Lenny RAG MCP Server

{ "episode": { "guest": "Emilie Gerber", "expertise_tags": [ "PR strategy", "press outreach", "media relations", "startup communications", "product launches", "fundraising announcements", "newsletter and podcast pitching" ], "summary": "Emilie Gerber, founder and CEO of Six Eastern PR agency, shares comprehensive tactical advice on securing press coverage for startups and tech companies. She discusses the true value of press for B2B and B2C businesses, the importance of understanding different publication types and their coverage preferences, and detailed strategies for crafting effective pitches. Key topics include how to identify target reporters and publications, the nuances of pitching funding announcements versus product news, leveraging newsletters and podcasts as alternative media channels, and common mistakes in messaging and presentation. Gerber emphasizes that cold outreach done well is as effective as warm relationships, and provides specific examples of successful campaigns with companies like RAMP, Perplexity, Clockwise, and Gamma.", "key_frameworks": [ "Second-order effects of press (validation, credibility, recruiting, candidate attraction)", "Publication targeting matrix (TechCrunch for funding, Axios for deals, Business Insider for pitch decks, VentureBeat for AI, Fast Company for future of work)", "Three-sentence pitch formula (direct, concise, pattern-matching to reporter beat)", "David vs. Goliath narrative (positioning as alternative to established incumbent rather than category creator)", "Podcast selection criteria (active production, quality, guest alignment, audience match)", "Basic messaging framework (What does it do? Who is it for? Who are customers? Why should people care? What's new?)", "Media outreach hierarchy (email, DM, Twitter/platform-specific, LinkedIn for hosts)", "Content positioning (story angle over company achievements, founder narrative when product is technical)" ] }, "topics": [ { "id": "topic_1", "title": "The Real Value of Press Beyond Direct Growth", "summary": "Exploration of second-order effects of press coverage including third-party validation for B2B sales, credibility signals for investors and sponsors, recruiting benefits, and how logos and mentions build trust rather than directly driving conversions.", "timestamp_start": "00:05:01", "timestamp_end": "00:08:18", "line_start": 37, "line_end": 56 }, { "id": "topic_2", "title": "Press Impact Varies by Business Model (B2B vs B2C)", "summary": "Discussion of how press benefits differ between B2B and B2C, with B2B seeing value through sales enablement and recruitment, while B2C can drive significant growth when product barrier to adoption is low and growth is organic.", "timestamp_start": "00:08:45", "timestamp_end": "00:11:27", "line_start": 55, "line_end": 71 }, { "id": "topic_3", "title": "Fundraising Announcements: What Gets Coverage and What Doesn't", "summary": "Analysis of funding round coverage myths and reality, showing that out of 50 funding rounds per week only 9 get TechCrunch coverage, and providing tactical advice on how to pitch funding stories effectively with exclusives and pattern-matching.", "timestamp_start": "00:13:32", "timestamp_end": "00:16:24", "line_start": 91, "line_end": 102 }, { "id": "topic_4", "title": "Publication Targeting Strategy and Coverage Types", "summary": "Comprehensive breakdown of major tech publications and their coverage preferences: TechCrunch for funding and product news, Axios for deals and healthcare, Business Insider for pitch decks and entrepreneurial journeys, VentureBeat for AI, Fast Company for future of work and design, Forbes for awards and lists.", "timestamp_start": "00:17:28", "timestamp_end": "00:23:15", "line_start": 112, "line_end": 131 }, { "id": "topic_5", "title": "Premium Publications: New York Times and Wall Street Journal Reality Check", "summary": "Explanation that premium publications like NYT and WSJ only cover startups during crises, layoffs, or regulatory issues, and require disclosure of valuation and hard business metrics as prerequisites for features.", "timestamp_start": "00:23:33", "timestamp_end": "00:25:32", "line_start": 140, "line_end": 161 }, { "id": "topic_6", "title": "Managing Reporter Relationships and Avoiding Negative Coverage", "summary": "Guidance on preventing negative stories through advance briefing, understanding that reporters maintain editorial integrity, correcting factual inaccuracies, and preparing spokespersons to communicate desired messages effectively.", "timestamp_start": "00:25:32", "timestamp_end": "00:27:20", "line_start": 164, "line_end": 174 }, { "id": "topic_7", "title": "Finding and Evaluating Podcasts and Awards for Outreach", "summary": "Methodology for discovering aligned podcasts and award opportunities through targeted search, qualitative analysis of guest fit, production status verification, quality assessment, and customer media diet surveys to identify relevant platforms.", "timestamp_start": "00:27:35", "timestamp_end": "00:30:48", "line_start": 178, "line_end": 206 }, { "id": "topic_8", "title": "The Myth of Warm Introductions and Cold Outreach Effectiveness", "summary": "Debunking the importance of pre-existing relationships with reporters, arguing that well-executed cold outreach is equally effective and that editorial decisions are based on story merit, not relationships.", "timestamp_start": "00:31:34", "timestamp_end": "00:33:52", "line_start": 211, "line_end": 227 }, { "id": "topic_9", "title": "Multi-Platform Reporter Outreach Tactics", "summary": "Strategies for reaching reporters across email, DMs, Twitter, and LinkedIn with three-sentence pitches, clear subject lines indicating the story type, acknowledging inbox saturation, identifying coverage gaps, and incorporating contrarian perspectives.", "timestamp_start": "00:33:59", "timestamp_end": "00:37:15", "line_start": 232, "line_end": 250 }, { "id": "topic_10", "title": "Using Contrarian Positioning to Win Coverage", "summary": "Exploration of how holding different opinions from competitors makes stories more appealing to reporters seeking balanced coverage, with example of Clockwise critiquing Shopify's meeting cancellation strategy while acknowledging its merit.", "timestamp_start": "00:37:15", "timestamp_end": "00:39:19", "line_start": 251, "line_end": 263 }, { "id": "topic_11", "title": "Positioning Against Incumbents Rather Than Creating Categories", "summary": "Argument