Profiles, op-eds, podcasts and speaking that make the founder a category voice. When your project competes on name recognition as much as technology, the founder's reputation is the moat. This is how you build it deliberately, not by accident.
A fractional senior operator running founder PR costs $5K–$12K/month and delivers profiles, op-eds and speaking placements that a full agency would charge $15K–$45K/month for. Shilika Jain has positioned founders from Gaia AI, Fluence, Web3Auth and Bullieverse as named category voices in Forbes, CoinDesk, Decrypt and on major conference stages.
As featured in
"I don't pitch products. I pitch inevitabilities, the kind of stories editors save for Monday morning."
Why this page exists
Investors, BD partners and enterprise buyers run a founder search before they reply to a cold email. In 2026 that search increasingly lands on a ChatGPT or Perplexity answer, not a list of blue links. If the AI engine has no named evidence that you are a credible voice in your category, it will cite someone else who does. Founder PR done well fills that gap with op-eds, tier-1 profiles and conference credits that AI engines can read and attribute.
The advantages
Bylined pieces pitched to the right editor with the right angle, not recycled press releases dressed up as opinion. CoinDesk, Decrypt, Forbes and Cointelegraph, when the argument earns it.
Tier-1 profile placements that name the founder as the category authority. Gaia AI's founder was framed as the person building "the Stripe for AI agents" in Forbes, not just another AI CEO.
Conference credibility at Token2049, EthCC, Consensus, ETHDenver and Davos side events. The pitch goes to programme chairs, not a generic speaker portal submission.
Six to eight targeted podcast placements timed to a news moment, like the Gaia AI six-podcast tour that ran alongside the Forbes piece and compounded the founder's reach.
Every placement is structured so the founder's name appears in AI-engine answers when buyers ask who leads the category. Named evidence, not just domain authority.
The person shaping your narrative pitches editors and conference chairs personally. No briefing documents handed to a junior who has never met you.
How it runs
A read of your current media footprint, LinkedIn presence and speaking history to find the credible angle the market will believe.
The one category claim you own, three op-ed angles that serve it, the podcast and conference tier list matched to your audience.
Byline drafting, profile pitches, speaking applications and podcast outreach, timed so each piece amplifies the next.
Ongoing op-ed cadence, conference pipeline and AI-citation tracking so the founder's name keeps appearing in category searches.
The proof
Founder positioning, told with specifics: Gaia AI's founder was placed in Forbes as "the Stripe for AI agents", then in Decrypt and Benzinga, then on a six-podcast tour, all within one campaign window. Fluence's Tom Trowbridge published a CoinDesk Opinion that made DePIN a tier-1 editorial beat. Web3Auth's founder was positioned in Google Cloud x Firebase coverage, reaching a mainstream developer audience across multiple languages. Bullieverse's founder ran a dual-track India and global narrative around a $4M seed, placing in Inc42 alongside tier-1 crypto media. None of this came from a generic PR template.
Keep reading
The step-by-step process for taking a founder from unknown to cited category voice in eight weeks, including op-ed angles and podcast tier lists.
Read →Which conferences accept programme-chair pitches, how to frame the application, and when to submit relative to the event date.
Read →The full service scope: positioning audit, byline drafting, profile pitches, podcast strategy and speaking pipeline.
See the service →How thought leadership differs from PR, and how the two work together to build durable category authority for a founder.
Read →FAQ
Testimonials
Shilika is one of the most impressive PR experts I've worked with. She deeply understands her clients, knows how to craft narratives that genuinely land, and brings a rare mix of strategic thinking and relentless execution. She's built strong relationships with top journalists and publications around the world, which gives her a real edge when it comes to getting stories placed.
I highly recommend Shilika for anyone needing PR support in Web3. What sets her apart is a deep, genuine understanding of blockchain, not just the buzzwords. Her network is outstanding: outlets that once felt out of reach became regular coverage, both in crypto and mainstream tech media. If you're in Web3 and want PR that actually delivers, Shilika is the one to call.
Work with Shilika
Two ways in. Send the intent form and I reply within 24 hours with a quick read on your press footprint, or book a 30-minute call and we plot it live.