Om Malik has died

About 11 years ago, I cold-emailed Om for his guidance. I was an absolute nobody, living thousands of miles away. Not only did Om patiently explain how I should think about my career, he kept in touch over the past decade checking in on how I was doing. I left journalism last year to do something else -- coincidentally, again, following Om's footsteps -- and had been meaning to write a long email, sharing so much. I deeply regret missing the chance to have another conversation with him.

Om has been deeply impactful to my journalism career and beyond. He was way too kind and leaves a big vacuum.

Oh wow. What?! Just this morning I had an occasion to go thru his site/blog.

Still can't believe it. 60 is too young.

I met Om finally in 2013-ish at one of his GigaOm events in the SF Bay Area. Before that, I had been a long time reader of his GigaOm blogs and other writings at Fast Company, Red Herring, Light Reading, and elsewhere, including his book Broadbandits. He was one of the few bloggers / reporters who wrote it as he saw it; his takes were often brutally honest and pointed. He called upon the excesses of various telecom execs during the dot-com and telecom bust of 2000-2001/2. His book Broadbandits is basically an invective of the go-go days of telecom companies' incestuous deals (now seen in the AI companies too).

I had a few more occasions to meet him at dinners around the Bay Area. He was always gracious, and listened intently to what people said. As a venture partner, he focused on the people (founder) and their stories much more on the businesses.

I had heard about his troubles with his heart (~age 40-ish), which made him turn his life around to focus on only a few things that brought him joy - writing, photography, travels.

He will be missed. RIP, Om.

--- (Update: the book is Broadbandits (not Telecom Bandits, as I mistakenly wrote)

I’ll share my favorite Om story.

It was 2010 and we were launching Twilio SMS. I went over to his office to pitch him the story, hoping we would cover the launch. He listened for 10 minutes while I walked through it, then said

“Yeah yeah I’ll write about it. But I want to talk about your health. Are you taking care of yourself? You could lose some weight…”

He wanted everybody to learn from his health journey. While mostly I wanted him to cover our news, and it was terribly awkward… walking home, I realized it was nice to be seen as a person not just a founder, a startup or a tech story.

This is devastating. Om was the godfather of early tech blogging and lifted up so many people around him. He was kind, caring and compassionate.

When I first started blogging around 25 years ago, he would have been amongst the first 10 readers. He linked to me, emailed me privately with feedback, praised posts and would call bullshit when he saw it.

He was never competitive with other blogs or bloggers and was never tied up in drama. He was very often a mediator in behind the scenes conflicts and was obsessed with truth over getting the scoop.

He loved tech and startups and most of all loved seeing other succeed and didn't have a gram of resentment within himself.

Everybody from that post-dotcom crash era of tech owes Om a large debt of gratitude. He will be missed. RIP Om.

Why hasn't HackerNews changed the color of the top bar? I thought they did that to honor folks in the tech industry that died.

He was a genuinely good person, and a genuinely honest voice, in an industry that had very few back when he was one of its pioneers, and has far, far fewer of those things today. A lot of people will write nice words about Om, and he deserves them, but a lot of those people won't necessarily live the values that they admire about him, because that's a lot harder to do.

He was unfailingly kind, but he did not ever compromise on doing the right thing, or calling out moral failings. It's a wonderful tribute to him to see so many people talk about how Om supported them, or opened doors for them, or lifted up their careers; I think the thing we owe him is not just to carry that work forward, but to do it with the same character, conscience and consistency of principle that he did.

GigaOM was truly awesome at its best. Om was a special guy, I met him a few times during my years in the Bay Area. He really embodied that selflessly-helping side of the Valley: helping others with no expectations, just because it’s good. He helped one of my startups get some exposure. I keep trying to pay it forward. I will miss him.

