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Above the Code Dreamit Ventures New York
The document provides guidance for startups on hacking their public relations (PR) and communications initiatives to get "Above The Code". It recommends focusing on storytelling over pitches, treating the media as customers, understanding differences between being discovered versus found, putting content out there, and drawing on creative outlets. The presentation outlines 12 belief sets for PR success and practical steps startups can take to prepare for a demo day, including developing media wish lists and following journalists' editorial calendars. It emphasizes the importance of a long-term PR approach and offers the presenter's help to startups.
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Above the Code Dreamit Ventures New York
- 1. ABOVE THE CODE™ New York City June 21, 2012
- 2. Hacking Your Startup’sPR and Communications Initiatives To Get You Above The Code™
- 3. OUR STARTUP ISNOT READY FOR THIS... • What is a PR person doing in the room? • We gotta focus on getting to - and through Demo Day on August 8 •I am hoping to have some fun while in NYC :) •Idon’t have time for this... thinking about PR could wind up being a distraction
- 4. ABOUT • 30 years - yup, I am an old school PR guy :) - • San Antonio & Tel Aviv • Works with Jeff Pulver on State of NOW -#140Conf • Involved with Israel’s traditional tech sector for the last 18 years
- 5. Life in threelabs.... Tel Aviv San Antonio NYC / London / Tel Aviv, etc.
- 6. GETTING LUCKY... • Belief set about getting lucky with.... • PR • Social • Content
- 7. ALIGNING BUSINESS GOALS WITH COMMUNICATIONS • can be applied as an element of your R&D and development strategies • help you accelerate the potential for success • prepare your company for gaining coverage before, during and after Demo Day on August 8 • prepare your company for being discovered • be ready when you are found by the media
- 8. 2 PARTS TOPRESENTATION • Principles and belief sets for the long run • Practical and actionable steps to help you be ready for DEMO Day on August 8, and beyond...
- 9. THE MEDIA IS YOUR FIRST MARKET to share and tell your story
- 10. The Media isYour Customer.... bloggers you analysts & the the consumer enterprise media
- 11. GOOD NEWS :) •Very low cost / no cost to create a start-up • Big Idea • Core team • Strong will • Servers / hosting • Coding
- 12. BAD NEWS :( •Someone in Austin, Chicago, SFO, Singapore, Tel Aviv, Mumbai is thinking the same thing as you are :( • Hard to have a defensible position • Hard to protect your IP
- 13. QUALITIES THEN... • Strong Intellectual Property • Defensible technology • Strategic investors like Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, Motorola • VC funded
- 14. QUALITIES NOW • No Intellectual property • Nothing really defensible • Strategic investors & partners - Friends, Family, Angels, Dreamit Ventures, Google, Yahoo, AT&T, etc. • Up until recently....No funding, or angel, micro, friends & family funding • Easy to run a virtual company... no real address, presence from a co- working space and an IP phone number
- 15. THE WORLD ASWE KNEW IT • Hardware • Software Go to School • Telecom Go to College / University • Security Summer Job Go to Work • Bio Sciences • Medical Devices
- 16. THE WORLD ASWE KNOW IT High School • Hardware Start-Up Gap Year • Software Start-Up College / University • Telecom Start-Up Work • Security Startup • Bio Sciences Quit Day Job Startup • Medical Devices
- 17. Outbound / InboundStrategy Outreach to media pick me Being found by the media find me
- 18. PR in thepast..... bloggers company agency media company analysts
- 19. WHAT I BELIEVE •12 Fundamental Belief Sets • Not everything I do always works •I do this for me... I do this for clients. • There’s always exceptions to the rules • Discussion is based on a combination of experience and principles
- 20. From > Code
- 21. To > Above The Code
- 22.
