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Communications should not be seen as a separate entity from marketing, but rather as a crucial component. While marketing focuses on value propositions and selling services, communications professionals excel at identifying and addressing issues. Having a communications expert in the room can provide valuable insights and perspectives.
The timing of hiring a communications person depends on the company and its specific needs. Generally, consumer companies benefit from hiring a communications person earlier, while B2B SaaS companies may wait until they have reached a larger size. The first communications hire should be an industrious individual who can unearth stories within the company and build relationships with reporters.
The first communications hire acts as an archaeologist, digging for stories within the organization. They must establish relationships with customers, marketing teams, and product teams to identify compelling stories. This person should possess curiosity, intellectual horsepower, and problem-solving skills. While tactical abilities like media relations and writing are important, critical thinking and pattern recognition are key qualities to look for in an interview.
The podcast episode discusses how Square, a financial services company, streamlines the loan process by using algorithms to analyze payment volume and determine payment terms. When businesses receive loans, their customers' credit card payments are automatically deducted to repay the loan over time. This approach eliminates monthly payment fees and simplifies the repayment process.
Square aims to provide economic empowerment by opening up access to the financial system for those who are typically excluded. They believe that many people are unfairly denied credit and the ability to accept credit cards. By offering easy access to loans and payment processing, Square helps businesses and individuals participate in the financial system, supporting their mission of economic empowerment.
Our guest today is Aaron Zamost.
After a comms career at Google, Aaron joined Square in 2011 to lead corporate communications. He went on to join the exec team, reporting directly to Jack Dorsey and leading the comms strategy for Square’s IPO in 2015. In an interesting move, he also took on leading the people organization as well, running both orgs up until he left in late 2020. In addition to lecturing at UC Berkeley's School of Law, Aaron now runs Background Partners, a communications consulting firm.
In today’s conversation, we dive deep into what founders need to know about both external and internal comms. Aaron shares more on:
Given how much the media landscape has changed in recent years, and how many founders are grappling with internal comms issues these days, Aaron’s advice makes for a valuable listen.
We also recommend checking out his two excellent Medium posts:
-What’s Your Hour in ‘Silicon Valley Time’?
No, you don’t need to hire an agency
You can follow Aaron on Twitter at @zamosta. You can email us questions directly at review@firstround.com or follow us on Twitter @firstround and @brettberson.
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