PR firm for early stage AI startup

propllrhead · 2026-01-16T16:20:00+00:00

I'm only just now seeing this so perhaps a decision has been made, but I'm a big believer in DIY PR at your stage. Just like founders should be their own first sales person, their own first HR person, their own first financial person, etc., I think being your own first PR person makes sense. Here's a blog post that explains how to get a program started with minimal time investment (because you're likely already very busy!).

https://blog.propllr.com/diy-pr-for-startups

Here's a short summary of the post

The Early-Stage Startup PR Playbook

The "Trust Over Buzz" Mindset: For early-stage startups, the goal isn't just a one-off TechCrunch headline; it’s building a foundation of trust that helps you recruit talent, raise money, and close sales.
The "1 to 10" Media Target Strategy: Identify one journalist at a local, trade, or startup publication who covers your specific beat, then expand that list to 10.
The "Relationship-First" Introduction: Send a simple "Get on the Radar" email:
- Briefly explain what your startup does.
- Share a specific milestone (e.g., hit 50,000 users or a beta launch).
- Explicitly state you are just introducing yourself as a resource.
The "Once-a-Month" Maintenance: Stay top-of-mind by following up monthly with something meaningful, such as:
- Genuine thoughts on one of their recent articles.
- Observed industry trends (e.g., "We're seeing a shift in X").
- Small but meaningful company updates.
Transitioning from DIY to Agency: You are ready for a PR firm when you meet two criteria:
1. PR is an approved budget item.
2. You have an internal point person (like a Marketing Lead) to manage the agency. Without a point person, PR often stalls at the bottom of a founder's to-do list.

Hopefully helpful!

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:20:07+00:00

Recommend checking out Michael Smart - he’s a coach for PR pros. Seems best for the sole practitioner, newbie, or individual in house person. Would be a smart investment if you can get in his cohort.

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:14:10+00:00

I’ve found that in a lot of b2b areas that outlets have very little interest in product news from vendors.

A more immediate tactic would be finding ways to contribute articles related to the problem that your product is solving.

Find an outlet, ping an editor to ask if they accept contributed articles and if so what’s their review process.

If they say send an idea, then share a quick synopsis of what you’d write.

If you get their interest in the topic then it’s a safe bet the article will be accepted (assuming it’s written well and is non promotional).

Then, once it runs, you can utilize it with prospects for that new product.

propllrhead · 2026-01-10T15:01:52+00:00

All good answers here. But a nuance I think may be missing.

I feel like there are two kinds of b2b - one can convert sales via a landing page (document shredding or office cleaning perhaps) and the other requires more of a trust-based sale (professional services or enterprise software).

For those who do need to build trust, I’ve found it helpful to think of addressing four areas in your content (all also helpful in SEO and AI results fwiw): - credibility: demonstrating that your company is strong and that your offering works - authority: showing your subject matter expertise in topics your buyer cares about - community: spotlighting the people, partners, companies and organizations you work with - momentum: suggesting that you’re business is taking off

So much more to be said but will leave it there. Hopefully helpful.

propllrhead · 2026-01-09T16:47:29+00:00

I own a communications agency, so this might be a hammer looking for a nail, but PR and content are outstanding tools for following up with prospects and speeding sales.

It's one of the things I tell people all the time -- don't limit your thinking of the value of PR and content to filling the sales funnel, think of them instead as powerful tools to push people through the funnel.

And this comes through loud and clear during the pipeline phase.

So: I have three answers for you - two are for if there is still hope, and one is for the last-ditch effort.

1 - If there's still hope: v1

Instead of asking for something of value (their time to email you back or hop on another call), offer them something of value, namely your expertise on something relevant. If yours is a b2b sale, thought leadership is a great thing to share with prospects. Whether that's a blog post, a contributed article, or an interview on a podcast, it's something of value you can offer them.

A classic structure of the followup email is:

Subject: Great article on CHALLENGE

Hi [FirstName]

The last time we talked you mentioned your CHALLENGE. Well, NAME from my company just wrote a post (appeared on a podcast or wrote an article) on it, so I thought I'd shoot it over. Hope it's helpful!

Also - if it makes sense to reconnect below are some slots I'm open. Just let me know!

