Interview with Conrad Egusa and Eddie Arrieta founders of Publicize.co
Publicize is a company looking to change the way startups approach PR. Our aim is to disrupt the PR industry.
Who is your startup aimed at?
At this time our focus is on technology startups, however we do expect to expand into other verticals shortly.
How does your startup stand out against it’s competitors?
With Publicize, as opposed to traditional PR firms that charge $10,000 USD a month with a 6 month retainer, we provide a $499/month PR service that can be cancelled at any time. If we believe a company has < 70% chance of being featured on leading publications, we provide a $50/month discount. If we believe there is < 40% chance, we provide a $75/month discount.
Where did the idea for the startup come from?
The idea came from Conrad Egusa after he left writing for tech publication VentureBeat and he realized how inefficient the PR industry is.
Did you have any concerns when starting your business, if so what were they?
I think our only concern was scaling the company, but we have been able to do so thus far.
What is your business background, and what got you interested in startups?
I went to school in Northern California, and was able to raise angel-funding for a startup after graduation. I was fortunate to be surrounded by technology and entrepreneurship at an important time in my life. I remember that my first mentor was a professor at university; she had raised over $100 million in Venture Capital funding for her earlier companies and was an advisor to former US Vice President Al Gore. Who I am today is in large part a result of the environment I was placed in.
How did you initially raise funding for your company?
We have not yet raised funding for Publicize, although I am the Co-Owner of Colombia Reports, which is the largest English news publication in South America, and for that company we raised funding from GITP Ventures, which is a venture fund headquartered in Latin America.
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
I believe working with close to a dozen Y Combinator clients, and having thought leaders such as Steve Blank, Guy Kawasaki and Brad Feld write about our work.
How do you keep your business relevant, and engaged with your audience over the last 3 years?
The idea we’re working on has been ongoing for less than a year.
How long has the your startup been in the making, and who is the team behind the business?
The time has been less than a year. Conrad Egusa founded the company, and Eddie Arrieta is a partner. At this time we are a team of 6 people, although we are looking for our team to grow.
What has been your biggest challenge so far as a startup owner?
I think the biggest challenge is always finding and cultivating the right team.
In the coming year, what would you like to achieve with your business?
In the upcoming year we would like to be 2-3X as large in terms of revenue and company size.
What has been your most valuable lesson so far since starting your business?
My most valuable lesson has been that to succeed and build a great business, one needs to create 10X as much value as incumbent companies in the market.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone thinking about starting a business, what would it be?
My one piece of advice would be that a company needs to have product-market fit to success, but it also has to have founder-product fit. What I mean by this, is that a founder needs to be super passionate about the problem, and he or she needs to have the right skill-set for everything to come together.
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