that positioning as a better alternative to established companies (e.g., 'Salesforce for X') resonates far better with press than attempting to create new categories, providing reporters instant frame of reference.", "timestamp_start": "00:41:09", "timestamp_end": "00:43:18", "line_start": 281, "line_end": 306 }, { "id": "topic_12", "title": "Real-World Example: RAMP vs Bill.com Positioning", "summary": "Case study of RAMP's bill pay launch successfully pitched as competing with Bill.com rather than creating new category, resulting in CNBC coverage that typically doesn't cover product announcements.", "timestamp_start": "00:44:35", "timestamp_end": "00:46:34", "line_start": 313, "line_end": 324 }, { "id": "topic_13", "title": "Identifying the Interesting Thread in Complex Announcements", "summary": "Strategy of finding the most compelling narrative angle within a company announcement, exemplified by Column Tax partnership with Propel focused on helping low-income tax filers rather than generic partnership announcement.", "timestamp_start": "00:46:36", "timestamp_end": "00:48:12", "line_start": 329, "line_end": 338 }, { "id": "topic_14", "title": "Creative Presentation of Announcements: The Gamma Example", "summary": "Walkthrough of Gamma's seed funding announcement using an interactive presentation instead of traditional press release, including visual storytelling, customer testimonials, investor bullet points, and founder video to stand out.", "timestamp_start": "00:48:20", "timestamp_end": "00:51:19", "line_start": 343, "line_end": 369 }, { "id": "topic_15", "title": "Pitching Podcast Guests: The NewBank Example", "summary": "Analysis of effective podcast pitch structure using two compelling bullet points about organic growth and company scale relative to known competitors, demonstrating how to quickly establish why a guest's story matters to the audience.", "timestamp_start": "00:52:48", "timestamp_end": "00:55:24", "line_start": 377, "line_end": 402 }, { "id": "topic_16", "title": "Volume and Exclusivity Strategy in Media Outreach", "summary": "Guidance on how many reporters to contact depending on news type, importance of offering exclusives for hard news, balancing quality and quantity in general outreach, and timing follow-ups respectfully.", "timestamp_start": "00:55:51", "timestamp_end": "00:57:27", "line_start": 406, "line_end": 411 }, { "id": "topic_17", "title": "Common Pitching Mistakes: Jargon and Vague Language", "summary": "Analysis of ineffective press releases using buzzwords like 'robust multiplayer experience' and 'AI assistance' without clarity, versus clear positioning as 'better than Zapier', demonstrating how to simplify messaging by speaking naturally.", "timestamp_start": "00:57:37", "timestamp_end": "01:00:30", "line_start": 415, "line_end": 442 }, { "id": "topic_18", "title": "Fundamental Messaging Questions for Clarity", "summary": "Framework for distilling announcements into essentials: What does it do? Who is it for? Who are customers? Why should people care? What's new? Using natural speech to test messaging rather than marketing-speak.", "timestamp_start": "01:00:48", "timestamp_end": "01:02:08", "line_start": 445, "line_end": 452 }, { "id": "topic_19", "title": "Press Releases vs. Blog Posts as Announcement Vehicles", "summary": "Critique of traditional press releases as outdated distribution vehicles, proposing blog posts instead for better shareability, founder voice, flexibility, and on-brand presentation without the formulaic marketing language.", "timestamp_start": "01:02:44", "timestamp_end": "01:05:10", "line_start": 461, "line_end": 471 }, { "id": "topic_20", "title": "Unrealistic Growth Claims and How to Present Growth Credibly", "summary": "Warning against overstated percentage growth metrics from stealth (e.g., 700% from one to seven customers) and guidance on presenting growth credibly with specific metrics like 'revenue hit six figures, growing 30% quarterly'.", "timestamp_start": "01:05:21", "timestamp_end": "01:06:49", "line_start": 475, "line_end": 485 }, { "id": "topic_21", "title": "Finding Story Angles for Non-Obvious Products", "summary": "Strategies for extracting compelling narratives from technical or complex products by leveraging founder stories, personal stakes, and angles that publications care about (e.g., Entropy's founder immigration experience with credit scoring).", "timestamp_start": "01:07:23", "timestamp_end": "01:09:24", "line_start": 489, "line_end": 506 }, { "id": "topic_22", "title": "Podcasts and Newsletters as Modern Media Strategy", "summary": "Argument that newsletters and podcasts are now core PR channels alongside traditional media, worth pitching with same rigor, but different from building social presence which requires founder authenticity and cannot be easily outsourced.", "timestamp_start": "01:10:31", "timestamp_end": "01:12:39", "line_start": 511, "line_end": 524 }, { "id": "topic_23", "title": "Building Executive Social Presence: Authenticity Over Channels", "summary": "Guidance on developing executive social presence through authentic voice rather than corporate channels, cautioning that outsourced social strategies often fail unless founder naturally gravitates toward the platform and willing to take bold stances.", "timestamp_start": "01:12:39", "timestamp_end": "01:15:31", "line_start": 524, "line_end": 551 }, { "id": "topic_24", "title": "Learning from Aaron Levie's PR and Social Strategy at Box", "summary": "Insights from working with Aaron Levie on leveraging news moments, commenting strategically on industry developments, and using social presence to amplify PR strategy while maintaining authentic voice.", "timestamp_start": "01:15:42", "timestamp_end": "01:17:10", "line_start": 554, "line_end": 561 }, { "id": "topic_25", "title": "Tactical Opportunity: Morning Brew Coworking Series", "summary": "Highlight of a simple but effective media opportunity through Morning Brew's Coworking series featuring day-in-the-life interviews, with 50% success rate through form submission requiring minimal effort and personal positioning.", "timestamp_start": "01:17:43", "timestamp_end": "01:19:03", "line_start": 571, "line_end": 581 }, { "id": "topic_26", "title": "Choosing a PR Agency: Expectations and Warning Signs", "summary": "Guidance on selecting PR partners including avoiding assumption that large agencies are better, understanding month-one deliverables, reviewing