Shel Israel joins FastCompany.tv
A couple of days ago Shel Israel announced that he was joining FastCompany.tv — the online business and technology video network that I’m heading.
The announcement is true, and I’m excited by what Shel brings to the table. We’re working on several other shows, my goal is to have half a dozen shows by the end of the year, but that’ll depend on getting sponsors, which may be tough in this year of economic turmoil.
Anyway, Shel is the guy who co-authored Naked Conversations (our corporate blogging book — we interviewed 188 businesses about how they were using blogs) with me. Which brings to mind that photo above. Let’s clear this up. We were NOT naked. Just took our shirts off. And that photo was taken in Mike Arrington’s backyard during a TechCrunch party held in honor of our book’s launch.
Some other stories? We argued for at least a month over the book before finding a way we could work together. I still remember pacing around building 119 at Microsoft while getting chewed out by Shel for something or another. One thing I learned from that process, though, is that having people around me who didn’t agree with me made me a better person and brought a lot more value out of me than if I had yes men or women around.
I can’t wait to start work with Shel and get into a good argument with him. Only difference this time? We’ll try to do that on camera since it is pretty entertaining.
If you don’t know who Shel is he’s helped dozens of companies start up in Silicon Valley and used to own his own PR firm. Recently he consulted with tons of startups. Nine of them went onto win Demo God awards (he’s down at Demo right now covering that for Fast Company).
His show will be called “GlobalNeighborhoods TV” and it’ll be interesting to see the conversations he starts on his show and the insights he finds about the new business that’s happening. Welcome Shel!
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January 30th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Shel is the man. Both of you will play off each other quite nicely. Who else is coming onboard?
January 30th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Wow, start-up fake-buzz-spam on video now. World Peace is at hand.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:56 am
Is FastCompany.tv hiring?
I think it’s time to launch a Tech video show form NYC.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:58 am
paul: we’re doing lots of stuff. Hiring? Soon.
Dan: I can’t talk about people until contracts are signed and all that. Things can always change until the contracts are done.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Paul: what would an NYC tech show do? Andy Plesser already does that. How would your show differ?
January 30th, 2008 at 11:00 am
[...] (1/30): Robert posted the same pic explaining that they were NOT naked. Of course not! I remember, as I was [...]
January 30th, 2008 at 11:10 am
What a picture is all I have to say! Congrats on the new gig Shel.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Your brains might be of value, but shirts back on, please! LOL!!!
January 30th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Robert, the New York metropolitan area has an incredible developer community and we have the history from Edison and Einstein to Bell Labs.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Yea, at the moment when the picture was taken… let the rumors persist!
Kidding ;-)
Anyway, what I wanted to say was good luck… I’m interested to see what the site will look like when you guys launch.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:56 am
There’s nothing wrong with a little shower among friends!
January 30th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Everytime that picture is used….seems someone walks by my cubicle screen and goes what are you looking at?
January 30th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
[...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]
January 30th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Robert,
As I mentioned in my announce. The last time we worked together was the best collaboration I have had out of wedlock. I look forward to not just arguing with you this time, in part, because we agree on most important things regarding social media and tech and business and what makes good people.
January 30th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
My eyes! That picture! I have to think of sandpaper to get that shirtless image outta me brain!
January 30th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Congrats to you and Shel, Robert! But I have to say, the naked picture is not loading for me. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but unlike previous posters who seem to have seen the thing, it is not showing up at this moment.
Betsy
January 31st, 2008 at 2:19 am
Sorry, the photo should load now.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:24 am
I had hoped never to see those photos again. But congrats to you both on GlobalNeighborhoods TV and FastCompany.tv !
January 31st, 2008 at 9:41 am
Hey, people have to let it all hang out once in a while. Congrats, Robert. Having fun is part of being human.
Some people take two men in a photo without shirts too seriously. :)
January 31st, 2008 at 9:42 am
Wreck: not to mention we did it in front of about 600 people at a party.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Guys, congrats on your new gig(s)! But, er, you look better with your shirts on. :)
January 31st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Robert… 600 people!? You are a braver man than I.
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 am
Something is disturbing about all that transparency!
Congrats to you…..
February 19th, 2008 at 6:36 am
[...] have just started a relationship with FastCompany, and it may sound like self-promotion but this new video blogging gig is the opportunity I have [...]
March 10th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
[...] Israel is co-author of Naked Conversations and host of his own video blog on FastCompany.tv beginning on March 17. He spoke with InternetGeekGirl at the BlogHaus, sponsored by AMD at this [...]
March 16th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
[...] Israel is co-author of Naked Conversations and host of his own video blog on FastCompany.tv beginning on March 17. He spoke with InternetGeekGirl at the BlogHaus, sponsored by AMD at this [...]