BOB GARFIELD: At some point isn't it just better to divest yourself so that the issue [of conflicting interests] just goes away?
MICHAEL ARRINGTON: Yeah. So I announced two months ago, three months ago, that I'm actually going to divest myself of any interest in any start-ups. The funny thing is, I think friend conflicts of interest ? because I have so many friends that are sources ? are way more powerful than the few thousand dollars I've invested in a couple of start-ups.
Really, as long as people are accurately disclosing these conflicts in the articles they write, each and every one, I think at least the readers know what?s going on, and that?s the important thing.
BOB GARFIELD: All right. Mike, you've shamed me into confessing when you buy an On the Media tee-shirt or a coffee mug [SIGHS], we get a cut of the profits.
MICHAEL ARRINGTON: [LAUGHS] Well, as long as you disclose that in any articles about TechCrunch, I think that you?re going to be just fine.