writing samples, meeting actual team members, and avoiding extensive RFP processes.", "timestamp_start": "01:19:33", "timestamp_end": "01:22:06", "line_start": 589, "line_end": 596 }, { "id": "topic_27", "title": "Timeline and Budget for PR Agency Engagement", "summary": "Recommendations for six-week lead time before announcements, flexibility over fixed dates optimizing for reporter availability, budget ranges of $10-30K monthly for agencies and $8-20K for consultants depending on stage and scope.", "timestamp_start": "01:22:27", "timestamp_end": "01:25:12", "line_start": 601, "line_end": 616 } ], "insights": [ { "id": "I1", "text": "Press benefits for B2B are primarily second-order: validation for sales teams to include in outreach, credibility signals when sponsors evaluate partnerships, and recruiting signals when candidates assess company legitimacy.", "context": "When discussing why B2B founders should care about press despite limited direct signup impact", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 40, "line_end": 44 }, { "id": "I2", "text": "The logo of a major publication on your website and in sales emails is often worth more than the article itself getting read, because it signals third-party validation to prospects making purchasing decisions.", "context": "Explaining the real ROI of press for B2B companies like Lenny's podcast", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 65, "line_end": 68 }, { "id": "I3", "text": "Press stories about your company typically won't be about your product's greatness; they'll be about your entrepreneurial journey, company culture, or unique business approach—content that helps recruiting and validation but not product adoption.", "context": "Discussing why product-launch press doesn't drive B2B customer growth", "topic_id": "topic_2", "line_start": 68, "line_end": 71 }, { "id": "I4", "text": "For consumer products with low adoption barriers (like Perplexity), organic PR works extremely well because users can instantly experience product value with zero friction.", "context": "Explaining why B2C press drives growth when product is easy to try", "topic_id": "topic_2", "line_start": 47, "line_end": 50 }, { "id": "I5", "text": "Most founders believe raising money automatically means TechCrunch will cover it, but data shows only 9 out of 50+ weekly funding rounds get covered—you need to pitch properly to be one of the nine.", "context": "Explaining the gap between founder expectations and coverage reality using Propeller PR's research", "topic_id": "topic_3", "line_start": 92, "line_end": 95 }, { "id": "I6", "text": "Keep funding round pitches extremely simple and direct: amount raised, lead investors, space, and one reason why this round matters. Don't try to create a trend story or elaborate problem statement.", "context": "Providing specific structure for pitching funding announcements to reporters", "topic_id": "topic_3", "line_start": 98, "line_end": 99 }, { "id": "I7", "text": "Pattern matching is how successful pitches work: identify the reporter covering your space, show you understand their beat, and make it obvious why your news fits their coverage area.", "context": "Explaining the tactical approach to reporter targeting", "topic_id": "topic_3", "line_start": 98, "line_end": 99 }, { "id": "I8", "text": "Respectful follow-up is essential—wait 3-4 days between contacts with the same reporter, bring new information in each follow-up, try 3-4 times before moving to the next reporter for hard news.", "context": "Describing the outreach cadence for funding announcements", "topic_id": "topic_3", "line_start": 98, "line_end": 101 }, { "id": "I9", "text": "TechCrunch has no paywall and drives actual website traffic, making them valuable for first coverage of your company even if they're selective about which stories they cover.", "context": "Explaining why TechCrunch remains the go-to for funding despite low coverage rates", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 116, "line_end": 117 }, { "id": "I10", "text": "Axios is deals-focused and won't cover product announcements—only pitch them if you have funding, partnerships with monetary components, or acquisitions. Regional Axios editions offer alternative entry points.", "context": "Describing Axios coverage preferences and caveats", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 119, "line_end": 120 }, { "id": "I11", "text": "Business Insider's pitch deck stories are controversial but effective for funding announcements when TechCrunch passes—you maintain control by redacting sensitive financials while sharing strategic approach.", "context": "Offering Business Insider as alternative for founders open to revealing pitch decks", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 122, "line_end": 125 }, { "id": "I12", "text": "Business Insider loves entrepreneurial journey stories with hard metrics: how much you're making, how much you're spending, growth rates—stories for founders who have already built real businesses.", "context": "Describing Business Insider's preference for traction-focused narratives", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 125, "line_end": 126 }, { "id": "I13", "text": "VentureBeat is the publication for any AI-related news, product launches, or capabilities—perfect fit for AI companies regardless of stage.", "context": "Identifying VentureBeat's core coverage area", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 130, "line_end": 131 }, { "id": "I14", "text": "Fast Company excels with future-of-work, design, and media stories—and are open to op-eds with leadership perspectives, offering multiple entry points beyond standard features.", "context": "Listing Fast Company's coverage strengths and flexibility", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 131, "line_end": 131 }, { "id": "I15", "text": "Forbes' main reporters are hard to access until you're further along, but their contributor network is easier to penetrate and covers earlier-stage companies—especially their award lists (FinTech 50, AI 50, Under 30).", "context": "Explaining Forbes' two-tier approach to coverage", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 131, "line_end": 131 }, { "id": "I16", "text": "New York Times and Wall Street Journal only cover startups during crises, layoffs, or regulatory issues—building relationships with their reporters is valuable but don't expect coverage until something goes