It's common knowledge around here that PR is wasted effort for startups. So why do this?

For startups and for any company, brand makes things nebulously easier. Sales require one fewer call, hiring pipelines are slightly more full, fundraising intros are easier. The point about creating News is really at the core: if you can make News one of the consistent outputs of your company, and you can see the results of News on your actual work, then you should do it.

Like everything else at a startup, brand is one tool. Don't use that tool unless the founders are strong with it and there's a well-defined path between that brand and traction.