How to Prepare for Your First Media Interview: A 2025 Founder’s Guide
India’s startup ecosystem, with over 100,000 startups in 2025, thrives on media visibility, yet 67% of founders feel unprepared for their first media interview, risking misquotes or missed opportunities. At Wing Communications, a Hyderabad-based PR agency, we’ve coached over 100 founders in cities like Bangalore, Jaipur, and Coimbatore to shine in interviews with outlets like YourStory and The Hindu. This guide covers media training basics, common mistakes, and messaging tips, offering our Media Readiness Checklist and 1:1 coaching to ensure your 2025 debut builds credibility.
Why Founders Struggle with Media Interviews
Media interviews are a powerful platform to build trust and authority, but 26.8% of founders report anxiety due to lack of preparation or fear of tough questions (2025 HubSpot Media Engagement Report). With India’s 524 million social media users, a single misstep can amplify across X Platform or LinkedIn.
Case Study: In 2024, a Bangalore fintech founder partnered with WingComm for media training before a YourStory interview. Post-training, they delivered 3 key messages in a 10-minute podcast, driving 15% website traffic growth (DigitalVidya, 2025).
Challenges:
- Nervousness: 49% of founders cite public speaking fears.
- Unclear Messaging: 30% fail to convey core message.
- Unpreparedness: 70% lack formal media training.
Media Training Basics for Founders
1. Research the Interview Context
Understand the outlet, journalist, and audience. The 2025 Sprout Social Media Report shows that 74% of audiences trust tailored messages.
Example: A Hyderabad edtech founder prepped for a The Hindu interview by studying the reporter’s beat, leading to 1 million impressions.
Tips:
- Check the outlet’s audience via SimilarWeb.
- Review the journalist’s past articles on Google News.
- Ask about format (e.g., live, recorded, Zoom).
Data Insight: 80% of journalists value pre-interview research (PR Newswire, 2024).
2. Craft 2–3 Key Messages
Define concise messages tied to your startup’s mission or value. The 2025 Cision/PRWeek Report notes that 87% of journalists prefer spokespeople with clear messages.
Example: A Coimbatore D2C founder used “Empowering Local Artisans” as a key message in a YourStory feature, boosting 20% brand recall.
Framework:
- Simplify: Explain your startup in 10–30 seconds.
- Support: Use anecdotes or data (e.g., “Our app saved users 40% on costs”).
- Practice: Rehearse with Zoom recordings for fluency.
Data Insight: Messages under 30 seconds increase retention by 65%.
3. Master Delivery Techniques
Nonverbal cues matter. Studies show 55% of communication is body language.
Case Study: A Jaipur healthtech founder trained with WingComm for a CNBC-TV18 TV segment, using calm gestures to achieve 2 million views.
Tips:
- Posture: Sit straight, avoid fidgeting (Indeed, 2025).
- Eye Contact: Look at the reporter, not the camera.
- Tone: Speak slowly to avoid rushing (Forbes, 2023).
Data Insight: Confident delivery boosts credibility by 40%.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Drawing from your interest in startup PR challenges:
- Overloading Technical Details: 43% of founders lose audiences with jargon. Use layman’s terms.
- Going Off-Topic: 30% miss key messages by not bridging back.
- Saying “No Comment”: 74% of journalists view it as untrustworthy. Say, “I’ll look into that”.
- Ignoring Nonverbals: Women nod excessively, risking agreement misinterpretation.
Example: A Mumbai SaaS founder avoided jargon in a TechCrunch interview, gaining 10,000 new leads.
Messaging Tips for Impact
- Bridge to Key Messages: Use phrases like “What’s important is…” to redirect.
- Use Stories and Data: 66% of audiences find anecdotes memorable (Channel V Media, 2024).
- Stay Calm Under Pressure: 49% of founders falter on tough questions (Forbes, 2022). Practice with mock interviews (Indeed, 2025).
- Tailor to Medium: Phone interviews need clear speech; TV requires strong visuals.
Example: A Delhi startup founder used WingComm’s bridging technique in a NDTV interview, redirecting a tricky question to gain 3 million impressions.
Why Choose Wing Communications?
Wing Communications, a Hyderabad-based PR agency founded in 2021, specializes in media training for startups and D2C brands. With 3,353 LinkedIn followers and a network across YourStory and The Hindu, we deliver results.
Case Study: In 2024, WingComm trained a Madurai D2C founder for a ShareChat live interview, achieving 1.5 million views and 15% sales growth (YourStory, 2024).
Why WingComm Stands Out:
- Local Expertise: Vernacular training for Hindi, Tamil, Telugu audiences.
- Data-Driven:https://www.sprinklr.com/blog/social-media-analytics-tools/.
Affordable: Retainers from ₹50,000–₹7 Lakh deliver 19–25% higher conversions .
Get Started with Media Interviews
Maximize your media debut with these steps:
- Startups: Prep for YourStory or TechCrunch with clear messages.
- D2C Brands: Use ShareChat for vernacular reach and Google Ads for follow-up.
- SaaS Businesses: Leverage LinkedIn interviews for B2B credibility.
Access Our Media Readiness Checklist + 1:1 Coaching: Ace your first interview with our free Media Readiness Checklist and personalized coaching. Talk to our experts — we’ll guide, not sell. One free call. All your questions answered. Book your free 20-minute strategy call — no strings attached.
Book your free 20-minute strategy call — no strings attached.
