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Techcruch Crunchies - Blogcatalog - Best Bootstrapped Startup

Posted by AndyBeard • 11/20/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blogcatalog, crunchies, techcrunch

I have just nominated Blogcatalog for a Techcrunch "Crunchies" award as the best bootstrapped startup.

Unlike most social networks, Blogcatalog hasn't had huge amounts of money poured into it from venture capital, yet the founders spend a huge amount of time helping other bloggers, and helping charities through Bloggers Unite.

Thus Blogcatalog is a great choice for Best Bootstrapped Startup and you can vote for them just by clicking this link and voting.

zi.ma/vote-for-blogcatalog

There are lots of other categories

Who are you going to vote for in other categories?
Why did you make that choice?

I am sure lots of people will discover new sites if everyone lists at least 3 of their other votes.

User Comments

11/20/08

thegoodknife

Thanks for the nomination Andy!

[reply]
11/20/08

webmarketingdesign

I agree - Blogcatalog is a super choice for Best Bootstrapped Startup - Got my vote.

[reply]
11/20/08

pointlessbanter

I voted

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11/20/08

cooper

cool I'm in.

[reply]
11/20/08

jaffermaniar

Hope this will carry a lot of weight - coming form an influential blogger like you !
I just got my vote counted !

[reply]
11/20/08

timethief

Yay! Thanks Andy. I'm with you BC is the Best Bootstrapped Startup and I just voted to say so. Come on members get those votes in and keep this post at the top of the forum.

[reply]
1. 12/09/08
  
  timethief
  
  Please cast your vote & keep this post at the top of the forum.
11/20/08

crpitt

I voted

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11/20/08

wilbau

Voted.

[reply]
11/20/08

TonyB

Andy .... thank you.

[reply]
11/20/08

DaneMorgan

hey Andy!

Long time no read. How ya doin, man?

[reply]
1. 11/21/08
  
  AndyBeard
  
  Hi Dane
  
  Been a long time since I have written anything to read on the blog, just the occasional tweet. Keeping busy on that "big project"
11/20/08

TonyB

A bit of background about BC to help you decide if to vote for the BC community.

BlogCatalog is a total bootstrapped run company. Since the beginning we have taken most of the revenues from ads and membership upgrades and invested the money back into this place to make it better for our members.

Without any venture capitalists, or borrowing any money the site now gets over 200,000 visitors a day and ranks in the top 1000 busiest sites according to Quantcast and lately for Alexa.

A lot of the phenomenal growth has to do with the BC members who blogged about BC and have told friends about the site and the community .

Im sure there are other other boostrapped companies that have had the type of community and traffic growth that we've had though I don't know any of them in the blogging community space. We've never spent money on marketing, don't have a marketing group or even a person on our team who focuses on promoting blogcatalog.

The reason I say this is Id greatly appreciate it if you would vote for BlogCatalog. I think winning this contest would be of great benefit to BlogCatalog as we'd be able to make this place even better.

Thanks,

Tony

[reply]
11/20/08

adventmardani

i follow voted

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11/20/08

harleyblues

ahhhh Collio you got my vote I love this place!

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11/20/08

kweenkong

Best of luck! BC provides an excellent service and value!

[reply]
1. 11/20/08
  
  TonyB
  
  Without the community this place would be nothing. It's a vote for you guys.
11/20/08

wrongmove18

voted!

[reply]
11/20/08

SocialButterfly

I voted! I think you guys are awesome!

[reply]
1. 11/21/08
  
  TonyB
  
  We think you are awesome too!
11/20/08

Anok

Did someone say boots?!

I'm IN!

(yes, I voted )

[reply]
11/20/08

bloggingmix

Done.

[reply]
11/21/08

voodooKobra

Voted.

[reply]
11/21/08

weemundo

Voted

It shall spread across Twitter asap

P.s - you can add me on Twitter - twitter.com/weemundo and yeah Remember to RT this nomination

[reply]
11/21/08

Arcticulates

I tried to vote just now and keep getting this:

Bad Gateway
The proxy server received an invalid response from an upstream server.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache/2.0.54 Server at vote.crunchies2008.techcrunch.com Port 80

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  Please try again because I checked it and it's working for me.
11/21/08

rainrow

I voted

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11/21/08

acousticguitarist

There's a bad gateway error appearing at the moment

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11/21/08

kath

I voted too !

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11/21/08

TonyB

crunchies2008.techcrunch.com/nominations/?nominee=Blogcatalog&category=2

[reply]
11/21/08

jan4insight

I voted!

[reply]
1. 11/21/08
  
  AngieA
  
  Thank you Jan4
11/21/08

sriraminhell

Done!!

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11/21/08

dosox

Voted..

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11/21/08

wanadamsyah

I always support them, i voted already

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11/21/08

exModia

Done!

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11/21/08

Theresa111

Andy,

Yes, I voted. What a great idea to have these congratulatory celebrations. BlogCatalog is my cyber hang out of choice. It is filled with such a diverse array of talented bloggers. It offers so much more than all of the other social communities.

As always, it is lovely to see you again. Cheers.

