Rowdy Rickshaw).

Now, if there is anything I have discovered in our initial days of life-chatting our experiences, it is that:

a) Sarah never stops reporting- the dialogues that I have witnessed in just these three days have elevated my learning experience to a whole new level. As much as I gripe about losing personal, face-to-face connections within this industry, there actually is a vibrant current of human interaction that extends beyond a Twitter handle. My initial observations proved wrong once again? Imagine that!

and

b) I have somehow adopted an onscreen persona akin to, say, your frootyloops neighbor Crazy Matilda- meaning finger guns and bad clichés with an extra side of cheese please. Sarah eats it up with a spoon because I make the always controversial Sarah Lacy look cool as a cucumber at all times. Told you it was bad cliché time. Yikes.

Oh, and apparently I have wobbly hands and completely lack all Flipamatography skills after forgetting to eat for two days. It's a good thing Kristine Gloria knows her barbecue joints...

UGBT Austin: Why Walk when You Don't Have To?

Continuing in our we-wish-it-was-more-consistent tradition of deconstructing UGBT parties in bizarre locations specific to that city, we bring you the Austin pedicab ride from last Friday night. Its no cornfield or parasail 500 feet over Seattle (to be posted soon, really.) But it was as good as we could get given the UT football game got canceled for the weekend.

It was canceled of course in anticipation of hurricane Ike and the Austin Statesmen noted I was the "second hurricane" coming to town. (Safe to say from the sunny skies, we had a bigger impact than Ike, right?)
Exhausted from the last night of TechCrunch50, Olivia and I barely made our flights, barely made the hotel for some snacks and a very quick cat nap before the event at the Marq downtown. Huge, huge thanks to Bryan Menell for organizing and James Hyde of BusinessWeek and the other sponsors. It was a great turnout and in the tradition of the User Generated Book Tour, I met a lot of fascinating tech folks who I hope to stay in touch with for years to come.

Afterwards, Olivia and I hung out on a lovely rooftop bar with some of her oldest friends from back East. One of them, the charming Eli, may do a SarahLacy.com internship next summer. Quickly gleaning the way to the top of this organization, he stealthily arranged for us to travel back to the Hilton in style while he went to Wendy's to pick up late night junk food. Impressive.

In this video, Olivia and I are a little tired from the previous 72 hours of TechCrunch50 insanity + travel + several-hundred-person Austin party so forgive the general loopy-ness. (Believe me, you don't want to see the outtakes....)

Why Don't We Just Take the Rickshaw? from sarah lacy on Vimeo.

Oh, Hello There Omar....

I'll just let this video speak for itself...