HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Answer HARO Source Requests to Land Big-Name Press

Answer HARO Source Requests to Land Big-Name Press is a cold outreach tactic for getting your first users: Use Help a Reporter Out to respond to journalist source requests and earn free mentions in major outlets like the NYT, Forbes, and Business Insider.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for expert founders, any. As a cold outreach play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Cold outreachMedium effortSlow

Why does cold outreach work for this?

Reporters constantly need credible sources, so a sharp tailored reply trades your expertise for high-authority press.

The exact steps (5)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Answer HARO Source Requests to Land Big-Name Press" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

Cold outreachMedium effort· Medium

Build a Press Kit Before Pitching Journalists

Assemble a complete, ready-to-use media kit on your site so reporters have everything to write a story, then lead outreach with a link to it.

Read the steps →
Cold outreachMedium effort· Slow

Hand-Write Your First 20 to Find the Message

Before automating anything, manually recruit a small set of perfect-fit prospects and write every message by hand to discover what actually resonates.

Read the steps →
Cold outreachMedium effort· Fast

DM Founders Already in Your Network, Rapport First

Mine your existing LinkedIn connections for founders, open with a personal conversation to build rapport, then pitch the team benefit.

Read the steps →
Cold outreachMedium effort· Fast

Hand-DM Your Existing Connections One by One

He directly messaged people he personally knew and was already connected to, telling them what it was and asking them to subscribe.

Read the steps →
Cold outreachLow effort· Fast

Replace the Default Invite With a Custom 300-Character Note

The founder points out almost nobody personalizes LinkedIn's default 'I'd like to add you to my network' invite, and that the 300-character custom note is high-leverage when actually written.

Read the steps →
Cold outreachLow effort· Fast

Time DMs to the Moment They Ship Something

Send the outreach right after a prospect ships a feature, redesign, or launch post, while they're still in 'feedback mode.'

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel