A founder-side PR advisory

Most founders buy PR
before they have a
story worth telling.

We don't sell press. We help founders decide whether PR is the right investment before they commit budget.

01 — What we do

Three ways to engage.

Pick one Each engagement is fixed-scope and fixed-fee. We tell you whether the next one makes sense before you commit to it.
1 WEEK / 01

The Read.

An independent assessment of whether your story is actually ready for PR, what's missing if it isn't, and whether the timing makes sense. Most founders leave the Read deciding not to hire a PR firm yet — that's part of the value.

4 WEEKS / 02

The Build.

A pressure-test of the story before external attention scales it. We sharpen the narrative, identify what's still weak, and clarify what would make the company meaningfully more credible to investors, customers, and press.

8 WEEKS / 03

The Launch.

Temporary advisory support around a defined communications moment: a launch, raise, partnership, or category announcement. We help founders pressure-test timing, expectations, and narrative coherence before attention compounds the wrong story.

02 — How we work

Diagnose first.
Sell nothing you don't need.

i.

The intake call 30 minutes · free · no deck required

You tell us where you are. We tell you, on the call, whether we think PR is the lever — or whether you need product proof, a hire, or a sharper position first. Half the founders we talk to don't become clients. That ratio is intentional.

ii.

The read one week · fixed fee · written deliverable

We pressure-test the story against three audiences: investors, customers, the trade press. You get a written read on what's true, what's tellable, what's missing, and what would have to happen for a launch to land.

iii.

The decision your call · no upsell

You decide whether to build further with us, take the brief to another firm, or wait. We've sent founders to three different agencies in the last year because they were the right fit. We'd rather be useful than retained.

iv.

The work only if the answer is yes

If you engage further, it's against a fixed scope and a written exit. No month-to-month retainer. No hours-billed surprise. We document everything so you can hand it to a hire later.

Since 2018
108+
founder reads completed
Of those
45%
advised not to hire PR yet
Referred out
63
to other agencies that fit better
Retainers signed
0
— we don't do them
A note
Half the founders we talk to don't become clients. That ratio is intentional.
From the intake call — not the website
03 — Who you're talking to

20+ years on the agency/in-house side. One opinion about most PR pitches.

Decode PR is run by one person, by design. Before this, I led narrative and launches at two of the Mag7 firms you've heard of (and many startups), and watched too many founders pay six figures for press that would never have moved their business.

This advisory exists because the most useful conversation a founder can have about PR is the one that costs them the least — and most agencies are structurally unable to have it. We are. That's the whole pitch.

— with care,
Founder · Decode PR
04 — Questions

The ones founders actually ask.

If yours isn't here, write to us. We answer every founder email personally.

Are you a PR firm? +
No. We're an advisory that sits on the founder's side of the table. We don't pitch reporters or place stories. We help you decide whether to, and what to say if you do.
How is this different from a PR consultant? +
A consultant is usually billing toward an engagement they hope to win. We charge a fixed fee for the diagnostic itself and walk away clean — half the time, our advice is "don't hire anyone yet."
Who do you work with? +
Founders of seed through Series B companies, primarily B2B and B2C. The strongest fit is companies navigating category positioning, founder narrative, and high-stakes communications timing.
What does it cost? +
The Read is a fixed fee, paid up front. The Build and Launch are scoped per engagement. We send the number on the intake call so you can decide before you sign anything.
Will you sign an NDA? +
Yes, before the intake call if you'd like. Most founders skip it and rely on the obvious; both are fine.

A PR retainer is easy to sign
and expensive to misunderstand.

Most founders don't get an independent read until after the contract is already in motion.