Getting Into Major Publications: What Founders Need to Know Before Going It Alone

The Dream of Every Startup Founder

For many startup founders, getting featured in major publications like TechCrunch, Forbes, or Inc. isn’t just a dream—it’s a milestone. That single media feature can build credibility, attract investors, increase user signups, and open doors to new opportunities. It’s like a digital stamp of legitimacy in the eyes of customers, partners, and the market at large.

But while the dream is real, so are the challenges. The media landscape is noisy. Journalists are flooded with pitches every day, and standing out takes more than a good idea—it takes the right strategy, timing, and execution.

That’s where many founders hit a wall. They know the power of PR but assume the only path is through expensive agencies. The truth is, while you can get media attention without a PR firm, doing it right on your own is rarely easy—and often overwhelming. This guide will show you what’s possible and where professionals can make a real difference.

Is It Easy to Get Featured in Forbes or TechCrunch?

Let’s clear this up: getting featured in a top-tier publication is not easy. These outlets receive hundreds—sometimes thousands—of pitches every week. Editors and writers are busy, selective, and under pressure to find the most relevant, timely, and compelling stories for their readers.

Can you do it yourself? Yes. But it takes time, strategic planning, and insider insight into how the media works. The founders who break through without professional help often spend weeks—if not months—researching, writing, networking, and following up.

The real question isn’t whether you can do it—it’s whether doing it yourself is the most effective use of your time as a founder. And that’s where PR professionals come in—not to replace your voice, but to amplify it.

Why DIY PR is Possible—But Not Always Practical

The Reality of Doing PR Without an Agency and Getting Into Major Publications

There’s no gatekeeping here—founders have the potential to tell great stories. Some even land features on their own. But let’s be real: most are already juggling too much. Crafting pitches, researching journalists, keeping up with industry trends, and following up relentlessly? It’s a full-time job on its own.

What’s more, the margin for error is small. Pitch the wrong person, miss the news cycle, or send a tone-deaf message—and your chance might be gone.

So yes, DIY PR is possible. But consistent, effective, and scalable PR? That’s where it gets tricky—unless you’ve got the time, the tools, and the media know-how.

The Value of Working With PR Experts

PR agencies exist for a reason: they bring structure, insight, and real relationships to the table. While a founder can share passion and vision, a PR pro knows how to turn that into a story journalists actually want to write—and how to time, tailor, and place it for maximum impact.

Benefits of partnering with a seasoned PR team:

• Media relationships: They know who to pitch and how to get a response.

• Editorial framing: They can help position your message with a journalist’s mindset.

• Efficiency: They handle research, outreach, and follow-ups so you can focus on your business.

• Credibility: Agencies lend legitimacy that opens doors faster.

PR isn’t just about coverage—it’s about consistency, positioning, and momentum. And that’s tough to build solo while managing a startup.

Understanding What Journalists Are Looking For

What Makes a Story Newsworthy

Journalists aren’t just looking for another product launch—they want stories that are timely, relevant, and emotionally or intellectually compelling.

To catch their eye, your story should check at least one of these boxes:

• Timeliness: Why does this story matter right now?

• Trend alignment: Is it tied to something happening in the world?

• Impact: Will it affect people, industries, or communities?

• Human interest: Does it have a personal or emotional element?

• Unique angle: Are you offering a fresh take or unseen data?

This is where a PR pro shines—they help you find the real hook in your story, beyond the surface-level update.

Timing and Trends Matter More Than You Think

One of the biggest missed opportunities in DIY PR? Pitching without considering timing. Media runs on cycles—seasons, trends, news events. If your story isn’t tied to what’s happening in the world, it’s probably going to be ignored.

PR experts monitor the media landscape closely. They know when to pitch, what angles are rising, and how to position your story to ride the wave. This timing advantage alone often makes the difference between a feature and a pass.

Founders trying to do this solo often pitch great stories—just at the wrong time. Professionals ensure your pitch hits when it matters most.

How to Build Relationships with Journalists

Where to Find the Right Writers

The foundation of good PR is not blasting the media—it’s building the right media list. That starts with identifying journalists who actually cover your industry or topic.

Where to look:

• Google News: Search your niche + “TechCrunch,” “Forbes,” etc.

• X (Twitter): Journalists often share what they’re writing or looking for.

• Muck Rack: Find writers by beat and publication.

• Publication mastheads: Dig into contributor pages and archives.

But it’s not just about finding names—it’s about studying them. Read what they write. Understand their style. Look for common threads. The more personalized your outreach, the better your odds.