Alas https://om.co/2026/06/08/taking-a-few-days-off/

"My favorite thing Om wrote was actually an interview with Brunello Cucinelli in 2015. And to this day, I think it’s the single best thing you can read on running a business. Better than any book, better than any article." -Jason Fried

https://om.co/2015/04/27/brunello-cucinelli-2/

One of the regrets I have is not following through when Om messaged to hang out a couple of months ago. A painful reminder to take some time off your busy lives to catch up with old friends. You never know if you’ll get another chance.

"I like to write like a human, steering clear of jargon and B-school speak."

https://om.co/about/

https://om.co/2020/07/30/write-like-a-human/

This was his last post: https://om.co/2026/06/08/taking-a-few-days-off/ He seemed to know that something wasn’t right. I really loved his writing.

Rest in peace.

Very sad reading his penultimate blog post: https://om.co/2026/06/08/taking-a-few-days-off/

Wow, Om was one of my first bosses. It’s hard to separate my memory of him from the era; he defined it. I have such nostalgia for both. He loved tech and startups… not buzzy tabloid stuff, but true journalism. A lot of people may not know GigaOM, but he helped shape a generation of tech.

Thanks for everything, Om. I was a fan before I worked for you, loved my time on Pier 1 in SF, and have always appreciated your steadfast love for technology.

I still remember him being one of the best writers about tech (a bit more than "journalism" in that a lot of it was of more evergreen value...) from the dotcom boom and then the peak "interesting" web apps period (2004-~2015 or so, when AJAX/etc was still new, and things hadn't calcified so much). Didn't know about his later health issues, I assumed he had just moved on to other interests naturally. RIP.

I’m too young and too far away from the Valley to have ever met Om or been influenced by his early blogging work. However, I have avidly followed his blog ever since I came across it maybe 10 years ago. I love his writing. So crisp and honest, yet it had depth. His blog was one of the few I’d look forward to every day. I was waiting for him to return after he promised he’d do so in his last blog post. I certainly didn’t expect this. Om Shanti, Om. You will be missed.

Personally, it's sad news for me and many other founders Om helped.

Back in 2008, my company, TringMe, was making news with browser-based telephony. We had been covered by TechCrunch, but never by GigaOM. So I decided to email Om directly and ask, half-jokingly, "Are we not worth your time?" I also asked if he had any advice.

He apologized, explained that health issues had limited his writing, assured me it was never personal, and then offered a simple piece of advice: "Bring me fresh and exclusive information."

We took that advice seriously. Our next launches, VoicePHP and the first Mobile VoIP app for BlackBerry, were both covered by GigaOM.

What I remember is not the coverage, but the kindness in his reply. He did not have to respond to a founder he barely knew, let alone with honesty, encouragement, and actionable advice. We stayed in touch after that.

Thank you, Om. Rest in peace.

A tragic loss. Amongst his many other talents, Om was a wonderful photographer; you can see some of his photos at Glass: https://glass.photo/om

I liked the mid-2000s, gigaom and techcrunch actually had articles worth reading (not all, TC got sorta gossipy rag at one point). Om's were generally well thought out.

Malik means king and this guy was / is one of the kings of tech journalism and writing. RIP

This is so sad to see. I consider myself lucky to have worked with Om for a few days as he was advising the company I was working for during a big growth stage. I'll always remember his kindness and wisdom.

Om and I went a long way back. I tried to convince him RSS was the way journalism could escape capture by Big Tech. In retrospect, showing him the ad-blocking features of my feed reader might not have been the most persuasive...

He was a tremendously funny character. What's little known about him was he was a bag fiend just as much as a camera lover. A big chocolate enthusiast as well, until his heart troubles forced him to be more careful.

You will be missed.

I started out as journalist so I always appreciated great writing when I reinvented myself as a tech entrepreneur. There were three writers beginning in the nineties who were my tech troika: Kevin Kelly, George Gilder and Om Malik. Sadly now the only one still writing regularly is Kevin Kelly.

I remember watching GigaOm on Revision3 back in the day, I think I stumbled upon it via Diggnation... nope I think it was CrankyGeeks actually.

