Founder of strategic comms firm @ohearco, SVP of Strategy @tryzapp, startup angel. 10+ years as journalist @TechCrunch. Born with bad genes but a good heart™
London, England
- Tweets 47,623
- Following 2,472
- Followers 24,989
- Likes 14,617
Pinned Tweet
I guess the news is out :)
Goodbye, journalism. Hello, @tryzapp.
Thank you @i_woodford - you worked really hard on this and it shows.
Of all the pieces I've written, this has to be one of the most memorable. @sohear is a brilliant colleague (he'd hate if I said "friend"), and his decision to leave journalism will be felt across the industry. We'll miss ya, Steve! (sorta)
sifted.eu/articles/steve-ohe…
116
18
417
Monzo, the U.K. challenger bank, raises £85M Series E at a £1B pre-money valuation techcrunch.com/2018/10/30/mo… tip @Techmeme
2
48
194
Email tips to convey you're a big deal:
1. answer immediately or 6 months later randomly
2. keep answers to <4 characters e.g. yes, no, sure, Ok
3. answer in middle of night to give impression of changing timezones
4. email signature: "sent by mobile" (even when on desktop)
11
21
188
Seeing which PR agencies are still pitching me over a month since I quit the news biz, is a great way to filter out which PR agencies might be good to use in my new role 🤔😇
10
5
182
A founder asked me to double confirm I wanted to cover their funding news otherwise they'd move on to a different "distributor" .
I wished them good luck.
I'm helpful to founders but triggered by media illiteracy, entitlement or laziness. And I'm grown up enough to admit it.
12
3
145
The president has left the Monzo House.
Thanks for the chat @t_blom, glad you're doing better.
Monzo founder Tom Blomfield is departing the challenger bank and says he's ‘struggled’ during the pandemic tcrn.ch/393F5qJ by @sohear
7
9
143
Sometimes I do genuinely feel sorry for how hard VCs work. I can't imagine doing a 14 hour Clubhouse shift 🙃
5
4
138
It is my birthday today 🎂
I'm shielding, so it's understated to say the least.
Instead, I want to give you all a present. My album is now streaming.
Have a listen & if you want to help me celebrate, pls FOLLOW my artist page on Spotify etc. & SHARE.
open.spotify.com/artist/7EAm…
43
12
133
I just streamed #Newsnight and caught @estwebber doing the paper review. I've waited my entire life to see a person with a disability being a pundit on the telly on a topic that has nothing to do with disability. Please don't make me wait another 40 odds years @BBC (cc @RobBurl).
3
16
118
"Black holes ain't as black as they were painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole. So if you feel you are in a black hole, don't give up. There's a way out!"
- Stephen Hawking
2
34
125
Hotel booking sites are going to HATE this startup tcrn.ch/1ERYDbe
13
155
120
Great to to be shortlisted for the UK tech awards "tech journalist of the year" again. Tough year - good luck to everyone.
#uktech20 #groupofdeath
13
2
131
What an amazing day. Thanks everyone for all the heartfelt messages and support. Truly honored.
2
1
123
I spent last week wondering why I wasn't invited by any broadcast media to discuss the Future Fund or how Coronavirus is affecting UK startups. Then today I realised I don't have a bookshelf behind me and it all made sense.
10
119
My wheelchair broke late Friday & couldn't be fixed till late Wed. This caused me to be out of action & unable to sit at my desk/work properly & a ton of anxiety. If I owe you email etc, I'm slowly catching up. And to competitors, you had your window but it is fast closing 🤣🤓🙃
11
1
123
Reasons to subscribe to my newsletter:
1. Links to everything I publish on TC & elsewhere.
2. Exclusive tech news analysis & behind the curtain look at my flavour of journalism.
3. Anecdotes from events & aspects of my life.
4. Funnies & industry rumours.
getrevue.co/profile/sohear
1
13
114
Free advice for founders:
When PRing funding, aside from a potential leak, the timing is in *your* control not your VC's.
In other words, PR should suit & respect your biz goals, strategy & existing press relationships, not the agenda of your new (stupid) VCs.
You're welcome.
7
15
113
If I cover your startup's early funding or launch when literally no one gave a fuck, only courteous to give me a heads up for future news.
7
2
108
So, once again, props to synthsandwood.co.uk/ - and let this serve as a reminder of how the internet brings people together and lets cool, niche boutique businesses and skills thrive to give us nice things and make the world a better place. HAPPY FRIDAY, PEOPLE!
11
8
109
The idea that UK tech needs more state aid is slightly bizarre to me considering the UK/European taxpayer is the biggest single LP (investor in VC funds) by far in Europe. What am I missing?
🚨In an email sent to DCMS staffers this week, Dominic Cummings confirmed he was looking at “ways we can build $1 trillion tech companies” in the UK.
