Press & Media Outreach Starter Kit

Press builds credibility with investors, customers, and future hires. A TechCrunch mention in your fundraising deck signals that others have validated your story. And a consistent media presence warms up inbound before you need it.

Write a 3-sentence third-person bio: 1. Your current role and company (one-line description) 2. Your relevant prior experience or credential 3. A human detail that makes you memorable Example: 'Maria Chen is the founder and CEO of Flowline, AI-powered accounts receivable for service businesses. She previously led product at Stripe, where she built invoicing tools used by 2M merchants. Maria is a first-generation entrepreneur and mentor at Techstars Chicago.'

Subject: [Story Angle] — Quick Pitch for [Publication Name] Hi [Name], I read your piece on [relevant article] — great coverage of [specific insight]. I'm the founder of [Company], building [one-line]. We recently [milestone — funding, launch, customer, data point]. I think there's a story here about [why your story fits their beat]. Happy to share more or connect you with a customer. [Your Name]

Start local: Local business journals and city tech blogs are easier to land and build credibility. Industry vertical press: Trade publications in your sector. Startup/tech press: TechCrunch, The Information, Axios Pro Rata — harder to land but high impact. Substack newsletters: Many influential founders and investors write newsletters and will share good stories.

Headline: Newsy, specific, no jargon. Lead paragraph: Who, what, when, where, why — in two sentences. Context paragraph: Background on the company and market. Quote: From the founder — something human, not boilerplate. Boilerplate: 3-sentence 'About [Company]' paragraph. Media contact: Name, email, phone. Only issue a press release for real news: funding, major partnerships, significant product launches, or data.