wrong.", "context": "Setting expectations for premium-tier publications", "topic_id": "topic_5", "line_start": 143, "line_end": 152 }, { "id": "I17", "text": "Premium publications require founders to share valuation and hard business metrics (revenue, growth) on the record as prerequisites for features—many founders balk at this requirement ending the conversation.", "context": "Explaining the information transparency requirements of NYT and WSJ", "topic_id": "topic_5", "line_start": 154, "line_end": 155 }, { "id": "I18", "text": "With premium publications, the best outcome for early-stage companies is becoming 1-2 sentences in a larger trend story, not getting a feature—manage expectations accordingly.", "context": "Reframing realistic outcomes with New York Times and Wall Street Journal", "topic_id": "topic_5", "line_start": 158, "line_end": 158 }, { "id": "I19", "text": "You cannot control the angle or message a reporter writes—you can only correct factual inaccuracies. Reporters maintain editorial integrity and won't change story direction based on founder preferences.", "context": "Setting expectations about editorial independence", "topic_id": "topic_6", "line_start": 167, "line_end": 170 }, { "id": "I20", "text": "The best defense against unwanted story angles is preparing your spokesperson to communicate desired messages repeatedly during interviews—reporters' minds get shaped by what they hear most often.", "context": "Explaining how to influence (not control) reporter narratives", "topic_id": "topic_6", "line_start": 172, "line_end": 173 }, { "id": "I21", "text": "When finding podcasts to pitch, verify they have vendor CEOs or executives on their show—if pitching a product manager audience, don't send your CEO; send your CPO or product leader instead.", "context": "Explaining how to match podcast guest to show format", "topic_id": "topic_7", "line_start": 182, "line_end": 189 }, { "id": "I22", "text": "Half of podcasts you'll find in searches are inactive—always verify the show is currently producing new episodes before wasting pitch effort.", "context": "Warning about dead or abandoned podcast shows", "topic_id": "topic_7", "line_start": 191, "line_end": 191 }, { "id": "I23", "text": "Ask customers directly what podcasts they listen to and newsletters they read—casual conversations often reveal more insights than formal surveys, and this intel directly informs your pitch strategy.", "context": "Describing simple customer research method for podcast discovery", "topic_id": "topic_7", "line_start": 194, "line_end": 194 }, { "id": "I24", "text": "Start podcast outreach with a lightweight 10-word message saying 'love the show, open to guest ideas?' instead of a full pitch—this gets responses and costs less effort than detailed pitches.", "context": "Explaining the efficient outreach approach for podcast hosts", "topic_id": "topic_7", "line_start": 197, "line_end": 197 }, { "id": "I25", "text": "Warm introductions to reporters matter far less than people think—well-executed cold outreach is equally effective because editorial decisions are based on story merit, not relationship history.", "context": "Debunking the warm-introduction myth in PR", "topic_id": "topic_8", "line_start": 221, "line_end": 221 }, { "id": "I26", "text": "A relationship with a reporter primarily helps you get answers and responses—it won't change whether they cover your story if the story isn't interesting.", "context": "Clarifying the actual value of reporter relationships", "topic_id": "topic_8", "line_start": 224, "line_end": 224 }, { "id": "I27", "text": "Once you've worked with a reporter on a story, they're more likely to quote you in future related coverage and use you as a source—this is where nurturing relationships pays off.", "context": "Describing the compounding benefits of working with reporters", "topic_id": "topic_8", "line_start": 227, "line_end": 227 }, { "id": "I28", "text": "Your most effective pitches are three sentences—anything longer reduces effectiveness because attention spans are short and busy reporters scan quickly for the core idea.", "context": "Advising on pitch length optimization", "topic_id": "topic_9", "line_start": 239, "line_end": 239 }, { "id": "I29", "text": "Subject lines should be crystal clear about the story type (e.g., name of the column + person being suggested)—this immediately signals you understand the reporter's beat.", "context": "Describing effective subject line strategy", "topic_id": "topic_9", "line_start": 236, "line_end": 237 }, { "id": "I30", "text": "Point out gaps in coverage instead of praising existing articles—showing you've read their work and identified uncovered angles demonstrates critical thinking and earns more interest.", "context": "Explaining how to reference reporter's prior coverage strategically", "topic_id": "topic_9", "line_start": 242, "line_end": 242 }, { "id": "I31", "text": "When you have a unique or contrarian stance on an industry topic, lead with that—reporters seeking balanced coverage actively look for opposing viewpoints to existing narratives.", "context": "Explaining why contrarian positions attract media attention", "topic_id": "topic_10", "line_start": 248, "line_end": 249 }, { "id": "I32", "text": "Positioning as 'doing X better than incumbent Y' instantly gives reporters a frame of reference and understanding—they already know what Y does, so they immediately grasp your differentiation.", "context": "Explaining why incumbent comparison works better than category creation", "topic_id": "topic_11", "line_start": 287, "line_end": 287 }, { "id": "I33", "text": "Category creation positioning almost never works for PR—reporters don't understand new categories and marketing phrases around them, even if the positioning works well for sales.", "context": "Contrasting PR effectiveness of category creation versus incumbent comparison", "topic_id": "topic_11", "line_start": 305, "line_end": 305 }, { "id": "I34", "text": "When a company mentions it's taking on a famous incumbent, reporters find the story immediately interesting because the comparison gives them a narrative frame for the article.", "context": "Explaining reporter psychology around incumbent-comparison pitches", "topic_id": "topic_11", "line_start": 287, "line_end": 287 }, { "id": "I35", "text": "When announcing partnerships or product updates, identify the most compelling thread (the human impact story) and focus your entire PR push on that one angle