Make it personal, not self-centered.

It’s been said a million times – write about what you know. Brad clearly understands the VC world and has direct knowledge about how Google Ventures works. What makes this post feel completely authentic and original in thought is that Brad personalizes his experience with Google Ventures without ever promoting his own company. In the process, HubSpot indirectly gets plenty of coverage by being an integral part of the story.

There have been so many times when I've gotten proposals for guest blog posts that seem so self-serving. It’s all about how great the author and his/her company are – not about valuable information for our readers. As a result, I have to play the heavy by turning down their submissions. Not fun.