If there’s one catchphrase I’ve said more times in my career than I can count, it’s this: the product is never the story.
And yet—it’s still the angle I have to pry out of anxious founders’ hands the most. Everyone is hyper-focused on what they do, and not nearly enough on who they are.
If you’re a founder (or PR pro) who’s ever tried to land press, then you already know—getting a reporter’s attention isn’t just hard. Sometimes it feels easier to walk on hot coals.
A good media story requires an actual story. A show-don’t-tell moment that stops selling to the reader and starts inviting them into your main-character energy arc. Pair the right story with the right reporter at the right time, and now you’ve got a media winner.
Simple, but certainly not easy.
So how in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks do you actually land coverage—and do it consistently enough to make a real dent—without obsessing over your product or blasting out press releases that should’ve stayed internal emails?
Luckily, that’s exactly what today’s guest, Ashley Couto, is breaking down.
Ashley is a longtime friend, colleague, award-winning writer, and journalist who has spent years on the receiving end of pitches—seeing firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and what gets deleted before it’s even opened. She currently writes for Business Insider and is a columnist for Inc., where her articles are consistently ranked among the most read. She currently covers startups, AI in the workplace, and inspiring founder journeys.
(And yes, there are links below if you want to pitch her, but I highly recommend listening to the whole interview first.)
Ashley and I talk shop behind the scenes all the time, and we decided it was time to make those conversations public—what’s actually landing in reporters’ inboxes right now, and how founders can dramatically improve their odds of getting coverage.
This episode is a deep dive into the art (and reality) of pitching—equal parts practical advice and much-needed tough love.
We get into why most pitches fail, how to craft one that actually hits, and why your personal story is no longer optional—it’s required.
We also cover:
Why taking a break from talking about your product can actually get you more coverage
What journalists are really looking for when they scan through the 500+ pitches in their inbox—and the reality of newsrooms right now
How to position your personal story so it becomes the headline
Why the best founder narratives don’t sound like marketing at all
And maybe most importantly: you can’t expect “earned media” if you don’t first respect the people who work in media
This is one of my favorite conversations ever because it highlights a different side of fintech—one that’s not about the product, but about the people behind it, and how their stories shape the industry.
Give it a listen and let me know what you think. And if you’ve ever sent a pitch that got crickets (we’ve all been there), I want to hear about it.
Check out the links below to connect with Ashley.
And if you’ve not yet subscribed to Fintech & Friends… you know what to do!
Until next time,
Jenny
Connect with Ashley:
💌 acouto@inc.com to pitch Ashley for Inc.
💌 ashley@ashleycouto.com to pitch Ashley for everywhere else
If you’re a fintech looking for media coverage, get in touch:
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