rather than spreading across multiple messages.", "context": "Advising on narrative focus for complex announcements", "topic_id": "topic_13", "line_start": 335, "line_end": 338 }, { "id": "I36", "text": "Get creative with announcement formats—instead of traditional press releases, use interactive presentations, blog posts with founder voice, or other formats that match your product's strengths.", "context": "Encouraging creative departure from formulaic press release structure", "topic_id": "topic_14", "line_start": 350, "line_end": 350 }, { "id": "I37", "text": "For podcast pitches, lead with the specific insight or story about a guest that makes them perfect for that audience—don't lead with the company being big or well-known.", "context": "Explaining what gets podcast hosts interested in guests", "topic_id": "topic_15", "line_start": 386, "line_end": 387 }, { "id": "I38", "text": "You can identify a podcast's audience and guest preferences just by scrolling episode names—you don't need to listen to every episode to spot the patterns in what content resonates.", "context": "Describing efficient podcast research method", "topic_id": "topic_15", "line_start": 392, "line_end": 392 }, { "id": "I39", "text": "For hard news (funding, launches), contact fewer reporters and offer exclusives to the top choice—it's better to wait for one great reporter than to broadcast to many.", "context": "Describing volume strategy for different announcement types", "topic_id": "topic_16", "line_start": 407, "line_end": 407 }, { "id": "I40", "text": "For general relationship-building and podcast outreach, play the numbers game—send lightweight initial messages to many hosts first, then follow up with quality pitches to interested ones.", "context": "Contrasting volume strategy for relationship building versus hard news", "topic_id": "topic_16", "line_start": 407, "line_end": 410 }, { "id": "I41", "text": "Avoid using marketing jargon and buzzwords in pitches—'robust multiplayer experience' and 'AI assistance' confuse reporters; translate into plain language what these actually mean.", "context": "Critiquing ineffective pitch language and demonstrating translation", "topic_id": "topic_17", "line_start": 434, "line_end": 434 }, { "id": "I42", "text": "Test your messaging by reading it aloud—if it sounds awkward or complicated when spoken, it's too complex for press and needs simplification.", "context": "Providing simple sanity check for clarity of messaging", "topic_id": "topic_17", "line_start": 434, "line_end": 434 }, { "id": "I43", "text": "Marketing and comms culture trains people to write in formal, jargony ways, but everyone is capable of speaking naturally—the key is overriding the instinct to sound 'professional' instead of clear.", "context": "Explaining cultural root of poor messaging and how to fix it", "topic_id": "topic_17", "line_start": 440, "line_end": 440 }, { "id": "I44", "text": "Strip away jargon first, then remove unnecessary words—messaging clarity is more important than sounding sophisticated.", "context": "Prioritizing steps for improving message clarity", "topic_id": "topic_18", "line_start": 446, "line_end": 446 }, { "id": "I45", "text": "Press releases are outdated distribution vehicles that no reporters use—blog posts accomplish the same goal with better shareability and founder voice.", "context": "Explaining why blog posts are superior to press releases", "topic_id": "topic_19", "line_start": 467, "line_end": 468 }, { "id": "I46", "text": "Blog posts allow founder voice and flexibility in style while still including all the news elements reporters need—they're also more shareable on social and signal a modern company.", "context": "Listing advantages of blog post format over press releases", "topic_id": "topic_19", "line_start": 468, "line_end": 468 }, { "id": "I47", "text": "When exiting stealth, never claim huge percentage growth from 1-7 customers (700% increase)—present growth credibly with absolute numbers or quarterly growth rates instead.", "context": "Warning against misleading growth statistics in early announcements", "topic_id": "topic_20", "line_start": 477, "line_end": 479 }, { "id": "I48", "text": "Reporters rarely include inflated percentage growth claims in coverage—stick to specific, credible metrics like 'revenue hit six figures, growing 30% quarterly.'", "context": "Explaining that misleading metrics won't make it into press anyway", "topic_id": "topic_20", "line_start": 477, "line_end": 479 }, { "id": "I49", "text": "For technical products that are hard to explain quickly, lean into founder story and personal stakes—the human narrative can be more compelling than the product itself.", "context": "Suggesting alternative story angles for complex products", "topic_id": "topic_21", "line_start": 494, "line_end": 494 }, { "id": "I50", "text": "Match your story angle to publication interests—the founder's personal story might get you into Fast Company or Medium publications even if TechCrunch wouldn't cover the product.", "context": "Explaining how story angle determines publication fit", "topic_id": "topic_21", "line_start": 497, "line_end": 497 }, { "id": "I51", "text": "Newsletters and podcasts are now core PR channels that deserve equal pitch attention as traditional media—don't treat them as secondary or opportunistic.", "context": "Elevating newsletter and podcast outreach to equal PR importance", "topic_id": "topic_22", "line_start": 512, "line_end": 512 }, { "id": "I52", "text": "Building executive social presence requires authenticity—you can't effectively outsource someone else's Twitter voice; founders who naturally tweet should lean in, others should not force it.", "context": "Explaining why social presence can't be easily delegated to agencies", "topic_id": "topic_23", "line_start": 519, "line_end": 521 }, { "id": "I53", "text": "Corporate brand channels are very hard to build followings for—people follow personalities, not brands, so invest in executive voices instead.", "context": "Comparing effectiveness of brand versus executive social accounts", "topic_id": "topic_23", "line_start": 524, "line_end": 524 }, { "id": "I54", "text": "Even if social doesn't come naturally to you, testing for 1-2 months shows if it's worth continued investment—you might see measurable value (e.g., inbound leads) that justifies pushing yourself.", "context": "Encouraging testing of social as low-risk experiment", "topic_id": "topic_23", "line_start": 