It was the first newsletter I actually subscribed to back in the day! Sad to hear about his passing, his appearances on podcasts introduced me to the more business side of tech where I was just a hobbyist teen at the time.

RIP

I really encourage people to go through his writing, there's a lot of wisdom in there.

Oh no. Rest in peace Om. We interacted a few times back in the Web 2.0 back when I’d write for ReadWriteWeb.

You were one of the sharpest writers in the scene. You understood product, builders. You had empathy, and so much less ego than everyone.

I always looked up to your insights. I knew that you took the time and care to think. Thanks for sharing all that.

So sad. :(

Om was off my radar for the last 10 years or so, and then I recently encountered an article he wrote (https://om.co/2023/02/05/why-modern-leica-m-is-a-great-lands...) about his adoption of Leica M cameras. He had a wonderful eye: https://www.photosbyom.com/

I knew Om when I was an ankle-biter writing for a Gawker blog. He was gracious and generous. Felt like everybody's favorite uncle. I hope I can be as kind to others as he was to me.

I interacted with Om a few times. Genuinely good soul. I met him a while back - about ~15 years or so. In spite of his busy schedule he took time out to speak with me. Gave me some valuable tips on startup world. I don't say this about a lot of people but the world is less of a place without Om. You were way too young to leave us Om. I will miss you.

Sidenote: In the heydays i.e. about 15-20 years back or so Techcrunch and GigaOm were competitors. Techcrunch was founded by Michael Arrington, known for his brusque and no holds barred blogs and barbs. He would roast his competitors alive, if he could. Well, all except Om. For Om, Micheal had nothing but praise.

> Malik was also a frequent guest on the former CrankyGeeks podcast with John C. Dvorak.

That takes me back, he was always great on that show.

I paused to read whenever a new Om’s essay popped up in the RSS feed; for me, Om was an uniquely observant voice of tech, who never compromised and always looked at the world from a human perspective.

This has been one of my favorite ones, reminding us to simply remain human in the face of incentive systems pushing us away from that goal: https://om.co/2026/04/08/banksy-satoshi-the-unmasking-impuls...

Om was attentive to details and generous to share - when he discovered my weather app (https://x.com/om/status/1579948290745176064), he was so kind as to write a whole article about it, without me asking for it in any way: https://om.co/2022/10/11/weathergraph/

I was so proud to be able to send Om a lifetime license. I wish he had gotten several more decades of use out of it.

Thank you, Om!

Nostalgic post from back in the day when he wrote an RIP post for a friend, Dean Allen.

https://om.co/2018/01/18/dean-allen-rest-in-peace/

I had started blogging (on blogspot!) those days and like many others, I also used to follow Om's articles on RSS.

I still remember very clearly coming across his article where he had linked to my blog. I felt on top of the world! Because why would a renowned SV journalist link to a lowly blog?

I'm quite sure that my reason to continue blogging over all these years can be attributed to that small gesture.

Just the title here has me transported to a time and place long forgotten.

Thank you, Om.

Om Malik was the guy who had the biggest influence on the direction of my life, by far. It was through him I met Naval Ravikant in 2007, and then through Naval I met my co-founder that led to my startup exit in the '10s.

Luck surface area. I really owe so much to Om. I really can't imagine where I would be without that chance.

I never met or knew him but, like many here, I've been following his blog for a decade or so. By impression and reputation he was a kind, thoughtful, and creative soul who did good by the world - and I'm saddened that he has gone. My condolences to his friends and family.

Really sad. I grew up reading his writing. I emailed him some thoughts on one of his blog and he immediately replied in a lovely way very recently. What a shock and a loss.

Om shared with me some very personal thoughts and I think I’m not alone in considering his loss immeasurable.

I didn't realise he was a Stephenian (University of Delhi).

GigaOM was influential, the techcruch era :).

What a journey!

We almost went with Om for our seed round, and he remains on my list of "one of the good ones". It's rare to meet folks where that becomes so apparent so quick.

