Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth

How to get press for your product | Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine)

October 12, 2023

AI Summary

5 min read

Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, explains how startups can realistically pursue press by aligning with journalists' incentives: serving their audience through useful insights, not providing a service to the company. He outlines a three-step process—prep, target contacts, pitch—emphasizing that press is unpredictable for direct growth but valuable for validation, positioning, or indirect leads when timed right, like before fundraising.

Clarify your goals and publication fit
Press works best when you know its purpose, such as building awareness for a launch, attracting investors, or reaching buyers—similar to raising money only when you have a plan. Avoid chasing it too early or mismatched outlets; a DC hot dog truck gains nothing from national Entrepreneur coverage but could from local food sections. Study a publication's recent stories to grasp its mission—Entrepreneur seeks counterintuitive problem-solving in business (e.g., a butter dish maker polling travelers at airports to save on market research), while Fast Company once focused on industry trends. Tailor your story's angle to that mission, pulling from non-obvious parts of your journey that deliver audience takeaways.

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What you'll learn

1 **[00:47-05:36] Guest intro and pitch volume**
2 **[05:36-09:55] Press impact and when to pursue**
3 **[09:55-13:42] Three-step framework overview**
4 **[13:42-22:48] Media mindset and publication missions**
5 **[22:48-35:55] Prep details and PR agency advice**
6 **[35:55-52:36] Target right pubs/people: Competitors, freelancers**
7 **[52:36-78:19] Pitch mechanics and examples**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Maui Nui Venison—The healthiest red meat on the planet delivered directly to your door | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

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Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and a former editor at Fast Company. He’s also a podcast host, book author, keynote speaker, and startup advisor. Every week, he shares tips in his newsletter, One Thing Better, to help people become happier and more effective at work. In today’s episode, Jason draws upon his wealth of experience in media to share tactical insights on how to get press coverage. We discuss:

• High-level steps to securing press coverage for your product

• Why it’s critical to understand the mission of the publication

• Why freelance writers are more likely to write about you

• When it’s worth investing in PR

• When and how to hire a great PR agency

• Insider tips for writing the perfect pitch

• Why you should optimize for “Opportunity Set B”

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-get-press-for-your-product-jason-feifer-editor-in-chief-of-entrepreneur-magazine/

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Where to find Jason Feifer:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfeifer/