Ask Noah Show

Ask Noah Show 477

Jan 28, 2026
Guest
John Terrill
John Terrill, Senior Director of Technology PR at Red Hat, shares quick tips on branding and communications for open source projects. He explains how to pick one standout capability, explain the problems you solve instead of technical details, and balance accuracy with clear messaging. He also covers working with journalists, handling negative coverage transparently, and building living communication guidelines for projects.
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INSIGHT

Cloud BitLocker Keys Reduce Local Security

  • Microsoft stores BitLocker recovery keys in a readable cloud format and complies with legal requests about ~20 times a year.
  • Noah emphasized encryption only protects you if you control the keys and avoid cloud backups when possible.
ADVICE

Lead With One Unique Strength

  • If your project tries to solve many problems, pick one unique strength and lead with that message.
  • Build additional capabilities and messaging around that core focus incrementally.
ADVICE

Explain Problems, Not Protocols

  • Focus communications on the problem your technology solves rather than explaining how it works.
  • Translate technical features into user problems and clear solutions to reach non-technical audiences.
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