Scoopy analysis w/ @shonaghosh
businessinsider.com/dominic-…
18
26
94
Tech is full of smart people, including many who claim to understand product/UX.
Why is it that almost no one has figured out that sending press releases as a PDF is terrible for journalists doing email on a mobile phone?
You have a tiny window of opportunity, don't PDF it.
13
6
104
Startup that spent a year perceived as fighting fires, reportedly ending with the hiring of a PR agency with crisis comms experience, wins award for 'startup of the year'.
Marketing should get a pay rise.
15
7
105
I'm quite enjoying the #FlattenTheCurve hashtag. If you haven't already figured it out I'm in a susceptible group with reduced respiratory capacity. I'm already social distancing; I started two weeks ago. Please consider how your actions can protect others 🙏 #HighRiskCovid19
3
6
104
A #fintech scoop from me. And proof I haven’t lost it in 2019. Yet.
1
21
107
I just calculated that I've done 10 and quarter years at TechCrunch in aggregate. That's a decade of my life steadfastly covering European startups & bleeding green, including when focusing on Europe was a pretty poor career choice.
So many stories along the way...
8
101
It's very easy to think the world is becoming less kind. But during the pandemic I've often felt the opposite. Lots of folk in tech have contacted me out of the blue, checking I'm Ok, offering to shop or have a social zoom while shield. When it's over, let's build back kinder.
2
5
101
Privately, I've been challenging investors and VCs to think more out of the box and invest beyond the usual suspects. Glad to see that Rohan Silva (@Silva) via Atomico's angel program blinked first.
medium.com/@rohansilva/inves…
4
10
91
People keep telling me they wish I was still a journalist. And when I say I don't miss journalism much, they seem disappointed.
So I want to say it here: I'm really happy at Zapp and with the other opportunities opening up, and it's just nice to focus on my own story for a bit.
7
95
PR: "Dear media partner"
Me: "We are not partners. We are adversaries in a war of truth."
Also me: "When does the embargo lift again? And did you already send images I can use?"
1
4
94
Lockdown 2, the sequel: unoriginal, poorly cast and directed, and hitting cinemas three weeks late. Overall, highly predictable plot.
1
6
92
I've been back at @TechCrunch for 6 years and it feels like I'm just getting started. Very grateful to be gainfully employed!
1
3
87
Sign up to my newsletter for exclusive content and analysis, and links to everything I publish each week
nitter.app/cards/oz2h…
4
10
88
Just 5 months later, Monzo (and the rest of press pack) confirms my scoop. Try to keep up people :D
Monzo, the UK challenger bank with over 2 million users, expands to the US tcrn.ch/2WC5lyH tip @techmeme
2
14
90
By the end of August, if all goes to plan, I would have made 4 angel investments via Atomico's angel programme, in addition to advising three startups for equity. Plus, of course, being a co-owner of Zapp! All things I could never do while being a journalist.
5
87
They sold their first startup to Facebook, moved to the US and stayed a while before returning to Europe to go again. This is how it should work!
Framer, the interactive design platform, scores $24M Series B led by Atomico tcrn.ch/2zIwbMi by @sohear
3
6
88
Me: Clubhouse is for losers.
Also me: I'm doing a Clubhouse on Thursday!
#fml
7
1
78
This is very sad news, my sympathy goes to all the hardworking employees affected.
Monzo to lay off up to 120 employees as the 'economic situation' remains challenging tcrn.ch/3gMu66K by @sohear
3
7
82
This *actually* is breaking news... #fintech
Another Monzo exclusive.
Monzo co-founder Tom Blomfield moves from UK CEO role to President tcrn.ch/2To34si by @sohear
5
15
79
Remember "glassholes"? What's ARkit equivalent for people aimlessly waiving their iPhone around trying to understand the world? ARseholes 🤔
5
11
75
VCs: I'm seeing lots of shitty behaviour by other VCs.
Me: Care to name names? Holding power to account is sort of why media exists and will help strengthen our industry in future.
VCs: Are you insane!? I don't want to upset the VC apple cart.
7
2
83
EXCLUSIVE: Railsbank is betting big on embedded finance with new $70M fundraise
Led by Anthos Capital, with Central Capital (VC arm of Indonesia’s largest private bank), Cohen and Company (founder of Bancorp), Chris Adelsbach’s Outrun Ventures, & existing investors.
#fintech
5
18
81
A #fintech follow on scoop from me.
The Sunday Times broke the story that Monzo is raising again but no one could get the name of the U.S. investor -- until now.
1
9
82
There are very few mysteries in life. But why somebody would pitch me at 6pm on a Friday night is certainly one of them.
