Stealth communication in the high-tech field. (DIGITAL KNOWLEDGE).

From Silicon Valley to Silicon Gulch to Silicon Highway, it seems that wherever you live and work, the lure of the high-tech startup is there -- even for communicators. "First you start hiring the technical people. The next team is the marketers," says Lee Sutterfield, who has founded two high-tech startups in five years.

He apparently knows what he is doing. His first company, WheelGroup, was acquired by one of the biggest names in high tech, Cisco Systems, in 1998. Then he started SecureLogix, now serving as its president and CEO. His specialty is systems security, but he knows when to bring in other experts. "People don't always understand your demonstrations, but they know if your collateral material looks good."

In the startup world, the trick is to build relationships privately with potential customers while keeping competitors from learning about your products. It's "stealth" marketing, Sutterfield says, because you need to stay off your competitors' radar screens.

"You're likely to be in this stealth mode for six to 18 months. You don't want anyone to know what you are doing," he said. That is, until product is developed and investment money is secure. "Then we planned a coming-out party, still focused on customers." Stealth turns to shout, with a reputation to manage.

Even though startups have just a handful of employees, communication with that group must be managed as well. "In high tech, everyone owns stock. We ended up with 20 millionaires out of 72 people the day we sold our stock to Cisco," Sutterfield said.

Employee communication for Sutterfield doesn't look like its industrial age counterpart because, he said, "I don't need employees. I need business people working as a team."

That's one reason he operates with open-book management, communicating regularly the financial details of the operation. "If you don't, these people will run to look for other jobs." He points out, however, that from day one he tells his team that because of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, he will not say anything about any deal to sell the company. "If one word gets out, the deal is off. In an open-book-managed company, we say that if and when we get to that stage we'll never tell you. You have to trust that we'll do what's best for investors and employees," he said. Back to stealth mode.

Communicating with investors is another major aspect of high-tech startups. "With investors, knowing senior management is the key. Investors bet on whether senior management can pull off this startup," he said. "Investors call and ask, How's it going? And you have to answer." The emphasis is not on quarterly reports as it may be in traditional business. "Yes, we do quarterly reports, but they're not glossy." Effective use of resources is another good sign.

From the inside, SecureLogix' director of public relations Ana Nelson reports that the biggest difference she's discovered in working for a startup is the speed at which everything happens. "You use basically the same skills," she said, "but you do it at a much faster pace."

Even in such a fast--paced world, there is method to the madness," she says. Startups must have a strategy, and public relations supports it -- whether the company aims to be a big contender with lasting power in the industry, or whether the company hopes to be acquired. In that case, she said, "you spin your story in such a way that it will be attractive in the general business press," the publications read by CEOs in buying mode.

Nelson knows there are no promises in a job like this. "If I'm out of a job in a year or two, or six months, then I'll move on." But clearly she likes where she is today. "This is the first startup I've ever worked for. It does get in your blood. It's so exciting," she said.

It's a culture thing. "Where I've worked before, you hear 'no' a lot. But at a startup, everyone you work with at some level is a risk taker. Everyone here is going at max speed, willing to do whatever needs to be done, to value this company or make sure it's not one of those fly-by-nights that fall apart."

For her, making the decision to move to a startup was easy. "You just have to ask yourself, are you at that point in your life where you take a risk, do you believe in what the company is doing?" Even if you have to be stealthy about the communication, for a while.

Sheri Rosen, ABC, is director, employee communication at USAA in San Antonio, Texas. She invites your thoughts on digital experience at [e-mail] or 210-498-0906.