Founder Playbook · Sub Club by RevenueCat
8 tactics from Matthew Panzarino
How to Pitch Your App to TechCrunch
Watch the full episode“In all reality all that stuff is sort of assumed like we wouldn't even be looking at your pitch or at your idea or concept or whatever if those things weren't already met the bar is just higher now existing does not mean anything.”
Good Design Is Zero — Journalists Only Care About What You Did Above Table Stakes
Matthew Panzarino receives ~500 pitches per day at TechCrunch. Solid design, a working app, and a clear problem — none of that is a hook anymore. Those things get you to zero, not to coverage. The only thing that earns a story is the differentiation layer on top: the specific clever thing you did that nobody else did. Founders who lead with fundamentals waste the pitch.
“If we get pitched by 500 people in a day not unusual for any writer. You get pitched by 500 people in a day, 100 of those people have really done the work... out of those hundred maybe a dozen are even in your space.”
Out Of 500 Daily Pitches, Only A Dozen Pass — Understand The Funnel Before You Pitch
Panzarino breaks down the brutal math: 500 pitches to a journalist per day, 100 are real companies, maybe 12 are in the right beat, and from those 12 only one or two have an actual hook. Understanding this funnel changes how you pitch — your job isn't to prove you exist, it's to be the one with the clearest above-zero angle among that final dozen.
“A freshly launched new sensor or feature of a platform like that Apple or Google or somebody else has shipped... open AI launches a new model you've utilized that new model in a clever way.”
A Freshly Launched Platform Feature Is The Fastest Path To A Tech Story Hook
The most reliable way to hook a tech journalist is to ride a platform moment: a new Apple sensor, a Google API, a freshly launched AI model. Reporters are already looking for applications of that news — you become the 'here's what developers are doing with it' angle. This is time-sensitive, so pitching within days of a platform launch dramatically improves your odds.
“My brother and I founded this app, we saw a need because our mother was in hospice and there was no elder care app that also integrated messaging in this way... those kinds of opportunities allow you to do that storytelling above and beyond but you have to hit zero first.”
Your Founder Story Is A Pitch Angle — But Only After Your Product Earns Zero
Personal founder origin stories can be compelling press angles — but only once the product itself is solid and interesting. Panzarino's rule: hit zero first (working product, clear problem, good execution), then layer the human story on top. A tearjerker origin around a mediocre app goes nowhere. A great app with a great story gets two hooks for the price of one pitch.
“Short, simple, straight to the point subject lines, a couple of lines of body copy, don't inundate because most of that stuff won't get read... a couple of simple sentences from you about why your thing is unique, why it's interesting.”
Write Two To Three Sentences And One Screenshot — The Press Pitch Format That Gets Read
Panzarino's mechanical pitch format: short subject line, two to three sentences of body copy explaining what's unique, one sharp screenshot embedded in the email. Everything else goes in an attached press kit. A pasted wall of text signals a bulk campaign and gets skipped. Keep the body as a genuine personal message — the press kit handles all the detail a writer needs to produce the story.
“If you can avoid on any individual pitch I would never include tracking pixels or links it's just sort of a matter of respect... especially never ever call them on oh I saw you open my email, creepy, it's really weird.”
Never Use Tracking Pixels On Individual Journalist Pitches — It Destroys Trust Instantly
Using read-receipts or tracking pixels on individual journalist pitches is a hard no. Most writers have images auto-blocked specifically to avoid tracking. If you mention you saw them open your email, the pitch is dead — it feels like surveillance, not outreach. For mass campaigns the expectation is different, but for one-to-one pitching, treat it like a personal email.
“You can always attach the press kit with high resolution images, all the information they could ever want about the founders, their backstory, the app, its purpose and then the images or assets necessary... leaving the main copy as a place for you to tell your personal story.”
Attach A Full Press Kit But Keep The Email Body Clean — Give Writers Everything Without Cluttering The Pitch
The ideal pitch has two layers: a short personal email body (the hook and the human story) and an attached or linked press kit (hi-res images, founder bios, app screenshots, press release). Writers on deadline need everything to write the story without back-and-forth. When you front-load all of that into the email body itself, the pitch becomes unreadable and signals it was written by a PR machine.
“Getting a quick response could mean the difference between them writing that story that day or maybe it gets pushed to the next day if they don't get a response and then Instagram sells for a billion dollars and they don't write about you anymore.”
Give Your Direct Phone Number In The Pitch — A Slow Response Can Kill A Same-Day Story
Journalists work on tight deadlines and news cycles move fast. Panzarino's advice: include your direct contact details (phone number, personal email) in the pitch so a writer can reach you instantly. A same-day response can lock in a same-day story. A delayed response means the news cycle moves on — something bigger happens and your story gets shelved indefinitely.