How do you know when it is the right time to start to try to get PR for your start up? We are heading into beta but not sure when to lift the veil.

Don’t fall prey to the “we need to be on TechCrunch” syndrome. Sure, any exposure you get is great. Put up a landing page and generate some buzz. But I’d worry more about signing up and learning from your beta users. PR should be used to either get enough beta testers or to scale up your business. The hard part is the learning in between.

Getting PR means a lot of legwork on Twitter, Quora, Sprouter, blogs etc. The best buzz comes from your users so make sure you build in mechanisms for them to talk about you.

Founders who are talking

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Hi Jen. I am developing a product and when it is done I would like to send out a "press release" (hate that term) to some small, niche blogs and publications. I would like ...

Answered by Jen Evans – Founder, Sequentia Environics Posted in Marketing

You can find some tips in some of my previous answers; seems this is a challenge many entrepreneurs are looking to solve! To summarize: don't wait to build the relationship... (more)

Do you think that it is better to get something just right or to release it even when it's a little rough around the edges? We want to get our idea out to the world, but we...

Answered by Joe Stump – Founder of SimpleGeo.

I'm very much of the Apple mindset here. You need to do two things: 1. Be militant in your first version's feature scope. The original iPhone is a perfect example. It lacke... (more)

How do you know if a technical team member is ignoring you, is dead, or sick if they work from a distance overseas? How would you recommend getting in contact with them if ...

Answered by David Ullmann – Partner at Minden Gross LLP.

Lots of companies have to deal with these distance issues. Unfortunately there is not much to do now if you have already entered into the contract, unless they will renegot... (more)

If you are an investor, how do you find good deals? How do you know whether a potential idea is worth investing? I know part of it is risk but what key points do you look f...

Answered by Daniel klass – Partner at Klass Capital VC fund.

great question. at the end of the day it all comes down to the customer. If the customer is really happy, you know two key points: 1) the technology works and 2) the Compan... (more)

Hi Dan: Hope you are well. I have an idea and a business plan. Now, I'm seeking the resources to make this dream into a reality. Do you think that it is better to focus on ...

Answered by Dan Martell – Founder & Investor.

Focus on starting and creating something to show other people. Banks wont lend you money unless you can secure it (which typically means you have the money, so just use th... (more)

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