YC alum, Shipbob, wrote a guide on pre-orders that talks about why you should or should not consider doing this type of campaign. Stripe has always been great at engaging with the community each time a new product launches. Don't spend a ton of your time to earn startup school worrying about getting press. Do what Airbnb did and launch again and again.
YC's Kat Mañalac wants to change the way you think about launching. In her talk, she shares the multitude of ways to launch and get attention for your product, with tangible strategies and examples from companies like Airbnb.
Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/