Going Direct | Lulu Cheng Meservey

In this interview, Jack Altman speaks with Lulu Cheng Meservey, a communications expert, about the increasing importance of comms for startups. They discuss how companies with strong founder "aura" and reputations tend to attract better talent and achieve greater success. Lulu shares her insights on crafting a compelling narrative, emphasizing the importance of clarity, authenticity, and understanding the audience's perception. She introduces the concept of a "homeostatic set point" for a company's reputation, suggesting that founders should aim to be seen as underrated to attract support. The conversation also covers the role of storytelling, the impact of word choice, and the importance of aligning communications with human psychology. Lulu emphasizes that comms is a uniquely human skill that will remain valuable even with advancements in AI, and that the media is becoming more relevant again.