548, "line_end": 551 }, { "id": "I55", "text": "Reporters sometimes find your company insights through executive social posts and quote them in articles—social presence indirectly amplifies PR strategy.", "context": "Explaining connection between social presence and traditional media coverage", "topic_id": "topic_24", "line_start": 560, "line_end": 560 }, { "id": "I56", "text": "The Morning Brew Coworking series is an easy-to-access media opportunity with 50% success rate through simple form submission, requiring only interesting personal/career insights.", "context": "Highlighting low-effort, high-success media opportunity", "topic_id": "topic_25", "line_start": 578, "line_end": 579 }, { "id": "I57", "text": "Bigger agencies often use reactive, control-focused strategies suited to established brands—startup PR requires experimentation, scrappiness, and speed, making small/boutique agencies often more effective.", "context": "Contrasting agency approaches for startups versus established companies", "topic_id": "topic_26", "line_start": 590, "line_end": 591 }, { "id": "I58", "text": "Ask potential PR agencies what month one looks like—if it's mostly intake calls without hands-on work, they'll cost you runway for startups that need fast results.", "context": "Providing practical evaluation criterion for PR agencies", "topic_id": "topic_26", "line_start": 593, "line_end": 593 }, { "id": "I59", "text": "Request recent writing samples from PR agencies and evaluate quality—if they write in jargon-heavy marketing speak, they'll likely produce poor pitches.", "context": "Explaining how to evaluate agency writing quality", "topic_id": "topic_26", "line_start": 593, "line_end": 593 }, { "id": "I60", "text": "Avoid extensive RFP processes when hiring agencies—they force free work that weeds out top players and rarely lead to better hiring decisions.", "context": "Advising against RFP processes for PR agency selection", "topic_id": "topic_26", "line_start": 596, "line_end": 596 }, { "id": "I61", "text": "Six weeks is ideal lead time before announcing anything—you need time for media training, outreach, blog/materials creation, and waiting for reporter availability.", "context": "Recommending timeline for PR launch planning", "topic_id": "topic_27", "line_start": 602, "line_end": 603 }, { "id": "I62", "text": "Don't stick to arbitrary announcement dates—optimize for when a reporter can cover your story instead, as first-choice reporter coverage is worth more than announcing on your preferred day.", "context": "Prioritizing reporter availability over arbitrary timing", "topic_id": "topic_27", "line_start": 605, "line_end": 605 }, { "id": "I63", "text": "Companies that set rigid announcement dates but can't get reporter coverage often end up releasing with zero stories—flexibility with timing is critical to PR success.", "context": "Warning of consequences of rigid announcement timing", "topic_id": "topic_27", "line_start": 605, "line_end": 605 }, { "id": "I64", "text": "PR agency retainers typically start at $10K monthly for small boutiques, $15K for Series A companies, and rarely exceed $30K unless managing multiple product lines globally.", "context": "Providing budget expectations for ongoing PR retainers", "topic_id": "topic_27", "line_start": 608, "line_end": 608 }, { "id": "I65", "text": "One-off press campaigns cost $10-20K with agencies, or as low as $8K with consultants—reasonable investment for a single major announcement.", "context": "Providing budget expectations for one-time PR projects", "topic_id": "topic_27", "line_start": 614, "line_end": 614 } ], "examples": [ { "id": "E1", "explicit_text": "At Uber, she led PR for the business development team and B2B programs", "inferred_identity": "Emilie Gerber", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Uber", "PR", "business development", "B2B communications", "prior experience" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates experience managing communications for large rideshare company's enterprise programs before launching own agency", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 17, "line_end": 17 }, { "id": "E2", "explicit_text": "At Box on product communications with focus on product launches and partnership announcements", "inferred_identity": "Emilie Gerber", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Box", "product communications", "product launches", "partnerships", "prior experience" ], "lesson": "Shows experience with product-focused communications before transitioning to broader PR agency work", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 17, "line_end": 17 }, { "id": "E3", "explicit_text": "Perplexity, they have invested essentially zero in any paid marketing, they don't have a marketing person even, but they do do PR. And so essentially, after their most recent announcement, they saw a massive spike in growth, a massive spike in signups, pro users, all of that.", "inferred_identity": "Perplexity AI", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Perplexity", "PR-driven growth", "zero paid marketing", "organic growth", "AI search", "B2C success" ], "lesson": "Shows that B2C products with low adoption friction can achieve massive growth through PR alone without paid marketing", "topic_id": "topic_2", "line_start": 47, "line_end": 50 }, { "id": "E4", "explicit_text": "We worked with RAMP in their very early days, and one of their first product announcements that we did together was the launch of their bill pay offering. And so at the time, I think they were like a three billion dollar company... by positioning it as allowing them to take on Bill.com, which at the time was one of the best performing FinTech IPOs... we actually were able to get a CNBC story on the launch of this product.", "inferred_identity": "RAMP (FinTech spending management)", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "RAMP", "bill pay", "product launch", "incumbent positioning", "Bill.com", "CNBC coverage", "FinTech", "B2B SaaS" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates how positioning against established incumbent (Bill.com) achieves premium media coverage (CNBC) where typical product launches don't get featured", "topic_id": "topic_12", "line_start": 314, "line_end": 320 }, { "id": "E5", "explicit_text": "We work with a company called Column Tax, which is embedded tax filing software... they partnered with a company called Propel that offers SNAP benefits... we