Founder bylineWhite hat😇 7/10 · 😈 3/10· B2B SaaS
The Op-Ed That Built a Category
A 1,200-word founder byline that didn't mention the product once — and became the most-cited piece of the year in its category.
The setup
A founder published an op-ed in a tier-1 business publication. The piece named a new category, defined it, and listed the criteria for being in it. The founder's company met all the criteria. The op-ed didn't need to say so.
The plays
- The category-creation move. Naming a category and defining its borders is the highest-leverage PR move available to a founder. Every subsequent piece in the space cites yours.
- The criteria list, not the company list. The piece doesn't name competitors — it names attributes. Readers do the matching themselves. Sophistication signal.
- The proof in adjacent industries. Examples are pulled from sectors the reader respects but doesn't compete in. Less defensiveness, more credibility.
- The "what this means for [reader]" close. Last 200 words translate the trend into actionable implications for the target reader. Forwarded internally at competing companies — exactly the people whose customers you want.
- The follow-on calendar. Coordinated 6 podcasts and 2 conference talks within 30 days, each picking one paragraph from the op-ed to expand on. Op-ed becomes a content engine.
The verdict
White hat. The craft is in restraint.