9
1
77
Pretty decent scoop from me
Scape Technologies, the London-based computer vision startup, has been acquired by Facebook tcrn.ch/2S8a7oE by @sohear
2
6
79
“42% of Oxbridge places go to private school pupils”
This is also reflected in who works at McKinsey or an investment bank and therefore who gets VC funded in the UK.
Tech has done very little to reduce the UK’s institutional barriers to social mobility.
As someone who went to Cambridge, I can tell you there were A LOT of Eton and Westminster people there. Have friends who went to both but you can tell they're definitely over indexed bbc.co.uk/news/education-464…
8
19
70
My predictions for 2020:
1. Same old shit
2. Some new shit
3. And hopefully a bit less shit than 2019!
You're welcome, and happy new year to all you lovely people 🙃
1
75
I love how The Times calls TechCrunch the "specialist US online publication," while basically re-blogging my piece. Yes, m8.
thetimes.co.uk/article/monzo…
2
1
74
Here's a thought.
VCs & PR, instead of investing so much wasted human capital into content marketing or 'how to pitch the press' panels, please require all founders to take a basic media literacy course.
Before you try to utilise the media/journalism, understand what it is.
11
3
78
I made a joke on Clubhouse and for once enough people on stage had unmuted their mic for me to know it landed. This was life affirming.
8
74
For those who often find social media/online to be a slightly toxic place in recent times, I want to share a fun story, which will especially appeal to music tech geeks. Sorry in advance for the tweet storm.
5
18
71
I'm happy to have reached a stage of my career where I feel employable enough to increasingly say what I think. It's quite liberating.
4
78
Every UK journalist in fintech is going after the Monzo-Starling founder split story. It's quite cute to watch.
I know both sides in quite first hand detail. Some bits I've sat on for years out of respect/to protect primary sources. That said, we all knew this day would come.
13
1
79
CNBC, Business Insider, and The Telegraph all picked up on my Facebook acquisition scoop and all gave credit. That’s nice to see as it’s not always the case with media.
2
3
73
I'm so happy it's a bank holiday weekend. I have worked insanely hard the last few weeks (which I'm sure has been largely good for my mental health) but now I need to stop and recharge. Also I have new unnopen music gear to play with, which just isn't right!
5
74
Clubhouse so far. A lot of content is very dull but not all. Not sure why we'd expect different. CONTENT IS HARD.
BUT format is potentially genius cos it's effectively podcasting/streaming with almost ZERO friction.
And doesn't HAVE to be entirely one to many 👋
More soon.
8
4
65
Personal news: Together with @rachaelkbb (whom I persuaded to leave Google as my hire at Zapp), I've founded a strategy & comms firm, O'Hear & Co, to support startups, scale-ups & other digital companies with strategic comms, corporate PR and more. 🧵👇
prweek.com/article/1812696/e…
5
4
73
18,412
#fintech scoop number two for today.
The "fee-free" stock trading race is heating up, although (for now) @freetrade is the one with the UK license and launched product.
Trading app Robinhood is stealthily recruiting ahead of planned UK launch tcrn.ch/2COG7GN by @sohear
2
18
71
I joined Clubhouse. Should I start a Steve's ITK room to go with my newsletter? Ideas for how to kick it off or structure it are welcome.
15
70
... @t_blom is moving to founder/president of Monzo, so still very much in a leadership position. The "CEO" title has a very specific & legal meaning in a regulated UK bank, and with it a lot of mandatory responsibilities. So, arguably, comparisons aren't entirely like for like?
When should startup founders stop being CEOs?
sifted.eu/articles/should-st…
4
2
69
I think I've almost given up trying to teach difference between:
an announcement (typically widely circulated press release)
an exclusive (an announcement selectively given to one journalist/publication)
a scoop (something a journalist found out through their own volition).
6
4
69
So, @StarlingBank’s @AnneBoden has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to #fintech. Congratulations!
Probably a good time to reveal that Anne is turning the tables and interviewing me at next week’s Startup Grind Europe Conference.
4
9
68
3/3
This is the state we find ourselves in, where content is a commodity and actual journalism is so devalued that communication and PR consultancies get away with (and get paid for) punting this crap. Saddest thing is, someone will bite.
4
2
70
@MichaelDugher I'd ask yourself, what purpose did you hope writing that article would serve?
1
12
49
Barclays now doing account aggregation ie you can add accounts with competing banks to Barclays app.
This happened quicker than I suspected and is a feature most challenger banks don’t have! (Plenty of fintech aggregation apps do exist, of course).
Challengers: your move next!
12
14
69
So, UX specialist @PeteRamsey was CRAZY enough to open 12 UK bank accounts and 'log everything' ...
Here's my in-depth interview on Extra Crunch. techcrunch.com/2020/05/21/th…
@Monzo, @StarlingBank, @Revolut, @barclaysuknews, @santanderuk, @AskNationwide, @HSBC_UK, and more...
