When our founder Julija Jegorova launched Black Unicorn PR back in 2018, she didn’t have a grand business plan or dreams of running an agency. What she had was demand (for startup PR). Founders were drowning in a sea of sameness, desperately trying to cut through the noise. And most agencies did not know how to serve startups. They needed someone who understood both the VC game and startup chaos. The rest is history.
On a special episode of Sesamers Selected, recorded live at TechChill 2025 in Riga, JJ sat down with host Ben Costantini to spill the tea on her PR journey. No fluff, no fairy tales. Just honest advice for startups ready to build something real.
Here’s what every founder needs to know from the conversation.
1. Stop Treating Networking Like a Transaction
Julija’s entire PR career started with one event she almost skipped. The lesson? Show up, but not like a vulture circling for deals. Real relationships happen in real life events, whether it’s those awkward coffee lines or before/after participating in the same panel. And usually not on email or DMs.
JJ’s golden rule is simple: don’t be the person everyone runs from at events. Be curious. Be kind. Be memorable for the right reasons. Those founders she met years ago? Some of them circle back when they’re finally ready to invest in PR. That’s the long game paying off. But that’s not even the point – these relationships and connections in our industry are worth pursuing no matter what.
2. Startups May Be Born With Reputations, But Most Certainly Build Them
Here’s the thing that hooked Julija on startup PR. Startup companies aren’t managing existing reputations like the ASUSes and TomToms of the world. They’re creating something from nothing (or from very little). Every story, every feature, every podcast appearance is laying the foundation for how the world will see them.
It’s messy, it’s uncertain, and it’s thrilling. Startup PR is different.
3. If Someone Promises You the New York Times in Two Months, Run
Let’s get real about expectations. Any PR agency promising guaranteed tier-one coverage on a timeline without the newsworthy elements to back it is either lying or delusional. JJ didn’t sugarcoat this on the pod: good PR is about building momentum methodically, not pulling rabbits out of hats.
The best agencies will walk you through the actual journey. From zero to one is different from one to a hundred (to use some Peter Thiel terminology), and both require different strategies. If your potential PR partner isn’t asking hard questions about your goals and timeline, that’s a red flag (waving in neon).
4. Chemistry Beats Contracts Every Time
You can have the most talented agency and the most promising startup, but if the vibe is off, you’re doomed. JJ insists on real conversations before any signatures happen. She needs to know: will this founder actually trust her team with the messy, unpolished truth about their business? Will we all be on the same page?
Without that trust, PR teams are working blind. And blind PR is just expensive noise. Worst case scenarios can lead to wasted budgets and severe headaches for everyone involved. I guess this is why the term ‘first date’ is a thing.
5. Maybe You Don’t Need Startup PR Right Now
Plot twist: sometimes Julija tells potential clients to come back later. If you’re still figuring out product-market fit or your performance marketing channels are underperforming, chasing headlines might be the wrong move entirely.
This isn’t about turning away business—it’s about being honest about what founders actually need. Sometimes that’s marketing. Sometimes it’s advertising. Sometimes it’s just more time to build something worth talking about.
6. Journalists Are People, Not Ping-Pong Balls
Mass email blasts are the enemy of good PR. JJ’s team treats journalist outreach like actual human communication: short lists, personalised messages, and real value. If you wouldn’t want to receive your own pitch, don’t send it.
This matters more than ever. Today’s media landscape is brutal for journalists. Respect their time, respect their beat, and only reach out when you genuinely have something worth their attention.
7. Startup PR Pricing Is All Over the Map (And So Are Services)
From €1.5K monthly retainers in Eastern Europe to £15K in London, or even more in the US, PR costs depend on everything: location, scope, team size, and what extras come bundled in. Many agencies now throw in content creation, podcast production, or SEO alongside traditional PR.
The key is matching your partner to your stage and actual needs, not just what fits your budget. Cheap PR that doesn’t work isn’t a bargain, it’s a waste. Bottom line: don’t just look at price, but make a properly informed assessment of your choices.
8. AI Won’t Steal Your PR Person’s Job (Yet)
There is a shiny new thing called AI, and it’s getting better by the day. Not leveraging it is a bigger cost of opportunity every day, yet some things remain too holy for humans to step back. Black Unicorn uses AI for grammar checks and first drafts. But the core of PR, strategising, building narratives, nurturing relationships, understanding what makes journalists tick, that’s still deeply human work.
You could replace a PR person with a robot. But then you wouldn’t get any results.
9. Protect Your Team at All Costs
Here’s JJ’s non-negotiable: if a client makes the team miserable, the client goes. In a service business, your people are everything. Burnout is real, toxic clients are poison, and no amount of money is worth losing great talent.
It’s a philosophy that sounds simple but requires real backbone to execute. The best agencies know their worth and aren’t afraid to walk away from bad fits.
The Real Lesson
Julija’s journey from corporate communications to startup PR entrepreneur isn’t just about changing industries. It’s about changing how founders think about building their stories. Good PR starts with showing up authentically, building real relationships, and having honest conversations about what success actually looks like.
For founders still wondering if they need PR: maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But if you’re ready to invest in building your reputation strategically, find someone who’ll tell you the truth about the journey ahead. Your future self will thank you.
Want more? Listen to the full Sesamers Selected episode (just here below) or keep exploring our blog for more PR advice.
Ready to shape your startup’s story? Drop us a line!
