RE: "... pretty good in the idea department but terrible when it came to reality."

This was the situation when it came to many journalists, tossed from their print jobs, who looked to create another career by starting an online venture. The key is to find someone with business acumen, if you don't already possess it. It is easier to create a profitable publishing site (no matter the subject matter) if you begin with a business emphasis, then pick up some editorial employees. It looks like this is the route WPCandy took.

Either way, I'm glad you found the funding to continue. The WordPress community needs a news site that goes beyond self-serving product promotions or journalistically-challenged coverage of the world's most-used online publishing platform.