The thoughts put here are my own thoughts. I’m not speaking/Responding on behalf of Pivot 25 but as a person who was involved in the process of planning.
After reading sub-tweeting for a while and being angry, one Iddsalim encouraged me to do a right of response - Not to be a pussy blogger - as he put it. So why am I ranting? Read this article:
Honestly, the author of this article is really misinformed. Am not seeking to justify his misinformation but clear the air and put things straight. I was partially involved in the process. What do I mean? The site Pivot25 was done under my keen watch as a PM for the web-platform.For those who have worked with one Jay Bhalla and Erik Hersman, know this people are sharp, fast and are keen to detail. Am not ass-kissing as most of you will say, but talking from experience. This two people having been the driving force behind this event and have sacrificed enough time, money and energy to put together this event. Building the online portfolio for the event was not easy, with the site having constant updating et al. Trust me for the people who attend the event, will have a blast and a time of their lives as this is the first event of its kind and its targeting the mobile developers.
Now onto the thorny issue. The author took the liberty to talk about details he has no idea about. That is, finances of the event and many other improperly stated facts .To begin with, I have a couple of questions I would like to ask:
a) Who said all the sponsors presented here, provided money? Does he have any hard facts to prove this?
b) The figures he gave of 20m, how did he arrive at that cost? Any person who has done events knows there are costs. These are prizes (This event was giving away a top prize of $25,000 and a fully paid trip to DEMO at a cost of $25,000 and then each winner per the 5 categories (And not 6 as said) takes home $5,000).Then the events costs in terms of PR and printing and publicity? The venue itself, Ole Sereni, had a quote that was higher than the quoted figure in the ticket funds claimed in the story. I wonder where these figures were coming from.
c) The 114 sponsors, I seem to have missed the bus or counting for me is a problem. Just going by the logos provided my count comes to 16.I know this cause I PM the process, again a fact that was stated incorrectly.
d) Jay is there to provide the logistics and ensure the event goes on smoothly. The event is an mLab Initiative backed by Nokia, InfoDev, World bank and World Wide Web Foundation. I wonder whether he knows that.
e) Again, I find the author very racist. Does he have a good platform to verify what Jay has done in the ICT space? We judge people not by the "tough" talk but what you have done. And really, does the skin color have to make you African or for that matter Kenyan?
There are so many incorrect things stated in the post. I wonder whether the author contacted Jay to give more info before he started name calling. I believe in freedom of speech and I believe, we all have a right to express ourselves, but when talking about particular things that you have no clue about, then do a good research (you can even use insiders) and then blog about it. When you blog incorrect, racist and absurd information and expect to get credit for "whistle-blowing" then you give the people who blog hard facts a bad image. I have seen Jay put the event one after another, from getting the sponsors, to event logistical management, we need to give credit where it’s due.
Another thing am happy about is we are having this awards for local developers, the first event of its own kind, where we appreciate our own for doing a great job. When you get people who trash this initiatives, I wonder what initiative we will do that we will be proud of. Let us learn to see the positive side of things, having problems with everything and everyone, talking trash with no hard facts, makes you not only look pathetic but make you look like gutter-press.
And lastly, Jay hasn't paid me half the loot he is claimed to have pocketed nor am not kissing ass to write this, but the desire to tell the truth.