- 23. #1 - STOPPITCHING • Start story telling • Yourpitch helps clarify / define what you do, but really sucks as a way to get coverage
- 24. #2 - YOU’REREALLY A MEDIA COMPANY THAT.... •Creates and makes media • Pinterest so you’ll be discovered, • Instagram found and shared • Cinchcast • YouTube • SoundCloud • Twitter • Google Plus • Facebook • LinkedIn • Blog
- 25. #3 UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCESBETWEEN BEING... • Discovered - random being discovered and being found increases your chances • Found - search of sharing
- 26. #4 IT’S NOTABOUT YOU • How do you help others do something in a compelling way you could not do before
- 27. #5 BE HUMAN •Get off your perch and write like you would speak • Conversewith your potential market wherever they are
- 28. #6 LIKE MINDEDPEOPLE TEND TO FIND EACH OTHER • Givethem a place to connect and share their story • Consider aligning with other startups like yours to create a multinational startup
- 29. #7 HAVE AMISSION • We’re out to make __________ better • We want to help _____ do _______ • We want to help others the opportunity to ________ • We’re connecting _______ with ______ so they can ________ • We make it easier to ____________ • Have your voice be heard about _________
- 30. #8 THINK LIKEA SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHER • The potential to collect “Big Data” means you have something of incredible value to a potential partner, investor, or brand • Gives you a better chance of a lift when an exit may present itself • Bigdata lends itself to infographics, which contributes to your thought leadership and a great way to get media coverage
- 31. spark - what if? “some funding.”.. technology platform story... narrative to real value engagement BIG DATA Lift towards an exit... (c) Alan Weinkrantz
- 32. #9 PUT ITOUT THERE • You never know who is going to find your content and engage • You don’t have to have high quality production values to do this • Hardware is cheap. Tools are free. Tons of creatives to help you
- 33. #10 DRAW, PAINT, PHOTOGRAPH, ROCK OUT • Do something or learn to do something creative other than working on your startup • Itwill re-wire your brain in an unexpected way my drums circa 1968
- 34. #11 IT’S NOTALWAYS REPLICABLE • Justbecause one strategy or tactic worked for one company does not mean it will work for another
- 35. #12 GET LUCKY •Go wide • Get lucky • Runwith it when you strike a chord
- 36. THE MIND OFA DEVELOPER • Focus on... • functionality • application • utilitarian value
- 37. HACK YOUR OWNPR! • Youhave to “know” the journalist • Much of this you can do yourself • “Paper trails” on the Internet exist if you search correctly
- 38. PLAN.... • Postand writerelevant content • Read and comment on relevant so you can be a source to media articles without being self on your field of expertise promotional. • Develop & publish infographics • Askend user / beta customers if you can share you can refer to them to media • Follow a wish list of 20 • Follow editorial calendars journalists you think should cover you
- 39. NOW.... • Reach out to home town media • analysts appropriate to your space • Makea wish list of where you belong • track competitors or companies in your periphery • business / tech / bloggers who on news.google.com to see are your fans back home who covers and writes about them • media appropriate to your space
- 40. PLAN FOR PR •Ifyou follow some of these basic • Get everyone on your team to principles, you’ll be further make this part of their regimen ahead. as it will make them aware of the opportunities that await you • This process takes at least six when you are ready. months to one year to really get on a journalist’s radar and be • Bring up PR in your team sticky - sometimes you can get meetings in a “what if...” scenario. lucky Be Ready For PR So You Can Succeed
- 41. HELP! • My door is “open” • Happy to spend one hour with each company after July 15 to help you think this through. • Email me your wish list of media
- 42. Read. Re-Read. http://tech.li/2012/03/integrating-pr-into-your-product/ http://gigaom.com/2012/03/03/how-startups-can-hack-the-pr-machine/ http://appsmarketing.mobi/app-marketing-sxsw-2012/
- 43. Free tools toget you into the groove.... http://www.alanweinkrantz.com/startup-pr- Who did I pitch today? strategies-who-did-i-pitch-today http://www.gartner.com/technology/about/ Gartner Briefings request form vendor_briefings.jsp Editorial calendars http://www.alanweinkrantz.com/ technology-public-relations-2011- editorial-ca
- 44. Methodically. Reach. Out.
- 45. ABOVE THE CODE™ please share:)
- 46. thank you alan@weinkrantz.com www.alanweinkrantz.com Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Instagram. all photos by me © Alan Weinkrantz And Company 2012 Above The Code ™