5
21
65
My publicist just left me a voice mail telling me that whatever I tweet today, do not refer to the MIDAS list as a VC circle jerk, so I'm definitely not going to do that.
2
1
68
A founder, whose startup I never got round to covering, emailed me to say the company had deadpooled after an investor pulled out. He had no agenda, wasn't seeking PR but just wanted to keep me in the loop.
I wish more founders - especially ones I have covered - would do this.
2
65
A number of reports are placing Monzo's new $2.5b valuation in the context of leapfrogging Revolut ($1.7b) and just behind Oaknorth ($2.8b). But what they fail to note is that the much older TransferWise via a secondary round is valued by private investors at a whopping $3.5b.
4
5
62
I really don't enjoy #coronavirus scoops, they are stressful and upsetting...
Monzo CEO won't take salary for 12 months after limited number of staff offered voluntary furlough tcrn.ch/2xG8Ihe via @techcrunch
4
7
61
All the money spent on consultancy firms, bailouts, eat out to help out (and spread the virus) etc., and third lockdown in, we still haven't got every kid who needs one a chromebook and data allowance. Add some extra one on one teacher support and things could be so much better.
7
4
66
One of my favourite London founders just told me: "If we didn't hate you a little bit you wouldn't be doing your job properly".
Charming 😇
2
1
64
Watch me call out City A.M. editor @ChristianJMay in front of a packed audience in Central Hall, Westminster for his borderline hate speech column on disabled people and an incorrect link to low economic productivity. 7 MONTHS LATER, STILL NO APOLOGY OR REDACTION.
3
12
60
This thread makes me mad. It's so upsetting that *some* people in medical and social fields can be the most ignorant on disability. A social worker almost jumped out of their seat a couple of years ago when I said I worked. I then berated them in the name of education.
1
56
I've read the go back to the office memo from one of the investors mentioned in this piece and fwiw I thought it stank.
CEOs lead startups, not investors. Time to innvoke the go fuck yourself clause IMHO. telegraph.co.uk/technology/2…
9
3
61
I'm pretty sure Santander just sent a press release (that's text) in the form of a JPEG (an image), making it impossible to copy/paste quotes etc.
Digital banking upstarts, fear not.
1
6
59
Just in:
@monzo now has 2 million current account customers, 18 months after launching its current account and about 4 years after founding the company.
The UK challenger bank says 3 in 100 people in the UK now use Monzo, and more than 35,000 new people sign up every week.
1
8
59
Big U.K. tech news
UK startup veteran and investor Wendy Tan White joins Google X as Vice President tcrn.ch/2sFpBDd by @sohear
7
5
62
This is *the* startup I'm most proud to have written about super early.
Incredibly honoured to be the winners of The EU Women Innovators Rising Stars Award!! 🤩🇪🇺✨
@EU_Commission
2
3
62
My Silicon Valley documentary is now FREE to stream on YouTube: insearchofthevalley.com (Please Like/RT etc.)
6
32
55
In my interview with @monzo founder @t_blom, he cautioned me not to get too caught up in the London fintech bubble.
Then afterwards he had his people send me a photo of him and @TransferWise founder @kaarmann looking peak Silicon Roundabout!
🤔🙃😂
techcrunch.com/2018/06/24/mo…
1
4
60
EF raises $115M new fund, aiming to create another 300-plus startups in the next three years tcrn.ch/2XcJBLu tip @techmeme
2
10
59
Starling is also disclosing 30,000 business accounts. As a point of reference, the much older SME banking app Tide has ~60k accounts. SME banking is one to watch (and arguably more broken than consumer banking).
Starling Bank, now with 460K consumer accounts, raises £75M more for European expansion techcrunch.com/2019/02/13/st… by @sohear
6
13
60
When Atomico asked what it would take to have me moderate a panel, I replied: as long as I'm the headline act, I'm in, unless of course you get an actual President.
Foiled again.
We are honoured to announce that President Emmanuel Macron will join tomorrow's 2020 State of European Tech report launch in a special fireside chat with our CEO Niklas Zennström about the future of tech in Europe.
Join us tomorrow while seats last!
hopin.com/events/2020-state-…
3
1
60
Digital banking startup Revolut raises $250M at a valuation of $1.7B – TechCrunch techcrunch.com/2018/04/25/re… tip @Techmeme
1
22
57
"How can you learn a new job on Zoom?" says British PM in this speech trailer.
I literally did just that - swapping careers and entering at a pretty high level in a new job. Sooooooo much learning. Seems to be working out alrighty 🤔⚡️🙌
Worked harder and with more impact than I think any other year in my life. We’re a remote organisation. This “get back to work” rubbish is so shallow.
9
3
55