decided to really just focus our press strategy on that one initiative because it allowed us to tell macro story about TurboTax had to pay all these fines for practices that many considered unsavory... we were able to get a great fast company piece", "inferred_identity": "Column Tax", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Column Tax", "tax filing software", "Propel partnership", "SNAP benefits", "TurboTax comparison", "Fast Company", "social impact" ], "lesson": "Shows how to identify the most compelling narrative thread (serving low-income families) in a multi-faceted announcement and focus entire PR push on that angle", "topic_id": "topic_13", "line_start": 329, "line_end": 336 }, { "id": "E6", "explicit_text": "We worked with a company called Gamma, which is essentially bringing a PowerPoint into something that's much more modern, and interactive, and usable. So when we did their launch, they were a seed stage company... we created... a Gamma presentation... that made it really interesting to reporters... We talk about Gamma's mission... we include some customer love... instead of doing a long thing on each investor, we just bulleted who the investors are... we did a video from the lead investor talking about why she invested... the title of the TechCrunch article that we got as a result was Gamma Brings PowerPoint into the 21st Century.", "inferred_identity": "Gamma", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Gamma", "presentation software", "seed funding", "TechCrunch", "creative pitch format", "visual storytelling", "product narrative" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates how creative presentation formats (using the product itself), visual storytelling, and personal touches (investor video) can secure premium coverage by standing out from standard pitches", "topic_id": "topic_14", "line_start": 343, "line_end": 350 }, { "id": "E7", "explicit_text": "This is going to be the chief product officer at NewBank. I barely know anything about NewBank. And so in your email to me, you basically had just two bullet points... 'Growth has been 80 to 90% organic because of the way they try to make customers fanatical about the product.' And to me that's like, 'Wow, that's very rare, is 80, 90% of your growth being organic.' And then... 'NewBank is bigger than Coinbase, Robinhood, Affirm, SoFi, and Lemonade combined. Seriously, so much bigger than people in the US realize.'", "inferred_identity": "NewBank", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "NewBank", "fintech", "organic growth", "customer fanaticism", "scale comparison", "podcast guest pitch", "CPO" ], "lesson": "Shows how two compelling bullet points highlighting unique growth mechanism and underestimated scale can convince a podcast host to feature an unknown company's executive", "topic_id": "topic_15", "line_start": 377, "line_end": 387 }, { "id": "E8", "explicit_text": "So we worked with a company called Clockwise, which essentially manages your calendar and allows time for focus time within your workday... Shopify got tons of positive press for essentially canceling all their recurring meetings... So we looked at the topic a little more critically... we turned this into an op-ed... 'Shopify's Meeting Cost Calculator Does Not Address the Issue of Wasted Time'. And Fast Company was interested in the idea and they posted the piece by the CEO, Matt Martin", "inferred_identity": "Clockwise", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Clockwise", "calendar management", "Shopify", "contrarian positioning", "op-ed", "Fast Company", "thought leadership" ], "lesson": "Illustrates how identifying gaps in existing coverage (Shopify's positive press) and providing contrarian perspective (criticism with substance) can win premium publication placement for related companies", "topic_id": "topic_10", "line_start": 253, "line_end": 257 }, { "id": "E9", "explicit_text": "Another really great company that we work with is Entropy. And so essentially they work with transaction data, they're an API... it's a very technical tool... For them, we've actually really leaned into the founder story. She's this incredible woman who moved to the US, and actually struggled with getting her first apartment here because of the way that our credit scoring system is set up. And one of the use cases for what she's building actually directly relates to how our credit system could change in the future... her personal story is really powerful.", "inferred_identity": "Entropy", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Entropy", "transaction data API", "founder story", "credit scoring", "immigration narrative", "social impact", "technical product" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates how technical products can overcome complexity barriers by anchoring PR strategy on founder's personal narrative and stakes in the problem being solved", "topic_id": "topic_21", "line_start": 494, "line_end": 495 }, { "id": "E10", "explicit_text": "When I was at Airbnb, one of the things that I loved most was our experimentation platform. Bracket set up experiments easily, troubleshoot issues, and analyze performance all on my own.", "inferred_identity": "Lenny Rachitsky", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Airbnb", "experimentation platform", "growth infrastructure", "product management", "prior experience" ], "lesson": "Shows how hosts with credibility from prior company experience can reference that context when promoting related tools", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 29, "line_end": 29 }, { "id": "E11", "explicit_text": "When I have these pieces in past company and CNBC, it was such a weird experience where I chat with them for half an hour and then it just comes out, and I have no idea what they're going to write about. Could be a complete tear down of everything I'm doing and you have no idea.", "inferred_identity": "Lenny Rachitsky", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Fast Company", "CNBC", "media unpredictability", "interview experience", "founder profile" ], "lesson": "Illustrates the unpredictability of journalist-driven narratives and why founders must accept they cannot control story angles", "topic_id": "topic_6", "line_start": 59, "line_end": 65 }, { "id": "E12", "explicit_text": "I want to read one to you and then I want to see if you can tell me what this company does. Okay, 'Today X announced their workflow automation product, which combines AI assistance, human in the loop collaboration, and a robust multiplayer experience to help teams save time.' ... Absolutely no idea what's going on.", "inferred_identity": "Unnamed automation startup (pitching Zapier alternative)", "confidence": "inferred", "tags": [ "workflow automation", "Zapier competitor", "vague messaging", "jargon-heavy pitch", "product launch" ], "lesson": "Shows how marketing jargon ('robust multiplayer experience,' 'human in the loop collaboration') obscures meaning and confuses even attentive listeners—clarity requires translation to plain language", "topic_id": "topic_17", "line_start": 416, "line_end": 429 }, { "id": "E13", "explicit_text": "When they covered it, TechCrunch positioned it... 