HD Trade Services (YC S12) Lets Small Logistics Providers Track Shipments

techcrunch.com

46 points·dsugarman··2 comments

I wish I didn't have to read Techcrunch's hollow journalism to learn about the latest YC class, because many of them seem like legitimate business cases working on fairly ambitious ideas.

The problem is, every Techcrunch post about a YC startup reads like a press release; completely devoid of any independent research, analysis, or, well, journalism. This author's most insightful analysis about the market is that "shipping and distribution" are "an essential part" of global trade. Wow! I never thought about it that way!

What's the size of the "small logistics services providers" market, who are the major potential customers and partners? How hard will it be to compete with established players like UPS and FedEX? How much is the company charging for the product? Isn't it ridiculous that the founder thinks he can pull a viral coefficient of 50?

I know this is nothing new, but seriously Techcrunch: you can do better than this.

The startups need TC to reach other publications, but maybe there's a market for a YC (or all major accelerator) focused journalist who does in depth interviews and analysis of each startup. I'd trust an entrepreneur or investor in that role, rather than a journalist.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com