Upside (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Upside was a San Francisco-based business and technology magazine for venture capital
ists. It was published from 1989 to 2002. It had a circulation above 300,000.
as a magazine "for Silicon Valley
about Silicon Valley." Venture capitalist Tim Draper was the main initial backer, along with Silicon Valley Bank founder Roger Smith
and Estée Lauder
's grandson Gary Lauder. In its early issues, the publication published controversial articles on investment firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Hambrecht & Quist
. Upside quickly became widely read in the Silicon Valley tech community but burned through $3 million between 1989 and 1992 and was constantly trying to raise money.
, which had a similar focus to Upside. Within a month, Karlgaard left to become editor of Forbes ASAP. Forbes ASAP was originally announced as a joint venture between Forbes
and Upside, but Upside was excluded from the venture after the hiring of Karlgaard, and this angered magazine staff.
David Bunnell
, an Upside board member and investor and a founder of PC World
, Macworld
and PC Magazine
, was CEO from 1996-2002.
David Bunnell's son Aaron Bunnell joined Upside as a vice president in the late 1990s, in charge of the magazine's website UpsideToday. He struck a crucial deal with Yahoo that doubled traffic and launched a popular feature called "Dot-Com graveyard." Co-workers described him as a hard worker. In summer 2000, he was found dead in a hotel room in New York, where he had traveled to close an UpsideToday business deal. He had reportedly been using drugs, working long hours and grieving the loss of a girlfriend in the weeks leading up to his death.
In January 2001, Upside launched UpsideFN, a New York-based online radio network headed by J.T. Farley, a former senior producer and news editor for CNBC. UpsideFN closed in May 2001, citing a weak advertising market.
At its peak size in 2001, Upside employed 110 staff.
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
ists. It was published from 1989 to 2002. It had a circulation above 300,000.
Beginnings
Upside was started by banker Anthony B. Perkins and technical writer Rich KarlgaardRich Karlgaard
Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes magazine He began as an editor and became the publisher in 1998.A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Karlgaard graduated from Stanford University, with a B.A...
as a magazine "for Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
about Silicon Valley." Venture capitalist Tim Draper was the main initial backer, along with Silicon Valley Bank founder Roger Smith
Roger Smith
Roger Smith may refer to:* Roger Smith , American television and film actor and screenwriter* Roger Smith , English soccer player* Roger Smith , Bahamian tour tennis player...
and Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder may refer to:* Estée Lauder * Estée Lauder Companies...
's grandson Gary Lauder. In its early issues, the publication published controversial articles on investment firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Hambrecht & Quist
Hambrecht & Quist
Hambrecht & Quist was an investment bank based in San Francisco, California noted for its focus on the technology and internet sectors. H&Q was founded by William Hambrecht and George Quist in California, 1968....
. Upside quickly became widely read in the Silicon Valley tech community but burned through $3 million between 1989 and 1992 and was constantly trying to raise money.
Departure of founders
Perkins was removed by the magazine's board of directors as publisher on May 2, 1992. He would go on to start Red Herring (magazine)Red Herring (magazine)
Red Herring was a technology business magazine, which flourished during the dot com boom, with global distribution and bureaus in Bangalore, Beijing, and Paris. It also sponsored conferences designed to bring venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and technologists together. But the magazine went into...
, which had a similar focus to Upside. Within a month, Karlgaard left to become editor of Forbes ASAP. Forbes ASAP was originally announced as a joint venture between Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
and Upside, but Upside was excluded from the venture after the hiring of Karlgaard, and this angered magazine staff.
David Bunnell
David Bunnell
David Bunnell is a media entrepreneur and technology pioneer who was involved in the earliest days of personal computing revolution and industry...
, an Upside board member and investor and a founder of PC World
PC World (magazine)
PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal-technology products and services...
, Macworld
Macworld
Macworld is a web site and monthly computer magazine dedicated to Apple Macintosh products. It is published by Mac Publishing, which is headquartered in San Francisco, California...
and PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
, was CEO from 1996-2002.
Expansion
In 1997, The Washington Post Company invested in Upside and announced the two companies would share editorial resources, collaborate online, sponsor conferences together and cooperate on ad sales and circulation development. The Washington Post Company said it selected Upside due to the magazine's tech news and connections in Silicon Valley.David Bunnell's son Aaron Bunnell joined Upside as a vice president in the late 1990s, in charge of the magazine's website UpsideToday. He struck a crucial deal with Yahoo that doubled traffic and launched a popular feature called "Dot-Com graveyard." Co-workers described him as a hard worker. In summer 2000, he was found dead in a hotel room in New York, where he had traveled to close an UpsideToday business deal. He had reportedly been using drugs, working long hours and grieving the loss of a girlfriend in the weeks leading up to his death.
In January 2001, Upside launched UpsideFN, a New York-based online radio network headed by J.T. Farley, a former senior producer and news editor for CNBC. UpsideFN closed in May 2001, citing a weak advertising market.
At its peak size in 2001, Upside employed 110 staff.