Lenny's PodcastHow to get press for your product | Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine)
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:46
Cold open: Journalists don’t care about you—only their audience
Jason opens with the core mindset shift: media is not a service you “order coverage” from. Writers and editors optimize for what helps their readers/listeners/viewers, and founders must position themselves as useful to that mission.
- •Media isn’t a service provider; you can’t ‘request’ press like a product
- •Editors/writers primarily serve their audience, not the subject being covered
- •The path to coverage is showing how your story benefits their readers
- •Misunderstanding this dynamic is the root of most failed pitches
- 0:46 – 5:04
Meet Jason Feifer: why press is a misunderstood growth tool
Lenny introduces Jason’s background across major publications and frames the episode as a tactical playbook for earning press. Jason explains why founders often misuse press and why he enjoys demystifying it.
- •Jason’s roles: Editor-in-Chief at Entrepreneur, former Fast Company editor
- •Press is frequently misunderstood and misapplied by entrepreneurs
- •This episode aims to be highly tactical: outlets, pitches, and process
- •Press can help—but only when approached with the right expectations
- 5:04 – 7:41
Inside the inbox: pitch volume, founder vs. PR outreach, and mass-blast noise
Jason describes the sheer quantity of pitches hitting editors daily and why most are irrelevant. The conversation highlights how PR automation and indiscriminate blasting hurt founders who pay for low-quality outreach.
- •Editors may receive 30–50 pitches in a short window; most are “garbage”
- •Only ~20–25% are direct from founders; most are PR-driven
- •Mass email blasts and generic press releases create destructive noise
- •Bad PR practices waste founder money and erode trust with journalists
- 7:41 – 12:42
What press can (and can’t) do: impact range, goals, and when not to chase it
Jason explains that press outcomes vary wildly—sometimes huge, sometimes negligible. He emphasizes deciding what press is for (like fundraising) and illustrates misaligned outlet choice with the ‘DC hot dog truck’ story.
- •Press can outperform paid marketing—or do almost nothing; it’s unpredictable
- •Treat press like fundraising: do it only when you know what it’s for
- •Good goals: awareness, fundraising credibility, partnerships, positioning
- •Bad fit example: local business seeking national coverage that can’t convert
- 12:42 – 16:00
Jason’s 3-step strategy: prep → pick who to pitch → craft the pitch
Jason lays out a simple three-step framework and stresses that founders are entering a world that doesn’t work the way they assume. The chapter introduces the foundational concept that the media’s job is audience service, not founder promotion.
- •Step 1: Preparation—clarify goals and story angles
- •Step 2: Identify who to pitch (not ‘the publication’ broadly)
- •Step 3: Execute the pitch (message, channel, timing)
- •Core premise: journalists optimize for audience value, not founder needs
- 16:00 – 21:13
How editorial missions drive coverage: Entrepreneur vs. Fast Company + the ‘butter dish’ lesson
Jason explains that every publication has an internal logic for what qualifies as a story. He contrasts Fast Company’s focus on where business is going with Entrepreneur’s focus on teaching better business thinking, using the butter dish founder’s airport market-research hack as the archetype.
- •Different publications have different ‘why this story exists’ filters
- •Fast Company (then): signals about where industries/business are heading
- •Entrepreneur: decision-making, problem-solving, and how founders think
- •Product novelty isn’t enough—entrepreneurial ingenuity is the story
- 21:13 – 28:25
Step 1—Preparation: find the angle that matches the outlet (not your preferred narrative)
Jason explains how to infer a publication’s mission (by reading patterns) and then reverse-engineer what part of your journey is most relevant. He warns against pitching what you want to say rather than what the outlet’s audience needs.
- •No single ‘About’ page explains editorial logic; you must study the content
- •Missions vary by section and desk—especially at general-interest outlets
- •Avoid reverse-pitching: forcing your narrative into every publication
- •Break your story into parts and match the right piece to the right outlet
- 28:25 – 35:55
PR agencies: when they help, what to avoid, and relationship-based PR that works
Jason explains why PR can be worth it (speed, expertise) but also why many firms underperform. He shares red flags (press release/wire obsession, guaranteed coverage claims) and what to look for: real relationships, honest pushback, and deep category knowledge.
