Startup PR 101: Essential tips from SISU founder Jenna Birch

Startups hire PR professionals to raise their profile with investors, make it easier to hire, build their brand and position their founders as thought leaders.

But there are no guarantees. And if a team is still stumbling toward product-market fit or articulating its unique value proposition, it won’t matter which firm they hire. 

“PR is like gasoline on the fire, but the fire has to be lit already,” said Jenna Birch, founder of SISU, a firm that serves early-stage startups and VCs. She’s also a partner at Kaya Ventures, where she helps identify healthtech investments.

We talked about how to recognize when it’s time to engage PR services, the importance of a founder’s personal branding and the path that led her from journalism into venture-backed tech.

She also shared her methodologies for assessing clients, setting realistic expectations, and creating impactful media strategies. With so many misconceptions about PR, it was great to hear her take on earned media, personal branding, and how early-stage startups can optimize their efforts.

“PR is not meant to make up for a lack of something in your business, it can't fix the thing that you really need to fix, for instance, finding product market fit,” she said. “PR is not the gateway to do that. You have to have that figured out before you get PR.”

We also talked about how to interview a comms firm, her ballpark estimates for monthly fees, and which red flags to look for when a PR professional wants to rep you.

“You want to learn everything you can. So I'd also just ask about the transparency and how they're going to guide you through, because I think having a look behind the curtain — having someone that's willing to give you that look — is important.”

(1:55) “SISU is a very good startup word. It means ‘enduring grit.’”

(4:14) Her transition from journalism into being a comms professional and VC.

(7:26) Inside the process Jenna uses to assess potential clients.

(8:55) “PR is not meant to make up for a lack of something in your business.”

(12:08) SISU’s onboarding process: “I like to craft things in three-month sprints.”

(14:47) “Ultimately, you're the steward of your company's story. So I need you to be involved in that process.”

(19:14) How founders can identify/leverage news hooks and trends.

(22:10) When it comes to thought leadership, “most founders and most investors are not immediately good at that.”

(24:59) Why she thinks LinkedIn is more valuable than Twitter/X for business leaders.

(27:32) Which signals and metrics indicate you should hire outside PR help?

(31:16) The framework she uses to decide whether your startup is ready to hire her.

(32:27) “Anyone that promises you press is probably not the right partner for you.”

(35:05) Jenna ballparks a monthly cost for professional PR services.

(38:10) How she became a partner at Kaya Ventures/how to pitch her.

Thanks for listening!

– Walter.