TechCrunch COO departs after eight years

Ned Desmond, the chief operating officer of tech news site TechCrunch, is leaving the company after eight years.

Desmond writes, “Personally, I have lost count of the founders who told me that TechCrunch inspired them to start a company. TechCrunch has over 20 million readers in a hot month, which I take as a good sign for the future of entrepreneurship.  And to date, the 902 companies that participated in Battlefield, our signature startup competition, have raised $9 billion and produced 115 exits, most recent among those being Postmates. In that way and many others, TechCrunch delivers.

“It’s no secret that media, especially the journalistic variety, is a tough business. I came to TechCrunch firm in the view that a strong editorial mission and editorial integrity are the twin foundations of any journalist-driven business success. It’s easy for short-term business considerations to chip away those principals, but one of my key roles has been to hold the line. Editorial crews are at their best when they have the brand’s lead and their business colleagues have their back, even as they dance through the ever shifting media revenue game. That is how we rolled for the past eight years.

“As a result, the editorial team is TechCrunch’s’ crown jewel. Under Matthew Panzarino, they have become a globally respected journalistic force as well as one of the most multi-talented and productive teams anywhere in media.”

Read more here.