Bubble sign #4815: Content sites going public
In 1996, when the tech boom was still ramping up, Wired Ventures already proved that content outlets would miss out on the money. The company dropped its IPO plans after investors backed off. Wired, unable to pay its bills, had to sell itself off piecemeal. Lesson learned: Content may be king, but only in the sense that the Queen rules the UK.
So forgive us if this excerpt from CNET's article about VC-funded weblogs turns us green (nausea, with a twist of envy):
HuffingtonPost also has "a wide variety of avenues" in terms of an exit for venture investors, [investor] Hippeau said. While it could conceivably go public one day, it seems more likely to become an acquisition candidate—either for a Web portal, a traditional media company or a content-driven online suitor.
VCs see opportunity in blogosphere [CNET]
Photo by Jeff Kubina [Flickr]