ISSUE #1

Growth series: How to launch your funding announcement

Going live: The shift in startup coverage

When I was still new to the startup scene (five or so years ago…I’m not that old), I remember learning about exciting companies through early-stage funding announcements.

Back then, I would scroll through my inbox or Google News, land on a TechCrunch article, and read about the company’s vision, team, and problem space.

To me, these announcements felt like the company's introduction to the startup world – the "going live" moment.

The challenges with funding coverage
Fast forward to today, and that discovery journey doesn’t happen the same way. Funding articles don't hold the same attention as they once did, and TechCrunch no longer publishes as many funding announcements compared to three years ago (I looked at the data).

Part of the reason is that the funding landscape has shifted – more checks, larger rounds, and everything is now AI. Mix these ingredients with a shrinking newsroom, and you get fewer articles offering depth and coverage.

However, another part is that startups don’t interact with traditional media the same way. In the past, you had to go through publications like TechCrunch to "go live.” 

The press was the primary way to get distribution. Founders pitched their startup to journalists, who then decided what the overall story was, when it would be released, or if they would cover it at all.

New media: Owning the timeline
Today, startups are opting to "go direct" to their audience with the funding news.

Founders are taking control of the narrative and speaking directly to their audience. They're using the raise as a virtual stage to convey their vision in their own words, on their own timeline. No interpreter. More authenticity. And deeper storytelling.

But it goes beyond just the founder. The entire company is now participating in the narrative and distribution, with each team member sharing their perspective and what they're building.

Together, the funding story broke free from the paper and is now being announced through the profile – a collection of voices, all contributing and amplifying a single moment. It’s the new way to own the timeline. It’s the new media way.

Announcing Statsig’s Series C: getting media coverage

Early this year, I had the privilege of working on Statsig's Series C round. I was looped in early to prepare the initial files for the data room. And once the round closed, I helped lead the announcement process. My primary goal was to turn the raise into a timeline takeover.

Pitching journalists to get coverage
Like most startups, we started by reaching out to publications to get coverage. But almost immediately, we hit a common dilemma: who will pick up our story, and when will it get published?

• Bloomberg wouldn't cover us, despite hitting the $100M round threshold.

• TechCrunch had just gone through an acquisition, and key reporters were leaving – so we avoided the outlet.

• We considered VentureBeat and Business Insider, but we didn't fall under the typical industry coverage.

We eventually landed with Fortune, a strong brand with a dedicated newsletter for venture rounds. But securing coverage was only half the equation.

While Fortune would provide a proof point with their story, we had our own narrative to share – and an entire team ready to build momentum behind it.

Announcing Statsig’s Series C: owning the timeline

The goal was simple: amplify our Series C announcement by orchestrating a company-wide LinkedIn takeover. We wanted every employee to post, creating a wave of authentic voices all contributing to a single moment.

The strategy balanced consistency with personality. We needed to reinforce a common narrative – our vision, our culture of customer obsession, our product velocity – while keeping each post personal and first-person. No corporate speak. Real people sharing real excitement.

The tactical execution
First, we created a single visual asset – a social card that every employee could use. This consistent image would make the post recognizable as people scrolled through their feeds. It was meant to reinforce the funding amount, our valuation, and our investors.

Then came the guidelines. We ran an all-hands to walk everyone through the playbook. Each post should include three elements: announce the raise and your excitement, share when you joined, and describe what you're building. We gave them phrases that connected back to our core messages, but insisted they write in their own voice.

Here’s my post as an example:

We were equally clear about what to avoid. No sensitive financial figures beyond what we announced. No bragging or competitive bullying. No customer logos we didn't have the rights to use.

Keep it authentic, keep it positive, keep it personal.

The results
On announcement day, we owned the timeline. Over a hundred people posted about the raise – most were employees, some were industry voices, and the others were investors and customers.

Meanwhile, 14+ outlets picked up the story, with Fortune leading and others following. (I personally liked the GeekWire coverage the best – it had deeper storytelling.)

We saw our single largest day jump in traffic at the time. Plus, my coworkers and I kept getting texts from friends and colleagues saying, "my LinkedIn feed is all Statsig.” Mission accomplished.

Extending the moment
The hardest part in marketing is manufacturing momentum – going viral is every GTM person's dream, but it rarely happens on command.

What I learned is that maintaining momentum is actually easier than creating it. So once you have that spark to break through the inertia, you should do what you can to build on top of it.

We extended the launch by putting spend behind employee posts on LinkedIn, keeping our story in feeds for days after the initial wave.

It was a very cool moment..high stress, of course. But a pretty good day where we proved that a coordinated team telling a single story can create meaningful distribution.

The new media playbook

Funding announcements are still a key moment for startups – your chance to go live or manufacture momentum in your market.

Despite the decline in funding coverage, getting press still provides that crucial proof point, that initial spark of legitimacy.

Combined coverage
But here's what I've learned: you don't have to wait for permission to tell your story. Smaller startups, especially, can go direct, build their own momentum, own their own timeline. And if you can get traditional coverage? Do both.

That's what we did at Statsig. That's what Clay did with their Series B. Use institutional media as validation while your team extends the distribution.

The author of the new media playbook
The landscape for startup coverage is shifting. And funds like a16z are writing the playbook for a “New Media” approach. They're turning funding announcements into cinematic moments – storytelling as a craft. Look at what they've done with Fal, Sola, and Elysie AI. Insane distribution.

Yes, these companies also got traditional coverage, but that was just the beginning. They have an entire ecosystem to amplify the coverage.

The best analogy for this playbook is a pinball machine. Your goal is to keep the ball (attention) in play as long as possible. Your announcement video is the lever that launches your coverage. Your ecosystem – employees, investors, customers – provides the nodes that keep the ball suspended and accumulating engagement points. The more nodes the ball hits, the longer attention stays in motion.

So the next time you raise, don't just chase traditional coverage. Turn your funding announcement into a defining moment for your company. Get everyone involved – your team, your investors, your customers. Own the timeline. Create your own "going live" moment.

Because in the end, your story is too important to go unnoticed and unannounced.

Cheers,

Ian at SaaS Weekly