This kind of research is time-consuming. Agencies often already have these contacts and insights—saving you hours (and increasing results).

Social Media Etiquette and Engagement Tips

You don’t have to be a Twitter superstar to build journalist relationships—but you should be present. Social media is where journalists hang out, share stories, and engage with sources.

Tips:

• Follow relevant writers on LinkedIn or X.

• Share their articles and add thoughtful comments.

• Send a compliment DM without pitching—just say thanks for a great article.

Relationship-building takes time. PR professionals often have warm relationships with key media, which speeds up trust and opens conversations that cold pitches can’t.

Crafting a Media-Worthy Story

Highlighting the “Why Now”

Media features don’t happen because your product exists—they happen because your story matters right now. One of the most overlooked elements in pitching is urgency. Why should a journalist care today, not six months from now?

This is where PR agencies add serious value. They help uncover the “why now” by analyzing:

• Industry trends

• News cycles

• Economic shifts

• Cultural conversations

They can frame your story as timely, even if your product has been around for months. For example, launching a financial wellness app isn’t inherently newsworthy—but tying it to rising inflation and Gen Z’s money habits? Now you’re cooking.

Agencies know how to take a static launch and give it a dynamic narrative. On your own, finding and framing that angle can be hit or miss.

Using Personal Founder Angles and Vision

Media loves people, not just products. Your founder journey, your beliefs, your struggles—they all build connection. This is storytelling gold. And a good PR team knows how to mine it.

Here’s what often gets missed in DIY pitches:

• Why the founder started this in the first place

• What personal sacrifices were made

• What vision drives the company forward

Founders who write their own pitches often undersell their own story or focus too much on features. PR experts ask the right questions, dig into your journey, and frame it in a way that inspires coverage.

It’s your story—but they help you tell it better.

Writing the Perfect Email Pitch

Subject Lines That Spark Interest

A subject line isn’t just an entry point—it’s your one chance to get opened. And it’s where most pitches fail before they even start.

What works:

• Teasing something exclusive

• Connecting to a timely trend

• Mentioning a specific insight or compelling stat

Examples:

• “Data: Gen Z Ditching Credit Cards—Founder Offers Insight”

• “Exclusive Interview: How This Solo Founder Bootstrapped a SaaS to 100K Users”

• “Pitch: Mental Health Startup Tackles Burnout in Hybrid Teams”

An agency knows how to A/B test subject lines, track open rates, and iterate quickly. Founders often don’t have time to test and refine, which is where their pitches fall flat.

Pitch Structure That Gets Responses

The anatomy of a perfect pitch isn’t guesswork—it’s a proven structure:

1. Personalized greeting – Use the journalist’s name.

2. Context – Why you’re reaching out and how it relates to their recent work.

3. The hook – What’s the story and why is it relevant now?

4. Details – Quick overview of who you are and what you’re offering.

5. Assets – Links to data, visuals, interviews, or exclusives.

6. Call to action – Offer a time to talk or ask if they’d like more info.

PR professionals excel here. They know how to keep it brief but punchy. They write pitches that sound like humans, not brochures. Founders can do it too, but it takes practice—and lots of trial and error.

Offering Exclusive Access or Data

Why Exclusivity Makes a Big Difference

Journalists want stories no one else has. Offering exclusivity means they can break the news first—and that’s what drives clicks, shares, and relevance.

Agencies are great at coordinating these exclusives. They manage embargoes, plan outreach calendars, and handle the diplomacy of giving one journalist early access without burning bridges with others.

On your own, this gets tricky. Accidentally offering “exclusive” access to five reporters can damage your credibility. A PR team ensures smooth communication and keeps your brand looking polished and professional.

Leverage Data, Trends, or Insider Insights

Journalists love original data. It gives their stories authority and depth. PR professionals help surface:

• Customer behavior stats

• Industry trend analysis

• Survey results or user data

• Market forecasts from internal research

Founders may sit on valuable data without realizing it’s PR gold. An experienced agency will uncover these gems and turn them into angles that get picked up.

They also know how to format it—clean charts, digestible takeaways, and headlines that practically write themselves. Without that support, your data might never see the light of day.

Creating a Digital Footprint That Backs You Up

Social Proof: Website, LinkedIn, and Twitter Matter

Journalists will Google you. Before they feature your story, they want to know:

• Who is this person?

• Is this company legit?

• Are they thought leaders or just launching something random?

A polished website, active LinkedIn, and thoughtful Twitter feed make a big difference. PR agencies often help clean this up before pitching. They’ll suggest:

• Updating your founder bio

• Creating a media-friendly “About” page

• Showcasing press mentions, metrics, or social proof

You can do all this yourself—but an agency gets it done faster and cleaner. And in the PR world, optics matter.

