Why Traditional Retainers Are a Waste of Cash (And How to Pitch Journalists Without a PR Agency)

By Zach Schleien

Stop wasting $10k/month on retainers. Zach Schleien shares the exact framework he used to get 200+ media features like NYT and Forbes without ever hiring a PR agency.

TL;DR

• PR agencies often charge $5k to $20k per month for "relationships" that you can build yourself using direct, personalized cold outreach.
• Success in pitching journalists comes from offering a "gift" (a story, data, or unique access) rather than asking for a favor.
• I have secured 200+ media features, including the New York Times and Forbes, without ever hiring an outside firm.

The biggest lie in the startup world is that you need a "retainer" to get noticed. I have spent the last 14 years building and selling companies like Filteroff, and during that time, I have been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, BBC, and Good Morning America. I did all of this while working at J&J and later running my own startups. The secret? I never once hired a PR firm. If you want to know how to pitch journalists without a PR agency, you have to stop thinking like a marketer and start thinking like a producer.

Journalists are underpaid, overworked, and buried under a mountain of useless press releases. When you hire an agency, they often blast the same generic template to a "list" they bought three years ago. It is noisy, it is ineffective, and it creates a barrier between you and the person telling your story. I learned early on that a founder's direct voice is more powerful than any PR executive's middleman approach.

Why is paying for "connections" usually a waste of money?

Founders often believe they are paying for a PR agency’s "rolodex." They think, "This agency knows the editor at TechCrunch, so they can get me in."

This is a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern journalism works. A journalist at a major publication does not care if they have had coffee with a PR person before. They care about one thing: Does this story help my readers and satisfy my editor?

If you have a great story, the journalist will answer your email. If you have a boring story, they will ignore the PR agency just as quickly as they will ignore you. By learning how to get press coverage without a PR agency, you keep that $10,000 monthly retainer in your bank account and build a direct line to the media that stays with you for life.

The Agency Conflict of Interest

Agencies are incentivized to keep you on a retainer, not necessarily to get you the best press. They need to show "activity." This results in:

• Sending your news to low-tier blogs that don't move the needle.
• Charging you for "strategy sessions" that never result in a hit.
• Claiming credit for press that happened because your product was actually interesting, not because of their "outreach."

How do you find the right journalists to pitch?

Before you send a single email, you need to know who is already writing about your space. This is where most founders fail. They pitch a tech reporter about a mental health story or a lifestyle reporter about a seed round.

When I was building Filteroff, a video dating app that facilitated over 2 million video dates in 150 countries, I didn't blast every reporter on the "dating" beat. I looked for reporters who were specifically interested in the loneliness epidemic or the future of video technology.

1. Use Google News: Search for your competitors or your industry keywords. See who has written about them in the last 6 months.
2. Check "X" (formerly Twitter): Journalists are incredibly active there. Look at what they are sharing and what they are complaining about.
3. Analyze their "beat": If a reporter only writes about Apple, do not pitch them your Android app. It sounds obvious, but 90% of PR outreach ignores this rule.

Organizing Your Media List

Don't use a massive, messy spreadsheet. Keep it lean:

• Name
• Publication
• Recent relevant article (to prove you read their work)
• Their direct email address (use tools to find these, never use "tips@publication.com")

What is the exact framework for how to pitch journalists without a PR agency?

The goal of a pitch is not to get a "yes" to an article. The goal is to start a conversation. Your pitch needs to be short, punchy, and relevant.

I used this exact approach to get my dad featured in the New York Times. I didn't send a long biography. I sent a specific angle that fit a trend the reporter was already covering. You can read the full breakdown of how I got my dad in the New York Times to see the level of personalization required.

1. The Subject Line is 80% of the Work

If they don't open it, the content doesn't matter. Avoid "Press Release:" or "For Immediate Release." Instead, use a "curiosity gap" or a direct value proposition. I’ve shared the exact subject lines that got me into Forbes, NYT, and GMA in previous posts - they all have one thing in common: they look like an email from a human, not a company.

2. The "Hook" (First 2 Sentences)

Reference their recent work immediately. "I loved your piece on [Topic] last week, especially the point you made about [Specific Detail]." This proves you aren't a bot.

