Talk about turning the tables. It’s usually we reporters and writers that tap into the knowledge of public relations people—-occasionally interviewing them but often working with them to find the right people to speak with at companies and organizations. They don’t interview us, usually.
But since Xconomy is a relatively new publication, PR people have been pretty keen to pick our brains about our mission, what stories we are looking for, and the like. And last week, I did one such interview that quickly broadened out into areas that seem potentially interesting to more than just the people who want to pitch us stories. The talk was with John Moran, director of Schwartz Communications, a leading public relations and communications firm that has offices out in Waltham (as well as other cities). We of course spoke about Xconomy, our philosophy of coverage, who we see as competition, and where we are heading—but we also talked about the exponential economy, the IPO and venture investment climate, areas of growth Xconomy sees in New England, and more.
The interview was part of Schwartz’s Spotlight on New Media series of podcasts. It’s less than 10 minutes long if you want to check it out here.
Author: Robert Buderi
Bob is Xconomy's founder and chairman. He is one of the country's foremost journalists covering business and technology. As a noted author and magazine editor, he is a sought-after commentator on innovation and global competitiveness. Before taking his most recent position as a research fellow in MIT's Center for International Studies, Bob served as Editor in Chief of MIT's Technology Review, then a 10-times-a-year publication with a circulation of 315,000. Bob led the magazine to numerous editorial and design awards and oversaw its expansion into three foreign editions, electronic newsletters, and highly successful conferences. As BusinessWeek's technology editor, he shared in the 1992 National Magazine Award for The Quality Imperative.
Bob is the author of four books about technology and innovation. Naval Innovation for the 21st Century (2013) is a post-Cold War account of the Office of Naval Research. Guanxi (2006) focuses on Microsoft's Beijing research lab as a metaphor for global competitiveness. Engines of Tomorrow (2000) describes the evolution of corporate research. The Invention That Changed the World (1996) covered a secret lab at MIT during WWII. Bob served on the Council on Competitiveness-sponsored National Innovation Initiative and is an advisor to the Draper Prize Nominating Committee. He has been a regular guest of CNBC's Strategy Session and has spoken about innovation at many venues, including the Business Council, Amazon, eBay, Google, IBM, and Microsoft.
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