The Role of Thought Leadership Content

One feature is great—but consistent visibility is better. Writing content on LinkedIn, Medium, or your blog shows you're serious about your space.

PR teams help:

• Identify strong opinion topics

• Ghostwrite or edit posts

• Place your content in industry outlets

DIY founders can write, of course—but do you have the bandwidth to ideate, write, and publish weekly? An agency keeps that content engine running while you scale.

Real Examples of Founders Who Did It—And How

A SaaS Startup That Got Into TechCrunch

A lean SaaS founder tried DIY PR for months with no results. After hiring a boutique PR agency, they refocused the pitch from “we launched a product” to “we built a tool to help remote teams avoid burnout.”

They offered exclusive data on Zoom fatigue, a founder quote, and a media-friendly angle. Within three weeks, they landed TechCrunch, followed by interest from Wired and Fast Company.

The difference? Strategic framing, timing, and journalist targeting—things the agency handled from day one.

A Solo Founder’s Forbes Feature Journey

Another founder, overwhelmed with running the business, tried to write and pitch her own story. It went ignored.

With PR support, her team created a compelling founder profile pitch, linked to economic trends and her mission of making financial wellness tools accessible to underserved groups.

Not only did she get featured in Forbes, but that one article brought in three investor meetings and dozens of partnership inquiries.

That’s the power of experience—taking raw potential and turning it into headline results.

Tools to Help You DIY Your PR

Media Databases and Email Finders

If you’re determined to go solo (at least initially), having the right tools is critical. While they won’t replace experience or relationships, they can certainly give you a head start.

Here are some helpful platforms:

• Muck Rack: Find journalists by beat, publication, or keyword.

• Hunter.io: Great for discovering email addresses based on company domains.

• RocketReach: Combines LinkedIn profiles with contact data.

• Clearbit: Useful for contact enrichment, especially within Gmail.

• Prowly: All-in-one PR software for small teams or solo operators.

These tools can help you build a basic media list—but without the context of why and when to pitch each contact, the results are hit-or-miss. PR agencies combine tools with strategy to deliver real results.

Tracking and CRM Tools for Follow-Ups

If you’re sending multiple pitches, don’t rely on your inbox to stay organized. Use these tools to track your outreach:

• Google Sheets or Airtable: For logging contacts, pitch dates, responses, and next steps.

• Streak CRM: Built into Gmail, perfect for solo founders managing press relationships.

• Mailtrack: Tracks email opens, so you know when it’s time to follow up.

• Notion or Trello: Ideal for mapping out content calendars and media planning.

PR agencies typically use these tools in the background, managing dozens of contacts, pitch variations, and deadlines on your behalf. As a founder, managing that manually can quickly become unscalable.

Mistakes That Will Kill Your Chances

Common Red Flags That Turn Off Editors

Even with a great product, it’s easy to turn journalists off with the wrong approach. Here are the red flags that scream “amateur”:

• Mass-blasted emails with no personalization

• Subject lines that sound like clickbait

• Long, bloated pitches with no clear story

• No connection to trends, data, or current events

• Being overly self-promotional instead of offering value

PR agencies help you avoid these traps. They’ve tested what works (and what doesn’t), and they protect your brand from getting blacklisted for bad outreach.

Overhyping Without Substance

Journalists are pros at sniffing out hype. They’ve heard it all—“the Uber of X,” “revolutionary,” “world-changing.” If you make bold claims without data, proof, or real results, your credibility takes a hit.

Agencies bring editorial discipline. They’ll challenge your assumptions, sharpen your angle, and strip away fluff. The result? Pitches that feel real, relatable, and relevant—not like a startup sales deck.

And that’s what gets stories published.

Conclusion

Getting featured in TechCrunch, Forbes, or another major publication is one of the most impactful moves a startup can make. It builds credibility, fuels growth, and creates momentum. And yes—if you’re scrappy, strategic, and persistent, you can get there on your own.

But DIY PR isn’t just time-consuming—it’s full of traps. Pitching the wrong angle. Missing the media cycle. Sending the right story to the wrong person. It happens more often than you think.

That’s why partnering with a seasoned PR agency isn’t just about convenience—it’s about results. You still bring the vision. The story. The product. But with the right experts by your side, you can turn that raw potential into powerful, well-placed media coverage that truly moves the needle.

So yes—you can go it alone. But when it’s time to go big, go fast, and go smart? We’re here to help.