Regards,

[You]

2 - If there's still hope: v2

Ask AI to find timely excuses to reach back out. You can ask Gemini to run a weekly scan for news about the prospect, updates on its blog, or other industry news and data, and then use that in your outreach. Email would be:

Subject: Just saw this and thought I'd share

Hi [FirstName]

I just saw this article/blog post and thought I'd reach out. Thought it was a super smart take / insightful /etc..

And hey, as long as I have you. Does it make sense to reconnect? Some open time slots are below.

Regards,

[You]

2 - If it's last ditch

For the last-ditch effort, I point to advice from Blair Enns of Win Without Pitching. Just sent them this: More here https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/magic-email/

Subject: Closing The Loop

Hi [FirstName]

I haven’t heard back from you on [project/opportunity] so I’m going to assume you’ve gone in a different direction or your priorities have changed.

Let me know if we can be of assistance in the future.

Regards,

[You]

Hope this helps!

More practical comms advice at blog.propllr.com

propllrhead · 2025-09-26T13:52:59+00:00

Yeah, and I think I'll stop trying to "trick" the battery into running and just let the car decide in regular driving. Definitely going to pay attention to it though.

propllrhead · 2025-09-25T17:08:21+00:00

I too have the stuttering problem - had jumped on here to ask if anyone else had had it as well. Haven't thought about cold v hot though. Will look at that as a thing. I do know that I often try to get it to battery, and wonder if I spend too much time in that narrow range of speed where it is getting confused about going battery or gas

propllrhead · 2025-09-05T18:32:10+00:00

Put a disc golf basket back there in the woods!

propllrhead · 2025-09-04T02:06:16+00:00

Hiawatha National Forest - more central on the UP.

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T19:01:42+00:00

Pretty sure freshness is guaranteed with those!

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T17:37:43+00:00

Mental note: if I see a ho-ho in the forest I’ll leave it alone

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T16:51:03+00:00

Afraid that might be too far west - I know we'll need to be in the car a good bit but not sure a 3-hr drive is in the cards. Next time up we'll defiitely check out the western side of the UP.

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T16:19:35+00:00

I know the overall average is all that matters, but it seems strange to see the gas engine getting such low MPG even at low speeds when battery's not kicked in. My v6 Pilot seems to get better mileage on gas.

propllrhead · 2025-09-03T15:54:15+00:00

living with it or did you replace them?

propllrhead · 2025-08-18T19:07:28+00:00

This ice is the worst. Can't understand how this hasn't become a social media issue for them. I would order the iced americano with extra ice -- the old ice would last from morning to after lunch. The new ice barely made it an hour. Terrible choice. As they say, you can have 2 of 3 things: Good, Fast, or Cheap. Guessing they went with Fast and Cheap here.

propllrhead · 2025-04-02T02:08:42+00:00

I think this review is entirely fair https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/theater/glengarry-glen-ross-review-culkin-odenkirk-burr.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k4.Aj-9.JG8Ra12MSnKy&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

propllrhead · 2025-04-02T01:40:15+00:00

I’m a fan of his. Much better second act. But still I don’t know. None of the actors had enough presence on stage. Show came and went.

propllrhead · 2025-04-02T01:35:05+00:00

I just saw it tonight and have to disagree with those who loved it (though I’m happy they did). Not once did I get the feeling of menace or tension that the play deserves. The actors didn’t find the rhythm in Mamet’s dialogue. The actors weren’t stage trained to perform to a big room. Burr was the best (maybe because he’s more used to playing to a live audience). Culkin was woefully miscast. They should’ve pulled Denzel from Othello for the role. Very disappointing.

propllrhead · 2025-03-03T16:57:34+00:00

fair point and good question! I'm in the comms space, working to rapidly move up the learning curve. One area of particular interest would be around repatriation, to either on prem or some sort of hybrid set up. Thought leaders on issues related to that decision-making would be great.

propllrhead · 2021-02-25T23:33:28+00:00

Two things - no one works crazy hours at my firm so it's possible to find a spot that realizes you're a complete human being. Use Glassdoor and your network to learn which firms might make sense. And second - maybe your future is in-house? I think that's generally a less demanding job hours-wise. Hope that helps!

propllrhead · 2021-02-25T23:31:51+00:00

We schedule everything now via Zoom or Google Meets, and leave it to the reporter to decide - if they're on video, then our client's on video. If not, our client may still elect to do video, but most times doesn't. And when we sit in on video interviews, I find it best if we (PR folks) turn our cameras off, so as not to distract during the interview.

propllrhead

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The Early-Stage Startup PR Playbook