I am happy and proud to announce with Daniel Newman, CEO of Futurum Group, an agreement under which Futurum has agreed to acquire Techstrong Group. The combination of these organizations will create a new, powerful force in the world of tech analysis and media that will scale great heights and do tremendous things.
Even though I will continue to man the helm at Techstrong, today’s announcement is a marking stone to a new era. It was a little over 10 years ago I decided to start a tech media company dedicated to DevOps, on the advice of my friends Brad Feld and Rajat Bhargava.
After spending almost 20 years in the world of software, infrastructure and security startups, I was done being a vendor. After leaving StillSecure, I performed consulting for several security vendors and end users and spoke at many events. But I was so sure that DevOps was going to change the landscape that I decided to try my hand as a publisher to build a “big tent” to the myriad voices in DevOps.
I believed DevOps was going to be the best thing to happen to security (or cyber, as it is called now) for a long time. I had already decided that if the DevOps site went well, we would follow up with a cybersecurity site using the Security Creators Network. One day, perhaps, I will write a book about the actual goings on behind all of this and how we accomplished it without raising any money and were profitable from day one.
These past 10 years have been possibly the best of my life. My children grew up and went away to college and beyond. My wife Bonnie and I have seen our horizons expanded beyond what we had only dared to dream. I have traversed the globe (probably several times) and seen much of what this world has to offer.
My greatest pleasure, though, has been growing Techstrong to what it is today. Not just the company, but the people. I have been blessed to be able to help so many people realize their dreams, grow their careers and live their lives in ways they couldn’t have before—in ways great and small, to help them be their best. This is what I am most proud of and grateful for.
I’ll tell you what else I am proud of and grateful for: You! Allowing us to be your source of technical information and getting to know so many of you over the years has enriched my life beyond description. No matter where I travel in the world, I know I have friends and acquaintances to make my visit even better. I could never thank you enough for that. Building our friendship has been an extraordinary experience, along with building our relationship with clients.
“As a longstanding client, we have collaborated with the Techstrong team to consistently create high-value and engaging research studies, webinars, and events. Alan Shimel successfully established a media organization squarely focused on the software development and security industry,” says Sacha Labourey, co-founder and chief strategy officer, CloudBees. “We are eager to experience the enhanced opportunities that the merger of Techstrong and The Futurum Group will offer CloudBees, particularly in terms of technology-focused research and access to its executive-level audience.”
Now to the next chapter. The winds of change are blowing and have been for more than a year. I have always believed that with change comes opportunity. In even less time than I built Techstrong, Daniel and the Futurum team have built a very successful business. Over the last months and weeks, it’s become crystal clear that our businesses are complementary in so many ways. As we said in our joint announcement, the synergies here are ballistic.
Media—especially tech media—and the analyst world are undergoing profound change. New technology, new consumption habits and new requirements for influence and growth are creating seismic shocks. Yesterday’s leaders are grasping for handholds to steady and support them through the turbulence. Every time these cycles play out, great successes emerge. We are on the cusp of such greatness again. Adding Techstrong to the Futurum Group’s existing business has positioned Futurum to dominate our space.
I am excited for this new chapter. Our mission is to build the leader in tech analysis and media, delivering next-generation results and content to market. We will need your help and support. Please join me, Daniel Newman and the rest of the team as we set sail to go where no tech analyst/media firm has gone before (cue the Star Trek theme)!