3. The "Value" (The Meat)

Why should their readers care now? Is there a new trend? Do you have proprietary data? For Filteroff, during the pandemic, our "value" was that we were the only app helping people date safely while stuck at home. We had the data on how many people were opting for video over texting.

4. The "Ask" (The Call to Action)

Keep it low friction. "Would you be interested in a quick chat about this?" or "I have some data on [Topic] I can send over if you're interested."

How do you create an "Angle" that journalists can't ignore?

A product is not a story. A launch is not a story. A story is a transformation, a conflict, or a surprising data point.

When I started a community I built called 18percent (a mental health community for people to support one another), the "story" wasn't that we had a Slack group. The story was that thousands of people were bypassing traditional therapy to help each other in real-time. That is a trend. That is an angle.

Three Angles That Always Work:

• The "David vs. Goliath" Angle: How your small startup is disrupting a massive, stagnant industry.
• The "Counter-Intuitive" Angle: Why the common wisdom in your industry is actually wrong (much like this blog post).
• The "Data-Driven" Angle: "We analyzed 1 million user interactions and found that [Surprising Result]."

How to manage the follow-up without being annoying?

Persistence is where most founders give up. When I was learning how to write a cold email to a journalist, I realized that silence doesn't mean "no." It usually means "I'm busy."

• The 3-Day Rule: If you haven't heard back in 3 business days, send a polite follow-up.
• The "New Info" Follow-up: Don't just say "Checking in." Add a new piece of information. "Just saw this new study came out that supports the angle I sent you Tuesday..."
• Maximum 3 Emails: If they don't respond after two follow-ups, move on. You don't want to be blacklisted.

What tools do you actually need for DIY PR?

You do not need a $500/month Cision or Meltwater subscription. I built PressPitch AI specifically to solve the "angles, targeting, and deliverability" problems for founders who want to do this themselves.

1. PressPitch AI: For identifying the right angles and finding the right journalists who actually want to hear from you.
2. Email Finders: Tools like Hunter.io or RocketReach to find direct work emails.
3. LinkedIn: To follow journalists and engage with their posts (lightly!) before pitching. For more on this, check out my guide on how to build a personal brand on LinkedIn as a founder.

Common mistakes founders make when pitching journalists

I have reviewed thousands of pitches, and most of them fail for the same three reasons:

• They are too long: If I have to scroll on my phone to finish your email, it's too long. Aim for under 150 words.
• They attach files: Never, ever attach a PDF or a heavy image. It triggers spam filters and annoys reporters. Use links to a Google Drive or a Press Kit if necessary.
• They talk about "Features" instead of "Impact": "Our app has a 4.9-star rating" is a feature. "Our app helped a woman find a kidney donor" is an impact. Pitch the impact.

Case Study: Getting into Forbes as a 21-Year-Old

I once helped a young founder get into Forbes with a single cold email. We didn't lead with his age or his product. We led with a massive problem in the supply chain industry that he had a unique perspective on. By positioning him as an expert rather than a "founder looking for press," the journalist bit immediately. You can see the exact email we used in my post on how I got a 21-year-old into Forbes.

FAQ

Can I really get top-tier press without a PR agency?

Yes. Every major feature I have ever had - including the New York Times and BBC - came from a cold email I sent myself. Journalists actually prefer hearing from founders because founders have the deepest knowledge of the story.

How much time does DIY PR take?

If you use the right tools and have a clear strategy, you can manage your PR in about 2-3 hours per week. This involves research, pitching, and following up.

What do I do if a journalist says no?

Thank them for their time and ask if there are other topics they are currently looking into. Sometimes a "no" on one story is an invitation to pitch something else later. Build the relationship, not just the transaction.

Should I send a press release?

No. Send a personalized email. A press release is a formal document that most journalists will ignore unless you are a public company. A personalized pitch is a conversation.

When is the best time to pitch?

Generally, Tuesday through Thursday mornings (local time for the journalist) are best. Avoid Mondays when they are catching up on weekend emails and Fridays when they are checking out for the weekend.

Learning how to pitch journalists without a PR agency is one of the most valuable skills you can develop as a founder. It saves you six figures in fees, builds your personal brand, and gives you a level of control over your company's narrative that no third party can replicate.

If you are ready to stop waiting for "permission" from an agency and start getting featured, focus on your angle and your data. The media is waiting for a good story - go give it to them.