My Site’s New Name (That’s Really Old)

As you can probably tell, my site no longer holds the name, “ScottDig,” instead, I’m now using the name of my original blog, “VentureDig.”

There are three reasons for the change:

1. Personal Branding: put simply, personal branding (aka ScottDig) is very hard because it represents a person (me) and not an idea; it’s not a movement–it was a nick name that I used to play off “VentureDig.” People love themes, topics and ideas; not other people lol. More on that here.
2. Growth: My blog, “ScottDig,” started out as a personal side-blog where I intended to write about whatever I felt like writing about. In reality, most of my topics were about venture capital. Thus, the move from ScottDig to VentureDig seems logical. The traffic that erupted from ScottDig towered over VentureDig (which started as a microblog, and later turned into a basic consulting website that you can still find here)
3. Name: ScottDig sounded cool… well, it did at first. However, I grew tired of it. Other people thought it was catchy; however, it’s hit a plateau in growth and focus. Although I never intended the blog to have focus, I’ve found that giving the blog a quick-glance stereotype can actually be a good thing. When you see the name “ScottDig,” you have no idea what it’s about. However, when you see the name, “VentureDig,” you can probably tell the blog’s main topics center around ventures and venture capital. Mine does, thus, VentureDig is the new brand.

What will change?

Nothing. You’ll still find venture capital ramblings, off-topic items on life, technology, book reviews and blasts about whatever I feel like blasting. I may run a series of campaigns about raising venture capital or startup tips; but, that’ll be in a month or two. I’m still profoundly interested in the venture capital sector, and how it will change.

History of The Names

August 2008: I bought VentureDig because I was fed up with the poor analysis provided in leading tech blogs on venture capital. VentureDig was going to be a blog about “Digging into ventures”

September 2008: The “digging” took a lot more time than initially anticipated. I decided to go in the exact opposite direction: a microblog. I founded the first ever microblog specifically for venture capitalists and entrerpreneurs, and rebranded it as “VentureDig.” It’s slogan was, “Pitch a venture that you dig!” You can read more here.

October 2008: VentureDig was doing quite well. The traffic was growing and the user generated content grew. This month also featured the launch of ScottDig, which I prided myself on having no focus. I blogged about whatever I wanted to.

November 2008: VentureDig suddenly plateaued and the blogging/media hype died down. This month also featured the biggest transformation in ScottDig–a new design, topics and the slogan, “Capital, Creativity, Culture.”

December 2008: VentureDig’s traffic was almost dead. It was putsing along, and I knew I had to either pull the plug, change the direction or re-engineer its focus. I decided to move VentureDig onto the platform, Yonkly. I then used “VentureDig,” as a website for my strategic advisory practice and services website placeholder. You can find that website here: http://grow.venturedig.com/

The month of December also featured a spike in ScottDig. I never imagined it to grow and attract an audience; but I’m pleased to say, it did. I started taking ScottDig more seriously and focusing my full efforts on it.

February 2008 – April 2009: These months centered around honing and cleaning up ScottDig’s theme, scheduling out posts and tinkering with its purpose.

May 2009 (Today): It now comes full circle, and I’ve decided to once again re-awaken the domain name “VentureDig,” hopefully through trial and error, this fourth attempt sticks. I know it will because I’m really not changing anything. The blog and community of ScottDig has grown first, and nothing’s changing.

Bottom line: I hope you enjoy the new name!

What To Expect

For those of you who haven’t checked out my about section lately, here’s what you can expect from VentureDig:

• Posting frequency: Every other day
• Topics: Venture Capital, Wine, Travel, Books, Tech and Life.
• Mantra: Write to sharpen the mind
• How Do You Have The Time for this? Weekends, nights and early mornings. In short, I don’t require much sleep.
• Purpose: This blog is where I allow my thoughts to disentangle themselves by putting them in writing. This blog’s future direction and topics will reflect my growth as an individual (if I do, indeed, grow, heh). Perhaps, further down the road I’ll be bringing on new writers that share my taste in balance. This blog’s not just about venture capital, it’s about the big picture.
• Nature of Writing: Quick rants, deep thought-out posts, and every piece of drivel in-between. There’s no standard, just spontaneous bursts of whatever I find interesting at the moment.
• How it Came About: This is my second attempt at blogging. My first blog failed miserably, as it had no purpose–I named it after my first business, which also failed lol (my first business was called, “Newport Venture Group, LLC”). Thus, with this blog, I’m leaving it slightly open. I’ll primarily be blogging about venture capital; however, I’ll also blog about whatever else interests me at the time.
• Getting Started: If you’re new, check out these posts: Wiki fund, Bootstrapping in a Depression, Reality Check, Purpose Driven Blogging, Clearing Your Mind, Scary Line To Be Crossed

Feedback

This is my first time redirecting a domain name. Although my run-through looks functional, and as if everything’s working, I don’t expect a flawless transition. If you’d be so kind as to let me know of any lingering links or things that I might have overlooked, I’d very much appreciate it.

Thanks for all the support and look forward to providing some new fascinating material!