How I write Podcast | Lulu Cheng Meservey

PODCAST INFORMATION

  • Podcast: How I Write
  • Episode: Lulu Cheng Meservey: Meet Silicon Valley’s Top PR Master
  • Host: David Perell
  • Guest: Lulu Cheng Meservey (PR strategist for Substack, Anduril, and Activision Blizzard)
  • Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes

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Lulu Cheng Meservey reveals the revolutionary PR strategies that are replacing traditional media manipulation, showing how founders can build authentic connections with their audience by going direct and harnessing cultural energy.

💡 ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

The future of effective communication lies in going direct with founders speaking authentically to their audience without middlemen, while harnessing cultural energy through strategic alignment of message, medium, and messenger.

📖 SUMMARY

In this illuminating episode of “How to Write Good,” David Perell sits down with Lulu Cheng Meservey, a renowned PR strategist who has worked with companies like Substack, Anduril, and Activision Blizzard. The conversation explores the transformation of public relations in the digital age, particularly the shift from traditional media-dependent PR to direct communication between founders and their audiences.

Meservey begins by explaining the concept of “going direct,” which she emphasizes does not mean doing everything yourself or alienating the press, but rather having founders speak directly to their audience in their authentic voice. She argues that this approach has become essential due to the decentralization of information sources. People no longer get their opinions solely from major news outlets but from diverse corners of the internet. This shift requires founders to build trust by revealing their true personality and motivations rather than relying on filtered corporate communications.

A significant portion explores the changing nature of authenticity in communication. Meservey notes how people now crave genuine connection, preferring imperfect but honest communication over polished corporate speak. She discusses how even public figures like the Obamas strategically insert imperfections like “um” into speeches to appear more authentic, and how content creators engineer moments of spontaneity to connect with audiences.

Meservey introduces her core framework for effective communication: the message, the medium, and the messenger. She emphasizes that the message is the highest leverage element. Without a compelling message, all other efforts are wasted. The medium must align with where the target audience actually gets their information, and the messenger must have the appropriate authority and credibility to deliver the message effectively.

The conversation delves into the concept of “cultural erogenous zones” topics people are already thinking about and interested in. Meservey advises communicators to identify these zones and shape their message to resonate with existing interests rather than trying to create new obsessions. She uses the analogy of giving medicine to a dog: you need to wrap it in something appealing to make it palatable.

Meservey discusses the importance of converting attention into tangible outcomes, warning against the dopamine trap of seeking attention for its own sake. She emphasizes that communication strategies must align with specific business goals, whether recruiting, fundraising, or sales. She introduces the “ship-to-yap ratio” as a way to evaluate founders. Those who ship meaningful products while also communicating effectively have the right balance, while those who only talk without delivering substance raise red flags.

The episode explores how to take stands without unnecessarily alienating audiences. Meservey advises companies to be opinionated but to “gerrymander the line” so it unites rather than divides their core constituency. She uses examples like Anduril’s unapologetic pro-Western values stance, which alienates only those who wouldn’t support the company anyway.

Meservey shares practical advice for launches, emphasizing the need to break through noise, turn attention into something tangible, and avoid simply following trends. She discusses the power of slogans in creating consistent pressure and the importance of reducing surface area to increase impact, focusing on one key message rather than diluting it with multiple points.

The conversation concludes with Meservey rewriting a CrowdStrike crisis communication to demonstrate the power of first-person accountability. She explains that when companies take immediate responsibility and show appropriate concern, customers often become more understanding, whereas defensive or passive language escalates tensions.

