How Do Investors Research Startups Before Writing a Check?

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Startup founders spends months preparing for their investor meeting but before their presentation even begins, most investors have already made up their minds.

Long before investors meet with you – or write a check, they’ve already researched your company online. News stories, executive backgrounds, LinkedIn profiles will influence their decisions before you even say a word. And what’s the common denominator between that research? The Media.

As an Executive Producer with NBC before founding MACIAS PR, I’ve seen firsthand how earned media shapes public perception. Journalists decide which companies deserve attention based on newsworthiness. Investors take the same approach to validate whether a company is gaining traction.

Public Relations Begins Before any Fundraising Campaign

Many startups wait until they’re raising capital before investing in public relations. That’s often too late. Credibility develops over time – not three weeks before your important VC meeting.

The strongest fundraising campaigns are supported by months of thoughtful media outreach, executive positioning and strategic storytelling. By the time investors begin researching the company, they’ve already encountered interviews, industry commentary and third-party news coverage that reinforces the startup’s market position.

Public relations doesn’t replace fundraising. It strengthens the environment in which fundraising happens.

Continue reading →

What Journalists Actually Look For in a Startup Story

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

“How do I get reporters interested in my company?”

It’s a popular question from all startups. Our conversation usually begins around a product launch, funding announcement or new partnership. These milestones are exciting for founders, but journalists rarely care about those topics.

Before founding MACIAS PR, I spent years approving story ideas as Executive Producer with NBC and CBS. Every day, we evaluated hundreds of pitches competing for a limited number of broadcast segments. The overwhelming majority never made it to air—not because the companies lacked innovation, but because they lacked a compelling story.

Understanding how journalists evaluate news is one of the biggest advantages a startup can have. Once founders begin thinking like reporters instead of marketers, media coverage becomes much more attainable.

Continue reading →

10 Things I Learned Approving Stories at NBC and CBS

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

Before I launched MACIAS PR in 2009, I spent years approving stories as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York. Every day I reviewed dozens of story ideas from reporters, producers and publicists. Most never made it on the air.

What surprised me most wasn’t that publicists lacked media contacts. It was that many never understood how journalists actually decide what becomes news. The technology has changed since my newsroom days.

AI, social media and digital publishing have transformed journalism. But the fundamentals of what makes a story worthy of coverage haven’t changed. Here are the ten biggest lessons I learned from sitting on the other side of the pitch.

Continue reading →

Should I Hire an In-House PR Person or a PR Agency?

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

One of the biggest decisions growing companies face is whether to hire an in-house public relations professional or work with a PR agency. The answer isn’t always obvious.

At first glance, bringing PR in-house may seem like the logical choice. An employee understands the business, sits in meetings and becomes immersed in the company’s culture. An agency, on the other hand, works from the outside.

That comparison overlooks one important reality. The most valuable part of public relations isn’t writing a press release. It’s everything that happens before and after the press release.

Having spent years as an Executive Producer with NBC and CBS in New York – before founding MACIAS PR – I’ve learned that successful media campaigns depend on strategy, timing, persistence and execution. Those responsibilities require far more time than most executives realize.

Continue reading →

How Do Startups Get on CNBC?

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Mark Macias

By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer

For many startup founders, appearing on CNBC represents more than media exposure.

A CNBC interview can introduce a company to investors, customers, strategic partners and prospective employees in a single day. The network reaches millions of business decision-makers, making it one of the most influential business news organizations in the world.

That visibility explains why founders often ask the same question: How can I get my business on CNBC?

As a former Executive Producer with NBC and contributor with CNBC, I can tell you the bar is much higher for CNBC. The potential stakes for every interview are heavy based on the potential to move the markets. This is why subjective angles aren’t even looked at while objective stories have to be substantiated across several levels.

Those editorial decisions continually shape how our agency develops media campaigns for startups today. Click here to see our case studies. CNBC producers think like journalists, not marketers, and understanding that difference dramatically improves a company’s chances of earning coverage.

Continue reading →