Startup Storytelling - How to use storytelling to engage customers, investors & recruits

@susanfsu

startup storytelling

Good storytelling is like good design.

When it’s done right, it looks effortless and captivating...

...and people forget they’re on your ride.

The story is about your business…

… but it’s really about your customer

Brecht’s “smokers’ theatre”

Storytelling is NOT just pitching.

GOOD STORIES

Consistent

Recognizable

Functional

Emotional

PERSONAL

WHEREEMAIL welcome email, reiterated in onboarding, as part of engagement and recapture

PRESS pitches, press kit, boilerplate, press releases

FUNDRAISING deck, pitches

WEBSITE /about, /team, /why-us, /press

PROFILES crunchbase, angel list, linkedin, Facebook, twitter, moar

EVENTS speaking engagements, networking, meetups

STRUCTURE

ONE consistent story...

different formats:

short 3 wordmedium few sentenceslong few paragraphs

PSYCHOLOGY

Relateability CuriosityTriumphUnderdog (vulnerability, doubt)InnovationCONFLICT <—this one is not optional

STORY ARCS

Small Town Hero (against all doubts, hits it big on the internet)

For years, no one could solve my problem… (so I built the solution myself)

Customer hero (if they did it, you can too)

I wasn’t always a ___ (humble beginnings)

6 DOs and 1 DON’T

1. Chronology -- not needed2. Make a word bank3. SHOW with images4. SHOW with multimedia5. SHOW with social proof6. DON’T LIE7. If your story is boring...