How to Get Featured in Entrepreneur, Inc, or Fast Company

Getting featured in Entrepreneur, Inc, or Fast Company is a milestone, not a lottery. It requires a strategic alignment of your story with their editorial appetite. Here’s exactly how to do it, based on 15 years of placing clients in these exact outlets.

Why These Publications Matter (and the Trap of “Getting Featured”)

Entrepreneur, Inc, and Fast Company are not just media outlets—they are credibility markers that signal innovation, growth, and authority. A feature in any of them can open doors to speaking engagements, investor interest, and premium partnership opportunities. But here’s the trap many founders fall into: they treat a feature as an end goal rather than a means. A single article won’t transform your business overnight. The real value comes from a sustained presence, where you become a go-to source for reporters covering your industry.

The allure of these publications stems from their readership: fellow entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, and decision-makers who actively seek out new ideas and solutions. However, their editorial standards are high. They don’t accept press releases or generic “pitch us” submissions. They want original angles, exclusive data, or personal narratives that tie into larger business trends. Understanding this nuance is the first step. You’re not selling your product; you’re offering a story that serves their audience.

Moreover, the landscape has shifted. With the rise of digital-first journalism, these outlets still maintain rigorous editorial filters but also publish more content than ever. That means opportunity—but it also means intense competition. Getting in requires not just a good story but a well-researched pitch that aligns with their current editorial calendar, beat coverage, and the reporter’s specific interests. Many founders waste time blasting generic pitches; the winners invest hours in preparation.

The Real Gatekeeper: Aligning Your Story with Their Editorial Needs

Before you write a single pitch, you need to understand what these publications need right now. The mistake most founders make is pitching a story that is interesting to them, not to the reader. Instead, reverse-engineer: study the last 30 articles published in each outlet’s relevant vertical. Look for patterns: recurring themes, quote sources, data points used. For instance, Fast Company’s innovation section often highlights how a company leveraged technology to solve a classic problem, with hard metrics. Inc. loves founder origin stories with a gritty “how I started this” angle. Entrepreneur often features industry deep-dives that include actionable advice.

Next, identify the specific reporters and editors covering your niche. Use tools like Muck Rack or even manual searches to find their beat. Follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter to see their interests, recent articles, and what they retweet. Then, tailor your story to fit their previous coverage. For example, if a reporter at Inc. has written about remote work trends, pitch a piece on how your company’s distributed team culture drove a 40% productivity increase. This alignment shows you’ve done your homework and respect their editorial focus.

Another insider tactic: map your story to their editorial calendar. These outlets often plan months ahead. For instance, Inc. may run a “Best Industries” package in Q3. If your business fits, pitch early. Additionally, leverage newsjacking—tying your story to a breaking news or trending topic relevant to the publication. When a major industry shift happens, reporters need expert commentary fast. If you can provide a cogent, data-backed insight within 24 hours, you become an indispensable source. This approach works especially well for Entrepreneur and Fast Company, which value timeliness.

A feature in these outlets is not an end; it's a means to build authority and open doors.

Crafting the Pitch That Breaks Through

The average senior editor at these outlets receives over 100 pitches daily. Yours must stand out in under seven seconds. Start with a subject line that states the value proposition and the hook: not “Innovative startup disrupts X” but “How we reduced churn by 50% using AI—data exclusive to [publication name].” The body should be three short paragraphs: one establishing the trend or problem, one explaining your unique insight or result, and one offering specific exclusivity or availability for interview. Avoid attachments; paste everything inline. Include hard numbers—percentages, revenue figures, growth rates—and make sure they are auditable.

Beyond the email, build a relationship. A cold pitch rarely works. Instead, engage with the reporter’s content beforehand. Share their articles with a thoughtful comment on social media, then after a few interactions, send a brief message: “I really enjoyed your piece on remote culture. I have a related data point on team productivity after shifting to a hybrid model—might be useful for a follow-up.” This soft introduction bypasses the spam filter and establishes a connection. Then, when you have a formal pitch, reference that prior interaction.

Another key element: offer exclusivity. If you pitch a story that is not yet published anywhere else, you dramatically increase your chances. Reporters love scoops. You can offer “first look” rights to a specific outlet for a limited time, say 48 hours. This creates urgency and makes your pitch a priority. Also, consider providing a direct quote from your CEO that is punchy and quotable—something that sounds like it could close the article. Most importantly, follow up once, after 5-7 business days, then let it go. Pestering will get you blacklisted. Persistence is okay, but professionalism is paramount.

The Role of Timing, Relationships, and Persistence

Timing is a subtle but decisive factor. News breaks on specific days—Monday and Tuesday are heaviest for news, making it harder to stand out. Midweek, especially Wednesday and Thursday mornings, can be better as editorial calendars are set but reporters are still looking for short pieces. Also consider the publication’s news cycle: Entrepreneur often runs founder stories on weekends; Fast Company updates frequently throughout the day. Sending a pitch an hour after a major article on the same topic is a waste—the reporter moved on. Use tools like Google Alerts to monitor keywords and strike when the iron is hot.

Relationships are the linchpin of sustained media coverage. You cannot expect a single feature to be the end. Over time, you want to become a trusted source reporters call when they need commentary on a breaking story. To do that, be responsive, provide good quotes, and never lie. If you don’t have the data, say so, but offer to point them to an expert who does. Reporters talk among themselves; a positive experience with one can open doors to others. Consider offering a reporter an exclusive interview with your CEO before a product launch, even if it’s a few days early—they’ll appreciate the trust.

Persistence also means not getting discouraged by “no.” Many top-tier features come after three or four pitches on different angles. Editors may reject a story not because it’s bad, but because it didn’t fit at that moment. Keep refining your angle. For example, if your company is in fintech, perhaps one pitch on “the future of payments” gets turned down, but two months later, a news event about regulation makes the same story timely. Follow up with a new angle tied to that event. Persistence shows you are serious and professional, not desperate.

Measuring ROI and What to Do After You Get Featured

Once you land a feature, the work is just beginning. The initial spike in traffic from the article is often modest—maybe a few thousand page views if you’re lucky. The real ROI comes from how you leverage that coverage. Immediately syndicate the article across your own website, social media, and email newsletter. Use it as social proof on your homepage, in pitch decks, and in investor communications. Tag the reporter and the publication when you share it. This not only shows gratitude but also signals to other journalists that you are newsworthy.

Measure the impact in metrics that matter to your business: increase in inbound leads from the article, website traffic from referrer domains, and changes in brand search volume. For instance, if Entrepreneur runs a story, you might see a 20% bump in “your company name” searches on Google. More importantly, track follow-on coverage. A feature in Inc. often leads to invitations to write guest posts or speak on podcasts. Over a six-month period, a single feature can catalyze a cluster of related media opportunities.

Finally, and this is crucial: maintain the relationship. Send a thank-you note to the reporter with actionable data showing the article’s impact (e.g., “Since your piece, our demo requests increased 30%”). Offer yourself as a resource for future stories. Many reporters keep a “go-to” list of experts. By being helpful and generous with your time, you secure your spot on that list. The long-term value of being a repeat source far outweighs any one-off feature. In fact, companies that appear consistently in these outlets become seen as category leaders, not just lucky one-hit wonders.