Whatever you do, storytelling will help you become better at it. If you are a web developer, storytelling will empower you to communicate better. If you are a business owner, you will skyrocket your business if you create a powerful origin story for it. People communicate through stories and are most impacted and captivated by them. They are a basic human need.

My sincere belief is that everyone has a story that is unique and compelling. There are no boring stories – there are merely layers and stacks of information piled up, obscuring the beauty of the story.

“Sticking to My Story”, Donna Griffit
If you want to create something, anything, you need to master the skill of storytelling! Donna Griffit’s book will help with exactly that!


A professional storyteller, Donna Griffit works with startups and corporations to create compelling messages that drive people to action.

More than a thousand clients swear by her magician’s skills.

You need this book if you ever want to pitch your idea to investors or just to make your business popular. You need this book if you want to understand your aim and where you will need to get your business so that what it does makes sense to anyone visiting your website, for example. You need this book if you want to understand how to think from an investor’s perspective and, with that in mind, decide what you need to improve.

You need this book!

If you’re not convinced, these are the main ideas I took from it. I hope they serve you!

1. Chunking
Use the principle of chunking when you pass information to your audience. The right amount of information is 4+/-2. This means that anything over 4 (more or less, depending on the person) chunks of information is very difficult to absorb.

If you pitch a startup story, use the 4 chunks to illustrate the need, the solution, the business plan, and moving forward (the aftermath). This 4 act story is what Donna Griffit suggests in her book and it is perfect to create a compelling narrative.

2. Conflict
Every good story includes solving an epic conflict.[…] The same is true for your startup. You wouldn’t have come up with it if there wasn’t a challenge to overcome, a disruption to fix, or a need to satisfy. The conflict describes WHY you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s not just “the problem” or “the villain”, [..] – it’s the greater good, the bigger picture, the ultimate vision which wakes you up every morning and keeps you up late at night.

“Sticking to My Story”, Donna Griffit
This “why” needs to be impressive and emotional. Through it, you need to show real motivation and care for the customer.

The questions that help to find your “why” are:

“Why did I start this journey?”
“What do you REALLY hope to achieve?”
“If money and time were not obstacles – what would you really want to do with your company?”
“What is the seismic shift in the market you will create?”
Five years from now, when you have been acquired, IPO’d, or had a major funding or liquidity event, and TechCrunch writes about you – what will they call you? The company that did X for Y? (What are your X and WHY? 😉 )
“Sticking to My Story”, Donna Griffit
You will talk about your “why” every time you talk about your company. The “why” will be the hook, the thing that moves and creates the emotional impact. It will be the first part of any presentation for investors.

3. Focus on Execution
A great idea is wonderful. You can definitely impress with something original, but, if you want to actually get money from investors, focus on execution. Talk about achievements in your operation, big clients, and important contracts — these are the things that are actually difficult to do when starting out and they are the ones that validate your idea in the eyes of investors.

If you don’t have any revenue yet, the focus should be on clients. A major win is if you can prove how much they love your product or how often they come back to it.

“The real data is retention and repeat usage. Instrument your site to track that data.”

Josh Kopelman, partner at First Round Capital says here.
4. The Villain Is Your Hero
The villain creates conflict in any story, and he is the one who makes the hero look amazing. The worse the villain, the greater the hero.

In your case, the villain is the need you cover in the market. You either promise something bad is not going to happen to your client or you make him dream about something amazing that will.

5. Keep the Solution Talk Simple
Talking about the solution you offer should be basic, simple and straightforward. Donna Griffit’s formula is all that: “We do X for Y by Z.”

Your explanation of this solution should be something “your grandma should be able to grasp” while also keeping in mind:

It’s not about DUMBING the message down, it’s about ELEVATING your audience, making them feel smart. When you make people feel smart, they want to be around you, work with you, invest in you.

“Sticking to My Story”, Donna Griffit
6. Wow Features
No matter how many, many things your product or business does, nobody cares. People don’t have the attention span to care. Talk about a maximum of 3 features, but choose the ones that are spectacular!

As with many things, doing one thing amazingly is better than being mediocre at a hundred things.

Of course, remember to also show off the benefits of those features. This is tricky if the paying user isn’t the same as the end user. (In that case, obviously, be sure to specify the benefits for the paying user.)

7. The Idea Is Not Enough
If you actually want investors to get excited, there are a number of additional things you need to prove:

It’s the right time to invest. The industry is ready and any delay will cause a missed opportunity — think software companies offering remote software during the pandemic as an example.
You have a stellar team that adds to your credibility — C-level members pulled from big companies or uniquely experienced members.
You have a clear roadmap, complete with KPIs for your next 18 months. 38% of startups fail because they run out of money. Of course, you need to show how your plan will ensure that will never happen to you.
Conclusion
“Sticking to My Story” does a great job of helping you prepare a pitch, but it can be used for so much more!

The most important thing is that, if you are a beginner, it can give well-rounded information about creating a story for your company and a vision for where you need to be to attract investors.