7 Blogs I always read and why I read them.
In my last year of college, there were 3 blogs I followed religiously: On Startups by Dharmesh Shah, Marc Andreessen’s blog and Paul Graham’s blog. While I am still a faithful follower of Onstartups, I end up visiting the other two not so regularly. Don’t get me wrong, they all have great articles on them, but sometimes I feel like the content of the last two get way too complicated for my liking. Many times the subject of discussion is Venture capital firms and how they work (especially Andreessen’s blog, these days however Paul Graham’s blog has such a diverse content range that there’s something for everyone). I am a Gen Y entrepreneur and really don’t have the connections that will secure me a deal with a VC so I don’t bother myself with them anyway. I applied to over 30 VCs for funding about 15 months ago when I was looking to start my first company and I got the same answer from all of them: “your idea is great and we are sure it will work, but it’s just too risky to invest in you. You have no proven experience in building a successful start-up. We invest in people, not ideas”. I ended up bootstrapping and securing a little bit of angel investment in order to get things going. At this stage in my entrepreneurial career, I have come to realize that I am not ready for VC money anyway or for anyone to tell me how to run my business so I am not particularly keen on those kind of discussions. Over the past few months however, I have found and followed some blogs that I can’t get away from for several reasons and have decided to share. These blogs appeal to any gen y (entrepreneur) or aspiring entrepreneur. I try to keep tabs on these blogs whenever I can, most times from the BlackBerry while at lunch, just because that’s the time my schedule allows.
Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist – Penelope Trunk:
I think majority of the Gen Y entrepreneurs who read blogs or even just articles on the web will agree with me when I say this blog is a one stop shop for the best tips on career and business. I have been reading her blog for several months now and it’s nothing short of inspirational. The difference between Penelope’s style of conveying a message and how others do it is always obvious to all. She rarely ever holds back and talks about anything and everything just so you get an understanding of why she says what she says. This blog has something for everyone, from how to start a career to how to fund your start-up if you are looking into being an entrepreneur. Just take a look at the ‘Categories’ on the right hand side of the blog to gain an idea of what I am talking about. Her posts are very concise and brilliantly written that it challenges me to be a better writer and hopefully someday a role model like she is to many bloggers and entrepreneurs.
She is also the founder/CEO of Brazen Careerist, a company every gen y entrepreneur should check out and a society they should become a part of.
Find Penelope Trunk on Twitter.
I have been reading Twenty Set for a while now but only recently reached out to Monica and found she’s just as awesome in person as her blog is. My favorite thing about the blog is how detailed and easy to understand it is. She writes about Generation Y and social media topics generally. She realizes that not everyone her blog caters to understands the several underlying concepts of her topics, so she tries to be as clear as possible. Everytime I read Twenty Set, I leave that lunch table with something new. There was a time I read a particular post of hers and it inspired me to write one on here. It turned out to be one of the most read posts I have ever written. That’s how much I learn from her.
If you are a part of Generation Y, whether you are an entrepreneur or not, Twenty Set is a blog you should bookmark and follow. If you are into social media or you are just looking to learn about it, then definitely check out the blog and reach out to her.
Monica O’Brien is on Twitter.
As the name suggests, this blog specifically addresses issues on start-ups. Dharmesh himself is a successful entrepreneur and is founder of HubSpot. I like this blog for several reasons. First of all, Dharmesh started his first company when he was 24 years old which puts him in a position where he fully understands what it takes to be a young entrepreneur. So when he writes he doesn’t write in a ‘language’ we are unfamiliar with, instead he views and writes on startups from the perspective of the young people looking to build start-ups. Another reason why this blog appeals to me so much is because of the abundance of information for entrepreneurs generally. He talks about issues like picking the perfect people to join your start-up to topics like how to fund your start-up if like me, you are only just starting out and don’t have the “experience” Venture Capitalists look for before listening to your idea or reading your plan.
Dharmesh Shah is on Twitter.
Personal Branding Blog – Dan Schawbel:
Author of Me 2.0, Dan is a Branding guru. He often brings in several other guest writers who are knowledgeable on the branding subject and there’s no shortage of information here. If you are looking to grow a business, you must learn to ‘Brand yourself’ and set your company apart from competitors in your industry. This blog consistently offers tips and tools to do this.
As a side note, I encourage every entrepreneur to grab a copy of Me 2.0 if you are yet to read it. As far as personal branding goes, it’s perhaps the top resource available at the moment. He also recently launched the Personal Branding magazine, which I am yet to read, but if his blog and book is anything to go by then I am sure it will be a hit as well.
Dan Schawbel is on Twitter.
Small hands, Big ideas – Grace Boyle:
Great blog! I actually found the blog because one of the people I had followed Tweeted a post from it and I checked it out. This was some months back and I have been hooked ever since. Grace works at a start-up in Colorado and so when she writes, it’s based on experience and what she has seen. I am a big advocate for learning from people who have lived through what they are sharing and not just based on what they’ve read somewhere. This blog covers the issues a typical gen y-er faces in trying to adapt to life after college. She talks about everything from friendships, work, start-ups and so forth. She also recommends some great articles every friday in what she calls “Friday Linky Love”, that’s a great resource for discovering other useful blogs!
Grace Boyle is on Twitter.
Young Successful Entrepreneur – Jun Loayza.
Jun seems to be everywhere on the social web these days and he deserves it. He is co-founder, along with Yu-kai Chou of Viralogy. I like the concept of his blog because it takes his readers through his life as he tries to build a start-up. He shares his struggles, the obstacles and success stories on this blog. A lot of young entrepreneurs will shy away from letting the world follow them as they try to build a business for several reasons, but not him. He doesn’t expect to fail, so what’s there to hide? And I completely agree and have become a fan of his blog.
An all round cool guy, Jun constantly writes guest posts on several social media hot spots including Mashable. This blog caters to young entrepreneurs with an eye for Social Media, so if you fall into this category, I encourage you to read it and reach out to him.
Jun Loayza is on Twitter.
I must say that I haven’t really been following Modite for as long as I have been following the previous six blogs listed here but in the little time I have been reading this blog, I have been really impressed. I am yet to personally connect with Rebecca unlike the rest of the people on this list, but from what she writes, I am sure she’s someone who will offer a lot in person. Modite deals with everything Gen Y.
She constantly gives life and career advice to the millennial generation and adds a personal touch to it by putting most of them on video. Her tips are things you can apply in your everyday life and begin to see the effects immediately. I encourage you to check out Modite, it’s a brilliantly blog.
Rebecca Thorman is on Twitter.
reba
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