I generally agree with Jason's sentiments.

However, given how Jason feels that startups should NEVER have to pay to be in a room full of investors... then why charge $1500 per ticket for Techcrunch?!

Surely all the budding entrepreneurs should get into Techcrunch for FREE!!!

After all that $1500 could go along way toward their start-up right?

but they chose to give it to Techcrunch in order to network (i.e, in the case of Techcrunch people see value in giving a large chunk of money to be in a room with lots of investors and well networked people)