If you’re running a tech startup, chances are you are being pulled in 100s of directions. Between fundraising, product development, recruitment, finding customers and everything else that comes with running a growing, fast-moving tech start, PR can feel like something you just don’t have time for.
But the very things that can keep a founder awake at night are often the exact reasons PR can help. When done right, PR isn’t about vanity articles or fluff. It builds credibility, fuels growth, and enables you to take control of, and finesse your story.
What’s really on a founder’s mind? And how PR can make a tangible difference?
- Cash Flow & Runway
The worry: “We can’t afford anything that doesn’t deliver results.”
How PR helps: PR is one of the most effective and efficient ways to build visibility and credibility without burning budget. One powerful article can reach investors, customers, partners and potential employees in one hit. And the impact lasts – good PR can be repurposed across your website, decks, social channels, and investor updates.
- Customer Acquisition & Growth
The worry: “We need more customers, not headlines.”
How PR helps: PR warms up the funnel. It doesn’t replace marketing but it can it make it work better. When your name appears in trusted media, buyers are more likely to click your ads, take your calls, or respond to outreach. It’s the trust factor that shortens the sales cycle.
- Talent & Team Building
The worry: “We can’t hire fast enough — or attract the right people.”
How PR helps: Visibility attracts talent. When you’re seen as an ambitious, innovative company with a mission, you stand out to potential hires. Coverage about your culture, values, or tech can make people want to work for you, sometimes even before you advertise a role.
- Product-Market Fit & Differentiation
The worry: “We’re still refining our product and story — it’s too early for PR.”
How PR helps: The process of PR sharpens your story. When pitching journalists, you have to be clear about your value proposition and that clarity feeds back into your wider marketing and sales. Early thought leadership helps shape the conversation around your space, even before your product fully matures.
- Investor Expectations
The worry: “We need to show traction and momentum.”
How PR helps: Media coverage validates your progress. Investors see it as proof that you’re building something real. A steady pipeline of news — data-based stories, customer wins, new hires — keeps momentum visible between funding rounds and builds confidence in your leadership.
- Time & Focus
The worry: “I don’t have time to do PR properly.”
How PR helps: That’s what a good PR partner is for. Once your goals and messaging are agreed, the heavy lifting – writing, pitching, interviews, reporting – is handled for you. With structure and planning, PR can save time by producing reusable content that supports sales, marketing, and investor relations.
- Market Awareness & Competition
The worry: “Our competitors are getting all the attention.”
How PR helps: PR helps level the playing field. You don’t need their budgets, just a strong story and the means to tell it. With the right positioning and media strategy, you can appear alongside or even ahead of better-funded rivals, setting the narrative in your favour.
- Metrics & ROI Clarity
The worry: “How do I measure if it’s working?”
How PR helps: Modern PR is measurable. You can track coverage quality, referral traffic, backlinks, SEO impact, share of voice, and inbound leads. The key is aligning PR with your business goals rather than using vanity metrics. Are you after investor visibility? Sales enablement? Talent attraction? Define success up front and measure against that.
- Reputation Risk
The worry: “What if we get it wrong and look amateurish?”
How PR helps: PR isn’t just about generating headlines, and is as much about building and growing a reputation. Professional support means your messaging is tight, your interviews are prepped, and your narrative stays consistent. It helps you stay in control of your story, rather than leaving perception to chance.
- Scalability & Growing Pains
The worry: “We’re not ready for mass attention yet.”
How PR helps: PR doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It can start small – founder profiles, expert commentary, or thought leadership – and scale with you. When you are ready to ramp up, you’ll already have visibility and credibility in place.
PR isn’t a distraction from the ‘real work’ – it is the real work. It helps your fundraising by building credibility. It makes hiring easier by strengthening your employer brand. It supports sales by making your marketing more effective. And it protects your reputation if things get bumpy.
The earlier you start shaping your story, the more powerful it becomes. If you’re losing sleep over how to grow, attract investment, or stand out in a crowded market, PR might be the thing that helps you rest a little easier.
