Startup Storytelling - Why your story matters on day one

In early-stage companies, your story is often the only thing you’re selling. Long before you have revenue, traction or even a finished product, you have a vision and that vision needs to land with the people who are going to make it happen.

Founders who can articulate why they exist, why now, and why it matters earn belief earlier, close funding rounds faster and attract better talent as they grow.

Your story is your earliest proof point. It explains where you came from, what you’ve seen that others have missed, and why your solution is worth backing.

For later stage companies, those who are post-revenue, approaching or even closed their series A round - a more narrow and focused positioning that focuses on the ICP you’ve identified is essential. Transitioning from being vision led, to being sales & product led isn’t a linear process, the transition between "this is the idea" and "this is the product", is a mountain to climb for even seasoned founders.

Storytelling is a must-have skill for a founder. The ability to craft how you're going to build your idea and what it's going to do for people is essential. That often starts with how you actually speak the story, long before you've had a company like Cohesion Labs work with you.

There are plenty of videos out there, but one that could help you as a founder is this one… Back in 2012, social phycologist Amy Cuddy delivered a brilliant Ted Talk that talks about body language, poise, and clarity - it's well worth your time to give a watch on how you present ideas and tell stories that keep people engaged:

Brand personality - an extension of, but seperate, from you:

A successful brand needs to feel right to you as a founder, but it also needs to translate clearly to your audience. When we build brands, we combine your story, your ambition and your domain expertise with strategic research and positioning work to create a brand that stands up in the real world.

The result is a narrative and identity system that cuts through noise, earns trust authentically, and sets the tone for the company you’re building — today and in the years ahead.

When your brand is built with intention, everything becomes easier: pitches, product decisions, team alignment, recruitment, marketing and even culture.

A clear story unlocks momentum. It helps you show up consistently across every touchpoint and creates the kind of belief that fuels early-stage growth. In a world where thousands of startups compete for the same sliver of attention, getting the story right on day one is essential.

Your input as a founder is only part of the picture. At some point, chances are your brand will need to be bigger than just you. When your idea

How different brands tell different stories even though they sell the same product:

If you're looking to get a better handle on why certain brands are "the way that they are" - why not give a brilliant, (and fairly short) book by creative agency eatbigfish: https://www.overthrow2.com/

You've probably experienced brand messaging countless times today already. If you've just been to a supermarket, and you're looking at orange juice, each option presented to you is competing for your attention in myriad different ways. If you're unfamiliar with brand concepts when you're about to build one… Then this book might be a great start to help you understand how and why they work.

Creator: LUKE COLE 2019 

Copyright: LUKE COLE.

How we do it, and what we can do for you:

We're grateful for our testimonials and our brilliant client roster. Our case studies speak for themselves. But when it comes to working with new clients with new ideas, we always start at the beginning with you to understand how you've arrived at the idea, and what it's going to do for the world.

If you're just starting out in building your startup and your brand alongside it, get in touch with us and let's have a coffee or a zoom or a walk in a park.