# Release types

What each common type needs in the interview, and what its lede should lead
with. If a type is not here, ask the four must-have questions and lead with
what changed.

| Type | Must get | Lead with |
|---|---|---|
| **Funding** | amount, round (seed, Series A ...), lead investor, other investors, what the money is for, total raised to date | amount + lead investor + what it pays for |
| **Product launch** | product name, what it does in one sentence, who it is for, price, availability date, how to get it | what the product lets the buyer do that they could not before |
| **Partnership** | both companies, what each brings, what the customer gets, start date, terms that can be public | what customers get from the two together |
| **Acquisition** | buyer, target, price if public, expected close date, what happens to the target's product and people | who bought whom, and why |
| **Executive hire** | name, title, start date, prior roles, what they will own | the person + the job + the one prior role that explains the hire |
| **Award or ranking** | who gave it, what it is for, how it was judged, year | the award + what it was for |
| **Milestone** | the number, the date it was reached, how long it took, a comparison | the number + what it shows |
| **Expansion / new location** | where, size, jobs created, opening date, why there | the place + the jobs or customers it serves |
| **Research or report** | the top finding with its number, sample size, method, dates, where to read it | the single most surprising finding, stated as news about the industry, with the company as the source |
| **Event** | name, date, place, who speaks, who should come, how to register | what attendees will get from it |
| **Customer win / contract** | customer name (if it may be named), value or scope, length, what is delivered | the customer + what they bought |

Two checks for every type:

- **Is it news?** Something must have happened, or be about to happen, on a
  date. A release about a company's "commitment" or "vision" is not news. Ask
  the user what changed.
- **Can the customer be named?** For customer wins and partnerships, ask whether
  the other party approved being named. If not, describe them ("a top-10 U.S.
  utility") and flag it.