'A new automation startup is setting out to eat Zapier's lunch. It helps people tackle mundane and repetitive tasks, and goes beyond the triggers and actions popularized by similar platforms like Zapier.' So to me, yeah, it's a better version of Zapier, where they aren't just doing triggers and actions, and there's a little more substance and depth to it.", "inferred_identity": "Unnamed automation startup", "confidence": "inferred", "tags": [ "Zapier alternative", "TechCrunch coverage", "incumbent positioning", "clear narrative" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates how referencing an incumbent (Zapier) provides instant understanding, whereas original jargon-heavy pitch failed to communicate the core idea", "topic_id": "topic_17", "line_start": 428, "line_end": 429 }, { "id": "E14", "explicit_text": "One sentence I found in a press release that a lot of companies want to include... 'Since exiting stealth in May, we've witnessed a 700% increase in organizations using our product.' You're saying that since you were in stealth to now you saw a 700% increase, so you could have had one customer, now you have seven.", "inferred_identity": "Unnamed stealth startup", "confidence": "inferred", "tags": [ "stealth launch", "misleading metrics", "percentage growth inflation", "credibility problem" ], "lesson": "Illustrates how early-stage companies use inflated percentage metrics to appear impressive, but reporters see through this and won't include such claims", "topic_id": "topic_20", "line_start": 476, "line_end": 479 }, { "id": "E15", "explicit_text": "And actually with his Twitter presence, I would say it's a good example too of stuff getting included in articles, like I mentioned in that Microsoft article. So it helps the PR strategy as well.", "inferred_identity": "Aaron Levie (CEO of Box)", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Box CEO", "Twitter presence", "social media", "Microsoft partnership", "earned media", "executive visibility" ], "lesson": "Shows how executive social media presence can directly contribute to earned media when reporters find and quote social posts in articles", "topic_id": "topic_24", "line_start": 560, "line_end": 560 }, { "id": "E16", "explicit_text": "I actually think marketing and PR is going to be one of the core work applications for them. I'm the happy investor. I rarely angel invest and I was...", "inferred_identity": "Perplexity AI (investor stake by Emilie Gerber)", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Perplexity", "angel investment", "PR/marketing use case", "tool discovery" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates how PR professionals identify and adopt tools that solve their own problems and believe in them enough to invest", "topic_id": "topic_1", "line_start": 698, "line_end": 704 }, { "id": "E17", "explicit_text": "She's this incredible woman who moved to the US, and actually struggled with getting her first apartment here because of the way that our credit scoring system is set up... she spoke at Money20/20, so it's useful for speaking abstracts too... we got them on together at Money20/20.", "inferred_identity": "Founder of Entropy", "confidence": "inferred", "tags": [ "Entropy", "founder story", "credit scoring", "Money20/20 speaking", "conference panel" ], "lesson": "Shows how compelling founder narratives translate across multiple channels (press, conferences) and can be packaged together with complementary companies for panel opportunities", "topic_id": "topic_21", "line_start": 494, "line_end": 506 }, { "id": "E18", "explicit_text": "They have TechCrunch Disrupt, you can apply for speaking at that conference, and that sometimes actually directly turns into coverage. They have The Found Podcast, which interviews founders, and so if you have a really compelling founder story or topical founder story, that can be an excellent avenue to go as well. They have The Equity Pod, which is investment advice", "inferred_identity": "TechCrunch ecosystem", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "TechCrunch", "Disrupt conference", "The Found Podcast", "The Equity Pod", "multiple channels", "founder positioning" ], "lesson": "Demonstrates that major publications offer multiple pathways to coverage beyond traditional articles (conferences, podcasts, specialty shows)", "topic_id": "topic_4", "line_start": 116, "line_end": 117 }, { "id": "E19", "explicit_text": "Ramp got a lot of benefit from Not Boring, that newsletter with Packy, who wrote about them constantly and loved it. And they're sponsored posts, and organic posts.", "inferred_identity": "RAMP / Not Boring (Packy McCormick)", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "RAMP", "Not Boring newsletter", "Packy McCormick", "newsletter PR", "sponsored and organic", "FinTech growth" ], "lesson": "Shows how newsletter coverage (both sponsored and earned) can be significant growth driver for B2B SaaS companies targeting financial professionals", "topic_id": "topic_22", "line_start": 509, "line_end": 509 }, { "id": "E20", "explicit_text": "I worked closely with the CEO of Vox who's really good at this, and basically doesn't need press. Elon is amazing at this, maybe that's why he bought Twitter, he has this huge platform to talk about all the stuff.", "inferred_identity": "Aaron Levie (Vox CEO reference) / Elon Musk", "confidence": "explicit", "tags": [ "Vox", "executive social presence", "Twitter ownership", "organic reach", "thought leadership" ], "lesson": "Illustrates that some executives naturally build massive social presence that reduces reliance on traditional PR entirely", "topic_id": "topic_22", "line_start": 509, "line_end": 509 } ] }