[reply]
11/21/08

MadameX

I saw that the site offers badges we can place to suggest nominating our sites--but what about this one? Can we all get a "vote for BC" badge for our blogs?

[reply]
1. 11/21/08
  
  AndyBeard
  
  This is the nomination stage, I believe they will also have a "final" for each category of 5 sites.
  I would think if BC get through to the final 5, then it would be a wonderful gesture for members to add something to their blogs or alternatively for Blogcatalog to temporarily modify existing widgets with a voting link in some tasteful way.
  
  The current Techcrunch "widget" is the badge I posted linking through to the link posted.
  
  p.s. I used a tracking link from zi.ma which is like TinyURL but with some tracking stats.
  So far that link has been clicked 68 times, though I am not sure whether that is all from here, of whether the tracking link was tweeted.
  
  Great job if all those 68 people voted!
11/21/08

PRand

done and good luck!

[reply]
11/21/08

PetMono

done and good luck! woof!

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11/21/08

wastedlola

done and done!

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11/21/08

SGE

Got my vote to!

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11/21/08

shravan1000

voted!

[reply]
11/21/08

Arcticulates

Yeah! I got on and voted!

[reply]
1. 11/22/08
  
  Theresa111
  
  Nice avatar.
11/21/08

CarolC

Nominated! click :o) Thank you BC for all that you do!!

[reply]
11/21/08

surfthearts

BC (British Columbia) voted for BC!

[reply]
11/21/08

maryse

I voted Tony!

[reply]
11/21/08

BarbaraZak

Done...great job BC!

[reply]
11/21/08

blackzero85

Voted.

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11/22/08

kaposlogisztika

I voted

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11/22/08

COOLINGSTAR9

Hi, I voted also.

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11/22/08

bladeaxe4

v.o.t.e.d !

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11/22/08

gosmelltheflowers

Voted - Thnx Mr Beard!

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11/22/08

dratiffarid

I just voted.

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11/22/08

BPWebNews

Well deserved, all around. My vote's in.

[reply]
11/22/08

wehireu

You are doing great with so little startup capital. Did you start in someones garage or kitchen?

I nominated you...

[reply]
11/23/08

weemundo

Bump.

When is the last date ?

[reply]
1. 11/23/08
  
  bladeaxe4
  
  "Readers can vote once a day until nominations end Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Midnight PST."
11/30/08

AndyBeard

Just voted again

[reply]
1. 11/30/08
  
  legbamel
  
  You can nominate more than once?!
2. 12/02/08
  
  AndyBeard
  
  You can vote once every 24hrs
3. 12/03/08
  
  thegoodknife
  
  nominations end Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Midnight PST.
11/30/08

blinkingeyes

nice stuff

[reply]
12/03/08

libdrone

voted, yay BC!

[reply]
12/03/08

legbamel

Wow! They're up to 77k nominations. Go BC!

[reply]
12/06/08

weemundo

BUMP !

[reply]
12/07/08

weemundo

Bump again , keep voting

[reply]
12/07/08

bladeaxe4

yup voted ! "Readers can vote once a day until nominations end Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Midnight PST."

[reply]
12/07/08

legbamel

Woo! 115k, now. Only a few days left.

[reply]
1. 12/07/08
  
  AndyBeard
  
  That is 115k votes in total for all sites and categories.
  
  Based on the zi.ma URL shortener I used, and their click tracking stats, we have had around 150 clicks through from this thread, though some will have clicked the "clean" link.
  
  I would love to think that is enough for the final 5, but startup founders can be very enthusiastic in encouraging friends to vote etc.
  150 votes is only 15 people voting 10 times.
12/09/08

TonyB

1 more day and the voting is over

[reply]
12/09/08

TonyB

1 more day and the voting is over

[reply]
1. 12/09/08
  
  timethief
  
  Wow there's only 1 day left bloggers so get your vote in ASAP
12/10/08

NINE

I didn't realize you could vote again every day... it would be a shame if blogcatalog didnt get through the nomination phase.

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  @Nine,
  Oh no. I never knew that. I assumed that our IP's would be noted and that we were only allowed to vote once.
  
  Edit: I have only voted once and just checked it out again. This was the result:
  
  "You've already nominated someone for this category! Check back again in 24 hours!"
2. 12/10/08
  
  NINE
  
  Oh yea that's what I meant by everyday... every 24 hours. I thought you could only vote once ever originally.
3. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  Me too ... all those lost days that I could have voted on if only I had known grieve me
12/10/08

chrissymarie321

I voted....

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  Good
12/10/08

Arcticulates

At least I gotta couple votes in! I will try again later and see if the 24 hour period has ended yet.. Tho it may be too late to try again. I hope BC wins... fingers and toes crossed...

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  Good for you - I wish I'd known about this your can vote every day bit sooner
12/10/08

hatingtherain

i got 2 votes in

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  Great!
12/10/08

weemundo

Voted yet again

Keeeeeep voting !

[reply]
1. 12/10/08
  
  timethief
  
  @weemundo
  Good on you! Readers can vote once a day until nominations end Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Midnight PST.