How do I get press for my startup?

What press actually wants (and what it doesn't)

Journalists are not in the business of promoting your startup. They publish stories their readers want, on deadline, that fit their beat. A press pitch fails when it reads like a brochure ("the leading platform for...") and succeeds when it hands the reporter a near-finished story: a clear hook, a quotable human, real numbers, and a reason it matters now.

Before you pitch anyone, be honest about whether you have a story. "We launched a product" is not news to a national outlet. A story is one of these:

• A funding round the most reliable hook for tech press; the dollar amount and investor names carry it.
• Proprietary data you sit on numbers no one else has (usage trends, a survey of your users, an industry benchmark). Reporters love data they can cite.
• A sharp take on a live trend you can comment with authority on something already in the news cycle (newsjacking).
• A genuinely novel product or first you are the first to do X, or you solve a problem in a way that's counterintuitive.
• A milestone with a number 100k users, $1M ARR, profitability at 3 people: traction that signals the story has legs.

The step-by-step playbook

1. Build a targeted list of 10-20 reporters, not outlets Use Google News, Twitter/X, and tools like Muck Rack or a simple search of recent articles in your space. Find the specific person who wrote about a competitor or your category in the last 6 months. Skip generic press@ inboxes.
2. Read their last 5 articles before writing a word Note their beat, angle, and what they tend to find interesting. Your pitch must obviously fit what they already cover, or it gets deleted in two seconds.
3. Write a subject line that is the headline Reporters scan inboxes by subject. Make it specific and newsy: "Solo founder hit $1M ARR with no employees" beats "Introducing [Product]." Promise the story in 6-10 words.
4. Keep the pitch under 150 words Three short paragraphs: the hook (what's new and why it matters), one or two supporting facts/numbers, and a clear offer (interview, embargo, demo, data). Personalize the first line to their recent work.
5. Make their job effortless Link a simple press kit: logos, founder headshot, 2-3 sentence boilerplate, key stats, and a quotable founder line. Don't attach files; link them.
6. Time it right and offer an exclusive or embargo Pitch 1-2 weeks before a launch and offer one reporter the exclusive. Exclusivity is the single biggest lever for getting a yes.
7. Follow up exactly once, after 3-4 business days One short bump ("Circling back in case this got buried"). Then move on. Multiple follow-ups burn the relationship.

Where to pitch by startup stage

Aim at the level that will actually say yes. Most early founders waste weeks pitching outlets ten sizes too big. Work up the ladder:

A note on wire services: they distribute a press release but rarely generate a journalist actually writing about you. They can be fine for a backlink or to have a dated announcement on record, but don't confuse a wire post with earned media. Direct, personalized pitches to beat reporters are what land real stories. The same instinct that wins press also wins a Product Hunt launch or a Hacker News front page -- they reward a genuine story over a sales pitch.

Common mistakes that kill pitches

• Pitching everyone with the same email BCC blasts to 200 reporters get ignored or marked spam. Personalization is the entire game.
• Burying the hook If the news isn't in the first sentence, it's gone. Lead with the most surprising or biggest fact.
• No human angle Reporters write about people. Offer the founder for an interview and a quotable line; don't make it all about the software.
• Pitching when you have nothing newsworthy Wait until you have a hook. A weak pitch trains a reporter to ignore your next, stronger one.
• Confusing PR with press releases Coverage comes from relationships and stories, not from publishing a release into the void.

How Ceres helps with the grunt work

Press is mostly research, list-building, drafting, and disciplined follow-up -- exactly the work that eats a solo founder's week. Ceres is a managed AI growth team where an AI Growth Officer coordinates 11 specialists, including a Launch & PR specialist that helps you find the right reporters, draft tailored pitches, build a press kit, and track follow-ups.

You stay the boss: every outbound email is approval-gated, meaning a draft lands in front of you and nothing sends until you click approve. It's a team you run, not an autopilot. Plans run $19-$499/month with a 14-day card-less trial, so you can test it against a real pitch cycle before paying. If discovery via AI engines matters to you too, Ceres also includes a GEO Strategist and a free GEO audit to check how ChatGPT and Perplexity describe you.