I have happy news to report. I’ve started a new job. You’re talking to the new West Coast Bureau Chief of Light Reading.
This is an opportunity for me to do pure reporting and writing on the technology industry, after years working in hybrid jobs, part-marketing, part-tech journalism, and part management. This refocuses me on the journalism part of the job, which I have always found very satisfying.
Where other kids had professional athletes and rock stars as their heroes, I had this guy:
I’m covering Software Defined Networks (SDNs), and the related technology of Network Functions Virtualization (NFVs), with a particular focus on the startup scene.
Another way this is getting back to the beginning is that I don’t know a lot about this technology – yet. I’ll learn on the job, bringing my existing knowledge about technology and enterprise computing to bear in this new industry.
It’s rare that you get an opportunity to start your career over again, while continuing to hold a senior position. And I’m really looking forward to working with the rest of Light Reading, which appears to be a great team. Light Reading is going through some changes too.
We’re looking for stories. Email me if you know about anything interesting happening in SDN or NFVs: mwagner@lightreading.com. We’re particularly looking for unannounced news – if there’s a press release about it, I’ll do my best to avoid that story. The interesting stories are the ones that somebody doesn’t want you to write about.
That man knew journalism. Also, hats.
We’ll explore who will be the winners and losers among the many SDN and FLV startups. The field is dense with startups, and most of them aren’t going to make it. We plan to tell our community which companies are having problems. Those stories are hard to report, but worthwhile. Reporting on success stories are easy. Companies are great at telling those stories for themselves (even when the successes are imaginary).
P.S. Minnie is celebrating too. She found a funny-looking stick . So it’s a good day for both of us.
Update 10:17 am: Light Reading put out a press release: Mitch Wagner Joins Light Reading Editorial Team:
“Adding Mitch to the team is a massive coup for us. This is going to have a real impact on our ability to dig out the real stories and identify the next big thing coming out of the Valley,” stated Light Reading Editor-in-Chief Ray Le Maistre. “Mitch not only has all the credentials we look for in an editor — smart, informed, witty, a good writer, and slightly unhinged — but his knowledge of IT trends will be invaluable as the communications networking and services sector becomes ever more reliant on IT skills and know-how to innovate.”
Le Maistre added: “We’ve also never had a ‘Mitch’ on the team. I like that name — it’s zesty.”
“Dudes, I’m here to break news and keep the Light Reading community informed about what’s really going on with the startups and established companies on the West Coast,” said Wagner. “I’m super-excited to join the great team at Light Reading.”
Wagner says things like “dude” and “super-excited” because he is a Californian. Light Reading will break him of that habit directly.