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JOURNALIST INTERVIEW · FOUNDER PROFILE
Not another press release —
Let the reporter ask you
In a press release, every sentence is yours. In an interview, the reader watches a journalist ask and a founder answer — with “he said” attached. We turn a founder’s point of view into angles editors want, pitch the right desks, and stay on it until the piece is out.
- 1
T-4 weeks
Angles locked, journalist list built
- 2
T-3 weeks
Bilingual brief, one Q&A rehearsal
- 3
T-2 weeks
Desk-by-desk outreach, slots confirmed
- 4
T-0
Interview runs, we stand by
- 5
T+14 days
Publication follow-up and quote licence
- 300K+
- Media resource library
- 40
- Countries & regions
- 32
- Languages
- 24h
- Response time
A release proves you published. An interview proves you know.
The same point lands differently when an editor writes it down. That is why some brands place releases for years and still own no search result of their own.
01 A release sits inside “brand says”
Readers see “the company announced” and discount it instantly. Better placement does not change the frame.
02 An interview sits inside “third-party judgement”
A journalist asks, a founder answers. The write-up carries “he said” — and that changes how much weight it holds.
03 Long-term search is built on opinions, not announcements
Announcements expire. Points of view get quoted for years. The sentence people find when they search your name usually comes from an interview.
Thirty releases a year, and searching your own name still returns nothing — because a release has a company in it, not a person.
Four content formats
Four formats, not four price tiers — you pick by the story angle. The first two are the easiest to start with.
Thought leadership
Byline series
A founder-signed, first-person piece on where the industry is going. No news hook needed; one piece, one argument. A series becomes a position.
Founders or CTOs with a consistent view: standards, technology roadmaps, globalisation.
First piece in 6–8 weeks; series by quarter
Interview
Q&A
A journalist asks, the founder answers, and the piece runs as Q&A or heavy quotation. Readers see the conversation itself.
First appearance overseas, tight timeline, one quotable industry judgement.
4–6 weeks
Profile
Feature
The journalist builds the narrative: how this person got here and why the company matters now. The interview is only raw material.
Before a funding round or IPO, when the person and the company must be explained together.
8–12 weeks
Op-ed / Comment
By invitation or submission
A view on policy, an industry event or a technology dispute, timed to the news window.
A clear position and the stomach for pushback: policy, compliance, technology routes.
3–5 weeks, driven by the news window
Two pairs people mix up:
- Thought leadership vs op-ed — the first is “this is what I have always thought”: long-running, serial, reusable. The second is “this is what I think about this”: one-off, news-timed, expires fast.
- Interview vs profile — in an interview the founder speaks (quotes carry the piece); in a profile the journalist writes (the founder becomes the subject). Choose the first to control wording, the second to gain depth.
What we commit to, and what we do not
This is the question every client is about to ask. Answer it first, and the numbers after it become believable.
What we commit to (in the scope)
Angles 3–5 reportable angles, each with one line on why it matters now
List A journalist list organised by desk and beat, with each outlet’s recent coverage noted
Brief & rehearsal A bilingual interview brief plus one Q&A rehearsal, including the hard questions
Outreach Every outlet on the list contacted, at least two follow-ups each, all replies logged
Execution Slot coordination, remote standby or on-site support, background pack
Writing Bylines and op-eds drafted by us and polished in the target language; the founder only supplies the view
Follow-up Publication links and quote licence; for anything unpublished, a written note on why
What we do not commit to (stated up front)
A specific outlet running it Being on the list does not mean an editor will write.
Article count Only a target range: typically 3–6 priority outlets take the interview, 1–2 pieces run, assessed outlet by outlet.
A named journalist Schedules belong to their newsroom. We can ask; we cannot promise.
Copy approval Most outlets do not let subjects approve copy. We can correct factual errors; judgement and wording stay with the editor.
These four lines are not an admission of weakness — they are the most valuable block on this page. Very few agencies dare write them, and clients use them to judge whether you know this trade.
Where an interview starts and where it ends
Shown for interview / profile work. A byline has no interview step: angle → draft → founder sign-off → placement, with the first piece in 6–8 weeks.
- T-4 weeksANGLE
Angles locked, key messages and wording agreed, journalist list built.
We propose; client signs off the line - T-3 weeksPREP
Bilingual brief and one Q&A rehearsal, hard questions included.
We write; the founder runs through it - T-2 weeksPITCH
Desk-by-desk outreach; sections and slots confirmed.
We run it and log everything - T-1 weekKIT
Background pack (data, images, citable facts), remote or on-site logistics.
Client supplies; we assemble - T-0INTERVIEW
The interview itself; standby support for whatever comes up.
Founder speaks; we cover - T+7–14 daysFOLLOW-UP
Publication follow-up, quote checks, licence for reuse.
We follow through
What the four formats look like
Three overseas reports about real people, plus one signed commentary. They illustrate the formats — they are not our client work.
These are public reports used to illustrate the four formats; they are not work delivered by us. Links point to the original outlet pages; some may require a login or subscription to read in full.
We can run all four. How far any single one goes depends on the angle, the material and the newsroom calendar — assess first, then talk about scope.
Who this fits, and who it does not
Good fit
- A founder willing to sit down and with a real point of view — not just product specs
- Before a funding round, an IPO, a distributor push or a hiring sprint
- Standards, policy or technology-route topics
- Categories that need a person behind them: B2B, durables, professional services
Not a fit
- You need “guaranteed Forbes coverage”
- Nobody at the company will sit for an interview
- There is an announcement but no point of view
- You need it published in two weeks
FAQ
FAQ
How is a journalist interview different from media outreach?+
Outreach pushes a news item to a journalist; an interview puts a person in front of one. The first runs on events, the second on angles. You can use either alone, or start with an interview to build credibility and then fix the position with a byline.
Our founder is not fluent in English. Does that work?+
Yes. Three routes: prepare in Chinese against a bilingual brief; use an interpreter or have us relay between languages; or target Chinese-language verticals and Chinese-speaking reporters. Fluency is not the constraint — having a point of view is.
Can we specify a particular outlet?+
You can name it and we will put it first on the list, but we cannot promise the outlet will write. Being on a pitch list is not the same as an editor assigning the story.
Will the journalist let us approve the copy?+
Usually not — that is part of editorial independence. Facts, figures, titles and quotes can be checked and corrected; judgement and wording stay with the editor. After the interview we hand the reporter a fact sheet to reduce the room for error.
How long until it publishes?+
Four to six weeks for a Q&A, eight to twelve for a profile, counted from the day angles are locked. Big industry news or trade shows will push the newsroom calendar, and we flag that in the schedule up front.
Can you guarantee a number of articles?+
No, and nobody credibly can. We give a target range assessed outlet by outlet; what we commit to is the angles, the list, the brief, the rehearsal, the outreach and the log — if those fail, that is on us.
How is a byline different from an interview?+
In an interview the reporter asks and the founder answers: the credibility comes from the outlet. In a byline the founder signs the whole piece and makes the argument in first person: the credibility is your own. They work best in sequence.
Can we reuse the interview content?+
The copyright belongs to the outlet. Quotes and conclusions can be cited with attribution; using them in ads, packaging or product pages needs a licence. We confirm the scope after publication and keep it in writing.
Start with the sentence you want to be quoted on
Thirty minutes. We do not pitch a plan — we tell you whether the story has a reportable angle. If it does, here is how; if it does not, we say so.
We take one full-scope project at a time. No queue jumping.