The Naked Truth: 7/24 Event Connecting Entrepreneurs to Journalists

Surrounded by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and journalists, awash with beers and barbeque, my boss Susannah Malarkey and I attended "The Naked Truth" panel and party Tuesday night. Though we saw and got to chat with no fewer than 15 companies we’ve interviewed in recent months (and CEO of the AoA Company of the Year, event host Glenn Kelman), apparently a few of you may have missed this free, Madrona Ventures- and Redfin- hosted event. Attendance was capped at 200 and “sold out"ridiculously fast.

I kept myself to one cocktail during the panel discussion and took copious notes, some of which we’ll share here:

How do you get noticed on TechCrunch, Michael Arrington’s blog?
He says you need good product. “Even dysfunctional founders can do ok in the press,” he claimed (that may be true, but to get funding from AoA, a team that can execute is key!)

What kinds of entrepreneurial stories tend to interest the press?
John Cook (Seattle PI) prefers to focus on people, product, and funding, but needs a hook. Oftentimes this will be a financing event, which is “transformative in the company’s history.”

Tricia Duryee (Seattle Times) and Rebecca Buckman (Wall Street Journal) like to comment on trends (Tricia notes: even if you don’t hear back from the Times on a press release, individual examples help inform trend data, so keep her posted).

Who should talk to the press?
According to Fred Vogelstein (Wired Magazine): definitely the CEO (vs. a PR firm). “You guys are the best salesmen for your ideas,” he described. He also cautioned against engaging a PR firm if your motive is to save time. Proper management of a PR firm (and the efficient use of one) is a real commitment.

How does the press feel about off-the-record?

Answers ranged from “there’s no such thing,” (Becky) to “tell me everything then tell me what I can print.” (Michael). The take-away is that entrepreneurs should find out the journalist's policy before commenting.

At the end of the day, if the panel agreed on one topic, it was to avoid spin. Be succinct in your value proposition, avoid flowery marketing language, and tell the truth. Turns out that advice works in investor pitches too.