What PR Really Means at a Startup: Naotake Hibiya of kipples

Naotake Hibiya, CEO of kipples and PR advisor to ALL STAR SAAS FUND, argues that startup PR is fundamentally a relationship-building function, not a media-exposure counter.

• PR (Public Relations) means building societal relationships; the Japanese translation 広報 over-emphasizes broadcasting, causing misaligned expectations inside startups.
• The full media PR process mirrors an entire B2B sales funnel — targeting, list-building, cold outreach, nurturing, pitch, negotiation, coverage — yet one PR person handles all of it solo across multiple outlets.
• Funding announcements alone no longer generate coverage; startups must attach a distinct editorial angle because fundraises are no longer rare or inherently newsworthy.
• Lead time from first media outreach to published coverage typically exceeds one month; briefing a PR person less than one month before a planned announcement is too late.
• PR people need access to cross-functional meetings and 1-on-1s with department heads — Slack feeds surface only surface-level information and miss intent and timing.
• Quantitative KPIs (lead count, exposure count) poorly fit PR work; process-based milestones such as getting a journalist to acknowledge the company are more honest interim targets.
• Hiring an in-house PR person makes sense once the volume and frequency of communications needs outgrows what spot freelancers can handle; start with contractors, then internalize.

2025-06-26 · Watch on YouTube