I used to be tech-journalist in an earlier avatar and Om was someone who I always turned to for inspiration and context. I learnt a lot from the way he wrote, thought and perceived the world of technology. Om shanti, I wish you a great new beginning.

So many years reading his newsletter, and forever grateful for Om. He replied to a cold email a long time ago with very specific, helpful advice on a project I was working on. What a legend!

His latest thing was https://crazystupidtech.com/ - a joint newsletter with Fred Vogelstein.

Very sad. Such a thoughtful writer. He always had an angle that no one else had. Will miss reading his words.

Om had a very honest voice - I never met him, but have read his takes for a very long time now. Om Shanti.

GigaOm was one of the early publications that my younger self enjoy to follow, it was a good formative years. Later I knew when it got acquired that the OM of GigaOm was from its founder.

rest in peace

Sad! He (and Michael Arrington) were the first two tech bloggers I read religiously back in the web 2.0 days. Had Malik’s personal blog in my RSS feeds until now. It has been only a week or so since I read his last post.

Om had grace, and will be missed by many.

Always enjoyed reading him online. Rest in peace.

My condolences to family and friends. Om writting has always been a reference since Web 2.0 era. Also enjoyed his photographabout friends and travel. Sad news RIP

Sad. I remember first meeting Om in NYC, just as he was getting ready to move to the Bay Area and before his blogging career took off. As a side gig, he was one of the originators of the South Asian social scene (desiparty.com). Spoke with him briefly and just remember him being nice and friendly. RIP Om!

Very sad, feels like an end of an era.

Oh, bummer. I only met with him once - a mutual friend put me in touch with him. He was wise, gracious, and generous with his time. Bon Voyage Om.

A sad day for us who learn of his passing. I hope it was painless and peaceful, as befits a person who gave so freely of himself. His collected body of work is a trustworthy chronicle of the Internet and the WWW's glow up era. It will inform generations to come. They will know Om too.

And through the same work, he remains alive to us; we who sought his dogged, prodigious, plain speaking influence, insight, and direct access to the beating heart of the place where it was all being invented and grown and scaled and blown up and resurrected.

Om's writing brought the excitement and possibility of the world to me, circa 2004. A 25-something B-school student, in faraway Pune, India, viscerally experiencing and studying the telecom boom at home, while also looking towards The Valley to see what might come to be, next.

I read him on GigaOm, and his various other later avatars / manifestations, but he is always going to be "Om Malik on Broadband" for me. As he will be for many of my cohort.

GigaOm is dead, long live GigaOm.com.

  (´˘-˘人)

I'll repost what I wrote on his wall just now. Probably the most impactful SF/SV passing for me since Jobs.

"I first met Om in the mid-2000s when I started in public relations. He was patient, kind – not what you’d expect from a journalist hounded by every PR agency trying to get column inches. I met him again when we were fundraising for my first startup in 2006 – he listened with intent, he provided genuine feedback, he supported us emotionally. I would see him occasionally at the odd event or two in the years that followed. He always had a smile, always gregarious, always maintained a presence without agenda – or effort, for that matter. He embodied the hidden human amid the sterility and coldness that would slowly engulf Silicon Valley in the years that followed. I’m blessed to have benefited from his kindness across the few brief interactions, and I wish his family and friends the comfort in knowing he left an outsized impact on many of us."

The guy was a mensch. He made this space welcoming because he cared about the individual.

Take care of your heart, people. If you smoke, quit. If you eat a high cholesterol diet, change it. If you don’t exercise, start.

Heart disease sneaks up on you, and it can happen to anyone. There are frequently no warning signs, as without an angiogram, there’s no clear indicator in normal checkups (EKG can look normal the day before MI, coronary arteries are the same density as surrounding tissue on normal no-contrast xray).

Most people’s very first sign that they have heart disease is a totally unexpected first heart attack. 60% of them die of it, within minutes of their first symptom.

If you have familial history, be extra careful. There are new groundbreaking drugs like Repatha that can slow the progress a TON.

