Mike Maney

Tech trades aren’t what they were. There are but a handful of true technology trade media outlets left in an industry of wide-eyed innovation. There are even fewer traditional reporters.

And while the number of news outlets and reporters contracts, the number of startups and companies with stories to tell grows. Many of these companies are shut out of the storytelling process, never able to rise above the noise.

There are simply not enough news outlets to write all the great stories that deserve to be told. Story volume and media economics dictate that, like Silicon Valley itself, merit isn’t enough.

My friend Ron Favali and I believe there’s a way to fix this, and in the process, raise the visibility of those working to create a more diverse and inclusive industry.

TechDeux is a media site designed to fill the gap between existing trade journalism and public relations. It’s what happens when you step back and look at the media ecosystem through a wide angle, unfiltered lens. It’s what can be built when you don’t try to disrupt an industry, but, instead, help it.

If closing the gap between PR and journalism was all TechDeux did, it would be enough. But we wanted to build something that meant more. Something that helped the entire technology industry, not just marketers and journalists.

Unlike traditional models, TechDeux’s storytellers underwrite the promotion of non-profit organizations focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in tech. In exchange, these underwriters are able to submit opinionated editorial content on the TechDeux platform.

We’re launching this summer. So, if you’re a startup, PR agency or VC with a portfolio of companies who want to make the industry a better place for everyone, shoot me a note to see how you can get involved underwriting TechDeux. In the meantime, we’re looking for your feedback: What’s missing in this model? What would you like to see? Which non-profits you think deserve to be seen and heard?

Sure, this may be an incremental fix to a bigger problem. But change only happens when someone is willing to try something different.