Ben Bergman, Senior Correspondent at Insider Inc.
Ben is an American journalist in the tech industry. He shares insights from his career in journalism and the VC landscape.
“I grew up in Seattle next door to two of the most iconic tech companies, Microsoft and Amazon, so I was adjacent to tech from an early age.
Ever since I was in elementary school, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. As a kid, I wrote a neighborhood newsletter and was an on-air reporter for what became Radio Disney. In college, I was an intern at the New York Times and after I graduated I was hired on a three-month contract at NPR that ended up lasting eight years.
After many years as a reporter and producer in public radio, I got accepted to the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship at Columbia Business School. I came out of that program wanting to be much more specialized.
A lot of people can write well or host a podcast, but what's truly valuable is your subject matter expertise and your contacts. I wanted to cover tech and VCs because that’s where all the action is.
I was hired by Spencer Rascoff as the first employee of Dot.LA to cover tech and VC in LA. Then after a year and a half, I was hired by Insider to cover tech and VC nationally.”
What are some trends in the consumer sector that you’ve noticed during your coverage?
“It’s a tough market for consumer brands right now mainly because of the incredibly high customer acquisition costs. There is that unwillingness from VCs to keep funding unprofitable startups.
You're seeing once high-flying VC-backed brands like Allbirds really struggle as consumer tastes change. So with VCs, there's a lot of wariness to invest into consumer brands these days.”
Definitely. That’s why consumer-focused funds are now investing in consumer infrastructure, with B2B Saas models.
“Yes, B2B Saas is not very glamorous but the economics can work out better if you're trying to achieve venture returns.”
Is there an investor that you’ve covered for Insider that you admire?
“I admire the VCs who are quick to respond and aren't afraid to tell me what’s really going on at VC funds and startups.”
What are some challenges with being a tech journalist?
“Everything I write has to be new and original so I have to come up with great stories that others have not written. It’s one thing to hear a rumor or someone’s account, but getting it fact-checked and verified takes a lot of work.”
Where do you get your news from and what are some of your favorite publications?
“I start by seeing what my colleagues are writing about for Insider in the business and tech section. Twitter, now X, has definitely gone downhill, but it's indispensable for seeing what other tech writers are covering and what's going on in the minds of founders and VCs. I think The Information also does a great job covering tech.
I always read the New York Times on my phone and usually have CNBC on in the background. When I'm in the car, I listen to NPR, Pivot, or All-In. And the New Yorker, of course, is still the gold standard for print journalism.”
Where is your favorite travel destination?
“Since I can work from anywhere, I travel a lot. I'm somewhat fanatical about Japan and am planning my fourth ski trip there this winter. It's a combination of the best snow in terms of both quality and quantity. Besides the great snow in the winter, you also have great food and infrastructure.
I enjoy going to Niseko, which is where most Westerners ski, but I love exploring new regions like Tohoku, where they only speak Japanese.”
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