You aren’t special, it along with cancer are the #1 cause of non-accidental death if you make it to adulthood. It doesn’t discriminate.

Very sad to hear.

He had a great creative spirit between business ventures, writing and photography.. a man of many talents.

RIP Om. One of truly honest voices in tech journalism. You will be missed.

What a great loss. Thank you for your writing and photography

Sad and shocking.

Many of us grew up reading GigaOM in the early 2000s when I was new in CS.

Condelence with his family

On its launch, GigaOM had great influence in Brazil's Porto Digital startup scene back in the days.

RIP

fondly remember meeting Om many years ago

I was so anxious I couldn't sleep the night before

then in the morning when I walked up to true ventures I was such a sleep deprived mess I worried I will just waste his time

he was a bit surprised and humored, I think, we grabbed some coffee and had a great conversation

ty for your kindness

RIP Om

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

So sad. I first met Om in 2001 or so. I pissed him off because I wouldn’t meet with him to do an interview for our startup. He always loved getting the early scoop and we weren’t ready for any publicity. In later years, we would laugh about it and I gave him the early scoop on the next one. During those years he became a friend and we would sometimes grab lunch and chat about all manner of things, from tech to family. I dished on some of what I watched go down in the dot-com bubble for his Broadbandits book. Later, I would go on to write contributed articles for GigaOm. Goodbye, buddy. 60 is too young. You were one of the best. Maybe you’re getting the early scoop in a different way.

The first and seminal Indian tech blogger. I looked up to him. RIP.

May his memory be a blessing

I met Om once in SF over a meal. I could tell he was a kind soul. RIP.

Very sad news. :(

Om was a bright light and so very kind. RIP

I had only briefly heard about him in the past, but it's sad to hear he passed away.

Revisiting some of his old writings, I see he was deeply a humanist, and I love that. I especially liked https://om.co/2026/06/07/the-myth-the-mythos-and-the-man/

Enjoyed his writing/commentary on all things tech over the years...

Black bar?

My experience of Om was only through his written word, but a new article or post by him was a thing of joy. Not to agree with, but simply to hear a good, honest voice.

As soon as I read this, I thought, "Wait a sec, hasn't it been a little while?" My sincere condolences to his family and colleagues.

“For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain”.

Om will be missed.

Techcrunch - GigaOm and Gawker. Good times - good guy - RIP and my condolences to his friends and family.

May he rest in peace.

he had such a great influence on the blog community for so many years, he will be missed. RIP Om.

Oh my God. Oh no. Rest in peace :(

Very classy guy, sad day.

Mods, we should have a black bar for this.

He was a deeply influential person, who also was amazingly talented and a wonderful human being. The trifecta!

I sadly never met him, but even typing the word “was” above made me have the deepest sigh.

Great guy. Check your bmi and fix your diet today not tomorrow till it hits normal, you’re running out of time. Cutting out sugar alone will get you half way to the target ideal healthy weight.

Om, rest easy brother!

I just remember on a podcast, he said he thought eventually amazon would have physical stores. Listening to this I thought that sounded terribly outlandish, and so did the cohosts. Their whole deal was to make online retail so much smoother than brick & mortar. Then a few years later, amazon announced physical stores.

RIP Om

Rest in peace Om.

Why isn’t there a black bar at the top of HN yet?

Black bar for Om please. Truly sad for this loss, was so grateful for his impassioned writing and storytelling about our industry. You will be missed deeply Om. May there be all the pens in the world for you in the afterlife.

Oh fuck. I used to swap notes with him every now and then, drifted away over the past couple of years. Had no idea.

No black bar? I guess Om was before the mods' time.

:(

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One of my first ever freelance clients, his site gigaom. This was back in 2009-10. RIP

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In my head I mistook Om Malik for Rami Malek, the actor. I was confused a couple of seconds ("What does it have to do with HN?") until I saw a picture of Om. I didn't know about his troubles with his heart. Very sad, RIP Om.