Rockit Summit, Mike Butcher presentation
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This document provides advice for startups on how to gain media attention from an international perspective. It recommends removing location information and focusing on the product first. It also suggests starting in a familiar local market before expanding internationally. Additional tips include aiming for a niche, emphasizing communication over press releases, and building great products that create news through viral growth. Building connections in clusters like London and Berlin can help startups connect with investors on a global scale.
Rockit Summit, Mike Butcher presentation
- 4. Silicon Valley looks like this
- 5. And operates in this
- 6. And we look like this
- 8. WHERE WAS SEESMIC BUILT ? NOBODY CARES
- 10. EMPHASISE THE PRODUCT ABOVE ALL ELSE
- 11. GET TRACTION IN A MARKET YOU UNDERSTAND FIRST (THIS MAY BE HOME!)
- 12. • International market •Bigger pool
- 13. AIM FOR A NICHE
- 14. 50% OF STARTUPS IS ABOUT COMMUNICATION
- 15. News is a Purple Cow
- 16. News is “Man Bites Dog”
- 17. Just BEING a startup does not make you “News”
- 18. The fact that you exist is NOT news!
- 19. The fact that you exist is NOT news!
- 20. Conversations usually beat press releases
- 21. Why? Conversations are about getting to know the news media.
- 22. A day in the life of a stressed tech writer.
- 23. INCOMING!! Email SMS Voice calls Skype / IM Facebook IM / Messages Twitter @replies Twitter DMs Face-to-Face
- 24. Then I get this:
- 25. “ @mikebutcher Hey Mike, we just launched our startup! Want to write about it? ”
- 26. So, for me to drop everything and write about you, your story needs to be BETTER than everything else.
- 28. Answer: Unlikely. So: pre-brief! “Mike, we’re doing X next week. Are you Interested?”
- 29. Ideal pitch over email: Mike! We are launching X. It will compete with Y. It’s better than Y because. We have raised Z money. From XYZ investors. It’s all yours/ Embargoed Here’s more links (no PDFs)
- 30. But put substance into the first pitch And don’t ask permission. JUST DO IT “Hey Mike, Would you mind if I sent you a press release?” #FAIL
- 31. And: Get to the damn point! Mike, given your background, I thought you could be interested in talking to the founder of BLAH BLAH BLAH. With on-going debates on whether we are entering a second Internet bubble and predictions that this year would yield the most IPOs of technology stock since 2000, BLAHs trongly believes that the new wave of tech start- ups would only be successful if they can add value by creating new markets, rather than focus only on streamlining efficiencies. A case in point is his business – 80% of the properties Flat-Club offers have not been previously available in the market. BLAHcan also talk to you about what it means and what it takes to be a successful Internet start- up today. If you are interested in talking to him please let me know and I can arrange an interview. Below I’ve provided further information on BLAH. OR Interview with the founder of this startup? He’s experienced because… He can talk about… the tech bubble… donkeys… whatever Here’s some more info below. Here’s a link Thanks
- 32. Even better: Great products make news. A product that goes viral is much better ‘news’ than a PR release. So build a GREAT product.
- 33. Understand who you are talking to
- 34. Should you hire a PR firm? No.
- 35. PR firms = Relationships Introductions do the same
- 36. Please pitch like a human
- 37. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z”
- 38. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…”
- 39. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…” • Insight: “Trend X will change the world”
- 40. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…” • Insight: “Trend X will change the world” • Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z”
- 41. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…” • Insight: “Trend X will change the world” • Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z” • Success: “Awesome Y created!”
- 42. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…” • Insight: “Trend X will change the world” • Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z” • Success: “Awesome Y created!” • Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up”
- 43. So What IS a Story? • Competition/Drama: “X will Kill Z” • Gossip: “CEO/Company rumour…” • Insight: “Trend X will change the world” • Evolution: “Startup Y is like the X for Z” • Success: “Awesome Y created!” • Failure: “Company X dying/screwed up” • You are The Story: “Kid creates FB” • Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher invests! • Moldova company hacks Facebook!
- 44. What should you send the media? It’s all about saving the media time • LIST OF KEY BULLET POINTS FIRST • Crunchbase entry • Direct hyperlink to web-ready logo (NOT a hi-res image. This is not a fucking print title) • Press Release IN PLAIN TEXT IN THE EMAIL (Do NOT send press releases as attachments)
- 45. TELL A STORY
- 46. NOW GET ON A PLANE
- 47. Get on a plane to: BUILD CONTACTS RAISE MONEY
- 50. USE THE TOOLS: Angelist CrunchBase Crowd-Equity (Seedrs) LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
- 51. Don’t rely on re-creating Silicon Valley Create SILION BRIDGES
- 52. CREATE THE LINKS: • Your country • Europe • Big cities: London/Berlin • New York, SF or Asia
- 53. Now investors have gone hunting European startups
- 54. HOW DO THEY FIND YOU? CLUSTERS make it EASIER and MORE EFFICIENT for INVESTORS to find STARTUPS
- 55. When you cluster you create NOISE
- 57. You’re part of a movement!
- 58. London’s Tech Startup Cluster in 2009
- 59. Silicon Roundabout /Tech City 2 years later See http://www.duedil.com/site/london-real-tech-startups
- 61. Big tech firms like clusters = Talent!
- 62. ‘Silicon Allee’ in Berlin
- 63. ‘Silicon Sentier’ in Paris
- 64. In fact, we can graph this:
- 66. Startups & Clusters are sexy!
- 67. Geeks in feature articles?!
- 72. Learn the skills of pitching and networking • Learn how to pitch media Tinyurl.com/How2DealMedia • Learn how to network! Tinyurl.com/NetworkRight
- 73. Yes Mike, but how do I get on TechCrunch?
- 74. Yes, but how do I get on TechCrunch