Article

PR Fundamentals for Early-Stage Founders

Bessemer Venture Partners · bvp.com Free Beginner

A top-tier VC's field guide to PR written for founders with zero media experience, it treats journalist relationships as a long game, not a press-release blast, which is exactly the mindset shift most first-time founders need.

  • Building journalist relationships typically takes 1-3 months before first coverage lands.
  • A compelling pitch is under 200 words with a clear, modest ask.
  • Compounding results (reporters coming to you) take 6-12 months of consistency.
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It answers 3 questions

  1. How do I get press coverage for my D2C brand without hiring a PR agency?
  2. Are startup awards, 'best brand' lists and rankings actually worth applying for?
  3. When is it actually worth hiring a PR agency in India, and what does it cost?

Read with it

  1. Argues directly against the "you need a ₹2L/month retainer" assumption, making the case that a clear story and a few right... mediagraphicspr.com Article PR for D2C Brands: How to Build Buzz on Low Budget Mediagraphics PR
  2. Written by a VC who's watched hundreds of portfolio founders try and fail at PR, this is the most no-nonsense explainer of why... medium.com Article How to Get Press Coverage: Startup PR for Dummies Christoph Janz (Point Nine Capital)
  3. Video How to Build Your First PR Campaign (Step-by-Step for Founders) youtube.com
  4. The most founder-friendly PR book on the market, it covers building press materials, formulating a strategy and handling media... amazon.com Book You Need PR: An Approachable Guide to Public Relations for Early-Stage Companies Jenna Guarneri
  5. Inc42's own resource on what gets a startup covered, written by the outlet that decides what gets covered on Inc42, about as... inc42.com Article How To Get Press Attention For Your Startup Inc42
  6. The most detailed public breakdown of what Indian PR agencies actually charge by tier and city, a useful sanity check before... bluebuzz.in Article The Ultimate Guide to PR Cost in India 2025: Retainers, Packages, and Agency Rates Explained Blue Buzz
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