Don't hire PR firms too early; build relationships with the press yourself as they can last throughout your company's lifecycle.

Hiring a PR agency is often a mistake for startups; most founders end up firing them after realizing they don't deliver value.

In the early stages, founders should not prioritize marketing and PR, but as the product gains traction, they need to take charge of messaging and communication to ensure consistency and clarity. Developing personal relationships with journalists is crucial; they prefer talking to founders rather than PR representatives.

Treat PR like business development; don't outsource it in the early stages of your company.

Founders often waste money by hiring branding agencies for expensive rebranding efforts, which is unnecessary for B2B companies that aren't easily found online.

The most effective PR strategy is to avoid hiring a PR firm and instead build close relationships with a few journalists who understand your company.

Building direct relationships with journalists is crucial for gaining media coverage, rather than relying on PR agencies, which can create unnecessary barriers. I spent $50,000 on a PR agency that didn't understand my company, leading to a waste of money and forcing me to handle press outreach myself, which resulted in a better launch announcement.

Hiring a PR agency often leads to disappointment, as many founders end up firing them after realizing they don't deliver the expected results.

In the early stages, it's often better to have the founders build the MVP themselves rather than hiring engineers right away.