Red Herring Magazine
Red Herring Magazine is a company.
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Leadership Team
Key people at Red Herring Magazine.
Red Herring Magazine is a company.
Key people at Red Herring Magazine.
Red Herring Magazine was a pioneering print publication launched in 1993 that chronicled the digital revolution, with a sharp focus on venture capital, startups, public markets, and technology's broader societal impacts[1][2][3]. Its tagline, “The Business of Technology,” captured its insider perspective on tech entrepreneurialism, blending critical analysis with an evangelistic tone for innovation; it grew rapidly during the dot-com boom, publishing thick monthly issues, hosting major events, and running an early daily news website, before collapsing amid the 2001 bust[1][3].
At its peak around 2000, the magazine employed hundreds across offices in three cities, generated up to $87 million in annual ad revenue from tech firms and banks, and influenced the venture capital community as a must-read for elites[1][3]. However, post-bubble ad revenue plummeted to $15.6 million, leading to layoffs, failed sale attempts, and final closure in 2003 under RHC Media, with 31 staff losing jobs[3]. Note that any current "Red Herring" news site or events business bears no relation to this original publication[1].
Red Herring was founded in 1993 by Tony Perkins, before tech journalism mainstreamed, with an initial ethos of skepticism toward industry hype—famously avoiding heavy Internet coverage during the 1995-1998 buildup and publishing *The Internet Bubble* in 1999, which predicted the "dot-bomb"[1][2]. Starting small with 30 people in San Francisco's Hamm’s building, it expanded explosively by 2000 into plush multi-city offices, fueled by dot-com ad dollars and events[1].
Key figures included early managing editor Debbie Gravitz, designer Roger Black, photographer Bart Nagel, and later alumni like Jason Pontin (editor), Joanna Pearlstein, Peter Rojas (Gizmodo/Engadget founder), and Owen Thomas[1]. Owned briefly by IDG before shifting to RHC Media, it navigated extravagances like staff massages and catered lunches amid the boom, but publisher decisions and the bubble burst ended it abruptly[2][3].
Red Herring rode the 1990s digital revolution wave alongside *Wired* and *The Industry Standard*, amplifying VC-driven startup culture during the dot-com boom when tech ad spend exploded[1][3]. Its timing capitalized on pre-bubble hype, influencing ecosystem narratives by evangelizing entrepreneurialism while warning of excesses—e.g., foretelling the crash that validated its skepticism[2].
Market forces like surging VC investments favored it until the 2001 bust, 9/11 fallout, and scandals dried ads, exposing vulnerabilities of boom-dependent media; it highlighted how independents struggled post-bubble, paving the way for consolidated tech coverage today[2][3].
The original Red Herring's legacy endures as a dot-com era artifact: a cautionary tale of hype-fueled growth and rapid demise, with its critical voice echoed in alumni careers shaping modern tech journalism. No revival appears likely, as the brand name now floats untethered to unrelated ventures[1]. Trends like AI-driven media and sustainable VC models may inspire similar outlets, but in a fragmented digital landscape, its print-era influence won't recur—yet it reminds us that tech's "best parties" always risk perfect storms.
Key people at Red Herring Magazine.
