BOSTON (April 3, 2012) – Successful early stage firms build a public relations strategy into their company’s growth plan from day one and not as an afterthought, according to Akhil Nigam, a leading expert on entrepreneurism and founder of MassChallenge, the largest-ever startup accelerator and competition. In an interview with Morrissey & Company, an integrated communications firm, Nigam said public relations campaigns for early stage companies should focus on the customer as the “hero” and less on the entrepreneurs themselves.

“Part of the entrepreneurial process is to learn how to go from an idea or semblance of a company to thinking about how to grow a high-growth company,” said Nigam. “Communication is a key element of success and we educate entrepreneurs on public relations and marketing from the beginning, including how to best leverage PR support and work with agencies, to how to think about marketing communications.”

In the interview, conducted at MassChallenge’s headquarters in Fan Pier Boston, Nigam spoke about the public relations opportunities and challenges for startup companies and offered advice to entrepreneurs and other organizations:

• On breaking through in the press: Keep at it, produce good content, continue doing great things and the press will come.

• More customers, Less “me, me, me”: Make...