Matt Bird, Founder & CEO of Lemon

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Hi, I’m Matt Bird, Founder and CEO of Lemon. We’re building an open, borderless financing platform for software companies.

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From the very beginning, we knew that getting our name into the market and establishing a presence in the industry was crucial. That’s why PR was the first marketing activity we pursued at Lemon—just three months into our company’s history. We jumped on it early because we understood its long-term value.

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Why PR Was Our First Marketing Investment

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Our previous experience helped guide our approach when launching Lemon. Paid channels work well when you already have a market presence, but we had none. PR, on the other hand, gave us visibility—not just for customer acquisition, but also for attracting investors. Raising our profile early was critical, and we knew PR could help us achieve that.

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A Strategic Approach to PR

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It’s easy to dismiss PR as just “fluff”—stories and headlines that don’t really move the needle. Initially, we worried we didn’t have enough newsworthy content to make an impact. But Started PR helped us unlock opportunities beyond traditional press releases.

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Started PR positioned us as thought leaders, securing bylined articles and contributions on global fintech topics relevant to our business. Instead of generating PR for the sake of it, everything was strategic and meaningful.

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From day one, I told my team: When an investor Googles Lemon, I want them to see nothing but relevant results about us on that first page. That meant our website, industry articles, interviews—everything showcasing our expertise. Thought leadership pieces played a massive role in achieving this, giving investors multiple ways to learn about our company before we ever spoke.

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The Impact of PR on Investors, Customers, and Partners

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The results have been clear. I regularly get messages from people saying they listened to one of my podcasts or read an article about Lemon. Investors constantly reference something they’ve read or heard about us during due diligence.

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At one point, Started PR helped us land multiple podcast opportunities, which provided crucial context for investors. They would later reference specific points from these interviews in our conversations.

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On the customer side, PR played a huge role in education. Before even reaching out, many potential customers already understood our business model, how we operated, and which markets we served—all because of the content we had out there. 

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PR helped us pre-sell our company, making sales conversations much more efficient.

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Advice for Other Fintech Founders Considering PR

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1. Find the right strategy and the right PR partner. Align closely with your agency, leverage their market insights, and trust their expertise.

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2. Measure PR differently. Unlike performance marketing, PR’s ROI might take six months or show up in an indirect way—through investor conversations, partnerships, or brand credibility.

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3. Be patient and open-minded. The real value of PR isn’t always immediate revenue; it’s about building long-term opportunities and visibility. If after 18-36 months you see no impact, that’s a different conversation—but with the right approach, PR can achieve far more than what’s obvious on paper.

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Why I Recommend Started PR

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If you’re a fintech company looking to build credibility, attract customers, and raise investment, Started PR is the right partner. They go beyond traditional agency relationships—working as an extension of your team, providing strategic guidance, and ensuring every piece of PR serves a purpose.

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To get the most out of PR, collaborate closely with the team, trust their expertise, and let them guide you. It’s not just about press coverage—it’s about positioning your company for long-term success.

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