If you had asked me 1 year ago about the future of traditional PR, I would have told you what everyone else is saying: AI is killing it. But after sitting down with Ryan Woods, Head of Strategy and Content at Starter PR, on the latest episode of Voice of Experts, my entire perspective shifted.
Ryan completely dismantled my assumptions. He didn’t just defend his industry; he gave me a masterclass on how tech and fintech founders need to navigate the modern media landscape.
Here are the biggest paradigm shifts I took away from our conversation:
1. PR Budgets Aren’t Shrinking—They Are Doubling
I opened our interview with the uncomfortable claim that traditional PR is dying. He quickly corrected me, pointing to data from firms like Gartner and BCG that suggest PR budgets are actually expected to double by 2027. The reason? Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Ryan defends that AI search engines and LLMs rely heavily on citations, and organic media coverage accounts for upwards of 80% of those citations. Paid or advertorial sources make up less than 1%. If you want your company recommended by an AI engine today, organic PR is the most effective way to make it happen.
2. The Antidote to “AI Slop” is Human Trust
We are all drowning in what Ryan called “AI slop”. I learned that journalists and editors are currently overwhelmed and frustrated by the massive volume of wholly AI-generated pitches flooding their inboxes. This made me realize the true value of a PR professional in 2026: human connection. Our guest emphasized that successful PR still relies on nurturing long-term relationships, respecting journalists’ time, and selectively pitching genuinely interesting stories. AI can write decent copy, but it cannot replicate the authentic insight and creativity needed for true thought leadership.
3. The Founder Is the Brand
In the startup and fintech space, Ryan noted that the founder is often as big a part of the brand as the company itself. This was a lightbulb moment for me. For startups constrained by tight budgets, and this strategy is brilliant: focus on building an “outsized media profile”. By positioning yourself as a thought leader, you give the appearance of a larger, more established entity. Instead of desperately chasing venture capital, this strategy allows you to attract investors to you.
4. Stop Selling the “How”—Sell the “Why”
Perhaps the most impactful piece of advice shared was directed at technical founders. Often, technical leaders struggle with public communication because they get bogged down in the mechanics of their product. A simple rule : prioritize the “why” over the “how”. Audiences—and investors—don’t necessarily need to understand the intricate technical details of your solution. They need you to explain the broader context and the ultimate importance of the work you are doing.
This conversation was a massive wake-up call for me. PR isn’t dead; it is evolving. And in a world flooded with machine-generated noise, authentic human stories are the most valuable currency a founder can possess.
If you want to hear the full conversation and learn how to position your startup for the AI era, be sure to check out the full episode of Voice of Experts!