Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens claims that journalism start-ups need to think of getting a mobile presence first and then think of a computer application that plays off the app, not the other way around.

Stephens told Sustainable Journalism if he were starting Geek Squad today, it would not be providing support for computers, it would be all about tablets and mobile devices. Stephens said that people have been talking about the death of journalism but nothing ever actually dies. It just transforms or expands.

He said that smartphones and tablets are going to be the real competition as far as the delivery system. He doubts that they will be called phones much longer, but since most people are moving their mobile device will be the one we interact with the most.

Stephens said that if he started the Geek Squad today he wouldn’t start a computer repair company. He would develop a mobile development company.

“If I were to advise a company on what to build going forward: don’t build a website. Build a mobile app or interface first, and then build for the larger screens,” he said.