- •PR can shortcut research and pitching work—but cost and quality vary
- •Red flags: selling press releases/wire distribution as ‘coverage’
- •Red flag: any guarantee of press (journalists ultimately decide)
- •Best PR value: trusted relationships + targeted outreach + hard feedback
- 35:55 – 42:32
Choosing outlets strategically: who buys vs. who builds + turning coverage into a ‘proof asset’
Jason argues there’s no universal ‘top 10 publications’ because outlet choice depends on your buyer and your goal. He shares a key tactic: look at where competitors are covered, and remember that coverage can be repurposed as validation (ads, “as seen in,” partner outreach)—even if readership is modest.
- •Business pubs reach people in a ‘creating’ mindset—not necessarily buyers
- •Start with competitor coverage to map likely outlets and angles
- •Most stories won’t reach millions; 5–10k reads can be normal
- •Value often comes from validation: ads, outbound emails, “as seen in” badges
- 42:32 – 52:27
Step 2—Who to pitch: avoid top execs, find the real writers, and target freelancers
Jason explains why pitching the editor-in-chief is often inefficient and how to identify the best recipient. He walks through a practical method: search the outlet for your category, open relevant articles, follow bylines, and prioritize freelancers who are more incentivized to pursue story leads.
- •Don’t default to the most visible person (e.g., editor-in-chief)
- •Use site search/Google to find who covers your category and your competitors
- •Click bylines to identify relevant writers/editors and their interests
- •Freelancers are often ‘hungrier’ and more likely to seriously read pitches
- 52:27 – 59:03
Step 3—The pitch itself: channels, email structure, and the ‘butter dish’ cold email win
Jason gets tactical about execution: avoid calling; be thoughtful about DMs; default to email. He outlines what works—tight, personalized emails (3 short paragraphs), clear relevance signals, and an angle designed for the outlet’s audience rather than a generic product announcement.
- •Don’t cold-call; DMs are divisive; email is the standard channel
- •Subject line + preview text must immediately signal it’s targeted and relevant
- •Keep pitches short (around 3 paragraphs) and audience-oriented
- •Cold email can work when it quickly delivers the most relevant story angle
- 59:03 – 1:18:26
Pitch examples and advanced tactics: Meg O’Hara’s email, playing the long game, exclusives, and story risk
Jason breaks down a successful pitch (Meg O’Hara) and why it worked: deep understanding of format, bullet-point clarity, and a problem-solving narrative. They cover engagement strategies (getting your name recognized), expectations on outreach volume, handling exclusives/embargo windows, and the reality that you can’t control the story’s tone.
- •Great pitch traits: personalized, story-first, aligned to show format, clear lessons
- •Being open about real challenges beats polished ‘success stories’
- •Build familiarity before pitching via genuine social engagement (name recognition)
- •Exclusives/embargoes can work if you’re transparent and don’t ‘play’ journalists
- •You can’t control narrative direction—over-control can backfire
- 1:18:26 – 1:42:27
Sometimes you’re not the story: trend/context pitching, Barbara Corcoran’s ‘report’ strategy, and final advice
Jason shares a powerful alternative approach: create or surface a bigger story (scams, trends, surveys) where your company is a useful character—not the headline. He closes with the guiding principle to “be human,” then moves through a lightning round, Opportunity Set B, and where to find him.
- •‘Be part of the story’: Fred’s Ripple Rug became a character in an Amazon/eBay scam feature
- •Founders can pitch trends and context, not just company features
- •Create news via data: surveys, reports, and internal platform insights (e.g., Zapier-style lists)
- •Barbara Corcoran built authority by publishing a repeatable market report
- •Parting advice: be human in pitches and interviews; authenticity builds trust
