From the EPR archive. A contemporaneous note on Peter Shankman's departure from Vocus, three years after he sold HARO to the firm in 2010. For the full HARO timeline — covering the 2014 Cision acquisition of Vocus, the 2024 Connectively rebrand and shutdown, and Shankman's 2024 Source of Sources relaunch — see HARO Is Dead. Here's What Replaced It.
"I can't say enough good things about Vocus," Peter Shankman wrote in a classy departure note that went live on his blog. For those who follow Vocus closely, Shankman's exit came shortly after Frank Strong's departure — which went unannounced by official channels.
Shankman Leaves Vocus
According to the note, Shankman was leaving Vocus to focus on new work — consulting for Fortune 50 companies, evangelism for established consumer brands, advisory work for startups, and occasional consulting back to Vocus itself. He hinted at ideas for new startups without revealing specifics. Given the value proposition HARO created — connecting reporters to sources at zero marginal cost — anything Shankman built next was worth watching.
There was no telling exactly why Shankman decided to leave Help A Reporter Out (HARO) behind in a day-to-day sense, but his calendar was full. His new book — Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over and Collaboration Is In — was out April 2, 2013. His first child was due in late April. He had plenty to fill the year.
"I can't say enough good things about Vocus, and I know my original baby (HARO) will continue to grow in the good hands of the great gang down in Maryland."
— Peter Shankman, "Saying Thanks and Moving On" (March 2013)
To paraphrase: there is not enough one can say about Shankman. The hope at the time was that HARO would stay classy and helpful without him.
Context: Where This Sits in the HARO Timeline
This note marks the end of Shankman's direct operational involvement with the platform he built.
2008 — Shankman launches HARO as a Facebook group out of his apartment.
2010 — Shankman sells HARO to Vocus for a reported $5 million.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
