Cristian Munteanu
Cristian Munteanu
Oct 23, 2025
Don't do PR
PR is a dangerous drug. And I’ve seen too many startups overdose and die.
PR makes small things feel like victories. You get written up in a blog, invited to a panel, and asked for a quote. It fuels your self-importance and makes you feel like you’re doing something that matters. When in fact, you’re not. The only things that matter early on are contracts, tech, and revenue. Real victories, not PR bling.
Events and conferences are the same. They feel productive. You meet people, swap cards, and speak on a panel. But unless you can draw a straight line from that to something measurable — new users, a signed deal, shipped product — it’s theater. Be honest, how many new users did the last conference you attended bring? How many new contracts did you sign? None.
If your business model depends on gaining customers through PR, your business model sucks.
PR is not a channel. It’s a side effect. At its core, PR is purely opportunistic, hence accidental. You do it when you have something real to communicate: a product launch, a funding round, a milestone that actually means something. You do it to create a favorable perception of your performance. But you need to perform first; otherwise, your PR is BS. As a startup founder, you can’t do PR every day, simply because you have the actual heavy lifting to do. Of course, you can try to PR your way out in the world, but people will see through your vanity and empty words.
The irony is that the companies that end up with the most PR are usually the ones that chase it the least. They’re too busy building something people care about. The attention finds them.
So don’t mistake noise for progress. The market doesn’t care how often your face shows up in the press. It cares whether you’re building something worth talking about. And if you are, you won’t have to shout. People will do the talking for you.
PR makes small things feel like victories. You get written up in a blog, invited to a panel, and asked for a quote. It fuels your self-importance and makes you feel like you’re doing something that matters. When in fact, you’re not. The only things that matter early on are contracts, tech, and revenue. Real victories, not PR bling.
Events and conferences are the same. They feel productive. You meet people, swap cards, and speak on a panel. But unless you can draw a straight line from that to something measurable — new users, a signed deal, shipped product — it’s theater. Be honest, how many new users did the last conference you attended bring? How many new contracts did you sign? None.
If your business model depends on gaining customers through PR, your business model sucks.
PR is not a channel. It’s a side effect. At its core, PR is purely opportunistic, hence accidental. You do it when you have something real to communicate: a product launch, a funding round, a milestone that actually means something. You do it to create a favorable perception of your performance. But you need to perform first; otherwise, your PR is BS. As a startup founder, you can’t do PR every day, simply because you have the actual heavy lifting to do. Of course, you can try to PR your way out in the world, but people will see through your vanity and empty words.
The irony is that the companies that end up with the most PR are usually the ones that chase it the least. They’re too busy building something people care about. The attention finds them.
So don’t mistake noise for progress. The market doesn’t care how often your face shows up in the press. It cares whether you’re building something worth talking about. And if you are, you won’t have to shout. People will do the talking for you.
PR makes small things feel like victories. You get written up in a blog, invited to a panel, and asked for a quote. It fuels your self-importance and makes you feel like you’re doing something that matters. When in fact, you’re not. The only things that matter early on are contracts, tech, and revenue. Real victories, not PR bling.
Events and conferences are the same. They feel productive. You meet people, swap cards, and speak on a panel. But unless you can draw a straight line from that to something measurable — new users, a signed deal, shipped product — it’s theater. Be honest, how many new users did the last conference you attended bring? How many new contracts did you sign? None.
If your business model depends on gaining customers through PR, your business model sucks.
PR is not a channel. It’s a side effect. At its core, PR is purely opportunistic, hence accidental. You do it when you have something real to communicate: a product launch, a funding round, a milestone that actually means something. You do it to create a favorable perception of your performance. But you need to perform first; otherwise, your PR is BS. As a startup founder, you can’t do PR every day, simply because you have the actual heavy lifting to do. Of course, you can try to PR your way out in the world, but people will see through your vanity and empty words.
The irony is that the companies that end up with the most PR are usually the ones that chase it the least. They’re too busy building something people care about. The attention finds them.
So don’t mistake noise for progress. The market doesn’t care how often your face shows up in the press. It cares whether you’re building something worth talking about. And if you are, you won’t have to shout. People will do the talking for you.
PR makes small things feel like victories. You get written up in a blog, invited to a panel, and asked for a quote. It fuels your self-importance and makes you feel like you’re doing something that matters. When in fact, you’re not. The only things that matter early on are contracts, tech, and revenue. Real victories, not PR bling.
Events and conferences are the same. They feel productive. You meet people, swap cards, and speak on a panel. But unless you can draw a straight line from that to something measurable — new users, a signed deal, shipped product — it’s theater. Be honest, how many new users did the last conference you attended bring? How many new contracts did you sign? None.
If your business model depends on gaining customers through PR, your business model sucks.
PR is not a channel. It’s a side effect. At its core, PR is purely opportunistic, hence accidental. You do it when you have something real to communicate: a product launch, a funding round, a milestone that actually means something. You do it to create a favorable perception of your performance. But you need to perform first; otherwise, your PR is BS. As a startup founder, you can’t do PR every day, simply because you have the actual heavy lifting to do. Of course, you can try to PR your way out in the world, but people will see through your vanity and empty words.
The irony is that the companies that end up with the most PR are usually the ones that chase it the least. They’re too busy building something people care about. The attention finds them.
So don’t mistake noise for progress. The market doesn’t care how often your face shows up in the press. It cares whether you’re building something worth talking about. And if you are, you won’t have to shout. People will do the talking for you.