🔍 INSIGHTS

Core Insights

  • “Going direct” means founders speaking authentically to their audience without middlemen, not doing everything themselves or alienating traditional media entirely
  • The decentralization of information sources has made direct communication essential as people no longer get opinions solely from major news outlets
  • Authentic communication often requires embracing imperfection; polished corporate speak is less effective than honest but flawed expression
  • The message is the highest leverage element in communication. Without a compelling message, all other efforts are wasted
  • Effective communicators identify “cultural erogenous zones” topics people already care about, and shape their message to resonate with existing interests
  • Attention must be converted into tangible outcomes (recruits, sales, funding) rather than sought for its own sake
  • The “ship-to-yap ratio” evaluates founders by balancing substantive product delivery with effective communication
  • Companies should take stands but “gerrymander the line” to unite rather than divide their core constituency
  • In crisis communication, taking immediate responsibility and showing appropriate concern often de-escalates customer tension
  • The future of communication requires finding ways to stand out in a world of AI-generated content by emphasizing human elements like emotion, conviction, and personal experience

How This Connects to Broader Trends/Topics

  • Growing distrust in traditional media and institutions
  • Rise of founder-led companies and personal branding
  • Increasing importance of authenticity in marketing and communications
  • Shift from broadcast communication to conversational engagement
  • Evolution of PR from media relations to direct audience building
  • Growing emphasis on values-driven communication and corporate stances

🛠️ FRAMEWORKS & MODELS

Message, Medium, Messenger Framework

Meservey’s core approach to effective communication:

  • Message: The highest leverage element that must be compelling before considering delivery methods
  • Medium: Must align with where the target audience actually gets their information
  • Messenger: Different messages require different messengers, founders for vision, employees for culture, customers for product efficacy

Cultural Erogenous Zones

Topics people are already thinking about and interested in:

  • Rather than trying to create new interests, effective communicators identify these zones
  • Shape messages to resonate with existing concerns rather than trying to create new obsessions
  • Like giving medicine to a dog with a “candy coating” wrap the core message in something appealing

Attention Conversion Model

A framework for ensuring communication efforts translate to business value:

  • Attention alone is worthless; it must be converted into tangible outcomes
  • Requires clear alignment between communication strategies and specific business goals
  • Examples: recruits, sales, investor interest, policy changes

Ship-to-Yap Ratio

An evaluation metric for founders and companies:

  • Those who ship meaningful products while also communicating effectively have the right balance
  • Red flags appear when founders talk extensively without delivering substantive results
  • Shipping blogs and tweets without products indicates imbalance

Line-Gerrymandering Principle

A strategy for taking stands without unnecessarily alienating audiences:

  • Companies should be opinionated but draw lines that unite rather than divide their core constituency
  • The line should exclude only those who wouldn’t support the company anyway
  • Makes the stance costless in terms of alienating important stakeholders

💬 QUOTES

  1. “The crux of what it means is for the founder and the originator of the project to speak directly to the audience without middlemen, without screens, without filtering it through all this kind of PR corpo talk and actually revealing their true personality and their true motivations.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  2. “If the writing is bad, it’s better for it to be bad and honest, right? Like, do you ever feel like when you’re having a conversation with someone and you’re laying yourself bare and the person isn’t articulating themselves well or you’re not articulating yourself well, but you’re trying and the emotion is coming through and the intention is coming through.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  3. “There has to be a ship to yap ratio. For someone like Elon, he tweets like 100 times an hour, but no one thinks that the companies are being neglected like the companies are shipping and the companies overall have just experienced insane growth.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  4. “The entire job of a comm strategy is to make those people believe those things that are going to make them make those decisions. And the way you make people believe things is the message, the medium, and the messenger.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  5. “The message doesn’t have to be something that people have never heard of before. In fact, it shouldn’t be completely unfamiliar. It should have familiarity, but you’re giving it shape. You’re giving it a name and a form and maybe there’s a novel way to describe it so that people can latch on to something with at least a kernel of what they already feel.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  6. “To increase your pressure, reduce your surface area. The equation in physics is pressure equals force over area. And you can picture it, right? Like if you’re trying to puncture a board and you have the same amount of force, but you slap down on it with both hands versus you drive into it with a nail, the nail is going to puncture the board.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  7. “Every great movement has had a slogan. And the thing that slogans do is they make something feel ubiquitous and inevitable and like just echoing all around you all the time. Because if you hear the same kind of message a hundred times, but it feels different every time, it’s background noise.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

