If you got an unexpected call from a reporter this afternoon between back-to-back product meetings and a sprint planning session, would you be ready?
For early-stage founders, the first real media conversation is typically planned in advance of a launch from stealth or funding announcement, but there is always that chance that it arrives earlier than expected. A journalist reaches out after spotting your fundraise, a customer announcement, or even a viral LinkedIn post. Suddenly, you’re “on” and every word you say shapes how your company will be understood (and Googled) for years.
That’s why we created this guide to help you pressure-test your messaging, sharpen your story, and figure out whether you’re prepared for real-time questions — the kind reporters actually ask.
Let's break down the essential questions journalists expect you to answer clearly and confidently, why they matter, and how to know if you or your company messaging needs a little more prep.
Questions Every Founder Should Be Ready For
1. What problem are you solving in one sentence?
If your answer requires multiple commas, you’re not ready. Reporters want clarity, not complexity. If you can’t articulate your problem statement quickly, you’ll struggle with the rest.
2. Why does your solution matter now?
Timing is everything. Journalists look for urgency, momentum, or a shift in the market. If you can’t explain the “why now,” your story loses heat.
3. How is your product different from what already exists?
You don’t need to drag your competitors, but you do need to articulate why your approach is unique. If your differentiation sounds like “We use AI,” you have work to do.
4. Who is actually using your product today?
Vague answers like “enterprises,” “municipalities,” or “anyone with a phone” don’t cut it. Reporters want proof that your product is real, useful, and used.
5. What traction can you share?
It doesn’t have to be revenue. It could be customer count, retention, pipeline growth, engagement, pilots, partnerships, or market signals. If you have nothing to point to, that’s a red flag.
6. What’s your vision, and is it grounded in reality?
Your big picture should be ambitious, but not sci-fi. Great founders show how the next five years connect to the next five months.
7. Why you? Why this team?
Reporters are looking for credibility, clarity, and commitment. Your origin story doesn’t need to be dramatic. It just needs to be authentic.
8. What’s your business model?
Even at the earliest stages, you should be able to explain how you either make money today or plan to make it soon.
9. What’s the biggest misconception about your space?
This is where founders often shine. Journalists love a smart tension point or myth-busting moment.
10. If a reader remembers one thing about your company, what should it be?
This is your headline in disguise. If you can’t answer it, a reporter will answer for you, and you may not like their version as much as your own.
How to Know If You're Actually Ready
A few signals you might need to tighten your story before talking to media:
- Your pitch changes slightly every time you explain it.
Your co-founder tells a different version of the company’s origin story. - You ramble when answering questions off the cuff.
- You default to using industry jargon when you’re unsure.
Strong messaging isn’t just about sounding good. It’s about sounding consistent, compelling, and credible in any interview or inbox.
How PR Teams Help Founders Be Interview-Ready
Great PR support goes beyond booking interviews. It prepares founders to succeed in them. That means:
- Crafting a crisp company narrative
- Developing a consistent, memorable one-liner
- Building an elevator pitch that works across audiences
- Prepping founders with likely questions, including tough ones
- Pressure-testing messaging through mock interviews
- Ensuring proof points match what reporters need
- Helping founders stay calm, concise, and in control
When founders sound confident and clear the resulting article will be stronger as well.
Building Your Narrative and Reputation
Media conversations are opportunities, but only if you’re ready. A clear story can accelerate your brand. An unfocused one can follow you for years. Founders who prepare early build stronger narratives, better reputations, and more trust with the press. And that starts long before the first journalist reaches out.
If you want help sharpening your messaging or prepping for upcoming media, our team is here; and yes, we’ll ask you all of these questions.
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