I’m experimenting with Seattle Common to see if right now is a good time to begin a Seattle news startup. I know it sounds crazy—the news outlets already are hurting, it’s like starting a farming business in the middle of a famine.

Here’s my reasoning. We are in the middle of one of the largest media sea changes since the transition from handwritten books to the printing press. Now is the time that some traditional outlets will go under, others will step up and make it into the next era, and new players will arise. I believe that there will be more marketing dollars than ever available as old money hogs die, I believe there will more opportunity because thousands of journalists are going to be shuffled up in the mix, and I believe there is a whole generation that gets their news from the Daily Show that could benefit from solid local news.

If you like this idea—let me know—I need the motivation.