  8. “If the customer is here and you’re here, they have to drag you down until you are at their level so that they until they feel that you get it. Whereas if you immediately take yourself to here and you’re just like sackcloth and ashes then they still want to be at your level. So, they actually might bring you back up to here.” - Lulu Cheng Meservey

⚡ APPLICATIONS & HABITS

Practice Going Direct

Founders should speak directly to their audience in their authentic voice rather than relying solely on filtered corporate communications or PR intermediaries. Share your true personality and motivations rather than hiding behind corporate speak.

Identify Cultural Erogenous Zones

Pay attention to topics people are already thinking about and interested in, then shape your message to resonate with these existing concerns rather than trying to create new interests. Monitor social media trends, conversations, and cultural moments.

Convert Attention to Outcomes

Always have a clear strategy for turning attention into tangible business results (recruits, sales, funding, or other specific goals), rather than seeking attention for its own sake. Begin with business objectives and work backward to messaging.

Balance Ship and Yap

Ensure substantive product delivery accompanies communication efforts. The ratio of shipping meaningful products to talking about them should remain healthy. Regular assess whether you’re delivering more than you’re promising.

Take Strategic Stands

Be opinionated and take clear positions, but “gerrymander the line” to unite rather than divide your core constituency. Draw lines that exclude only those who wouldn’t support your company anyway.

Focus on One Key Message

Reduce your surface area to increase impact. Rather than diluting your message with multiple points, focus on one memorable concept that will penetrate. Apply the physics principle: pressure equals force over area.

Use Consistent Slogans

Develop and repeat concise, memorable slogans that reinforce your core message across different contexts and communications. Make your message feel ubiquitous and inevitable through repetition.

Choose Appropriate Messengers

Select the right person to deliver each message based on their credibility and authority; founders for vision, employees for culture, customers for product efficacy.

Take Immediate Responsibility in Crises

When problems occur, communicate with first-person accountability and show appropriate concern to de-escalate tension and build trust. Meet customers at their emotional level rather than making them drag you down.

📚 REFERENCES

  • Mao’s propaganda strategy (referenced historian Sarah Payne’s discussion)
  • Peter Thiel’s communication style
  • Brian Armstrong’s “Go Direct” concept
  • William Gibson’s quote: “The future’s here is just not evenly distributed yet”
  • “Founder Mode” concept
  • Steve Jobs’ Stanford commencement speech
  • CrowdStrike crisis communication
  • The “Operation” game analogy
  • Physics pressure formula
  • The coat shop customer service story

⚠️ QUALITY & TRUSTWORTHINESS NOTES

E-E-A-T Assessment

Experience: Excellent. Lulu Cheng Meservey demonstrates exceptional first-hand experience as a PR strategist who has worked with major companies like Substack, Anduril, and Activision Blizzard. Her insights come from extensive practical experience in modern PR and communications.

Expertise: Excellent. Meservey shows deep expertise in communication strategy, media relations, and brand positioning. Her frameworks for direct communication, message development, and crisis management demonstrate sophisticated understanding of effective communication.

Authoritativeness: Excellent. As a PR strategist for prominent tech companies, Meservey has established authority in communications and PR. Her perspectives are backed by successful implementations across diverse industries and company stages.

Trust: Excellent. Meservey provides balanced insights about communication, acknowledging both opportunities and challenges. Her frameworks are grounded in real-world experience rather than theoretical speculation, and she shares specific examples from her work.

Quality Assessment

  • The podcast provides concrete frameworks that listeners can implement in their organizations
  • Meservey shares specific examples from her work with major companies
  • The conversation balances theoretical frameworks with practical application
  • The host asks thoughtful follow-up questions that probe deeper into key concepts
  • The discussion acknowledges uncertainties and different approaches to communication
  • The content is well-structured with clear transitions between topics
  • The insights are relevant to founders, communicators, and marketers at various stages

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