Sticking to My Story
The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups
by Donna Griffit
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Pub Date Feb 17 2023 | Archive Date May 27 2023
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Description
It is the dream of every founder. You are standing in front of a group of investors pitching your startup while they shower you with money and praise.
The reality, unfortunately, is vastly different as most founders fail to raise capital from venture capital firms or angel investors. A lot of this is down to an underwhelming pitch in a crowded sea of startups.
Now imagine having an unfair advantage. What if you had the tools and knowledge to create a pitch that is both compelling, motivating and, most importantly, gets results?
That is where Donna Griffit’s book ‘Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups’ comes in.
Tim Draper called this book the new bible for startup founders for a reason. It’s the A-Z recipe for how to create a powerful pitch deck with all the right ingredients. Filled with helpful tips and fascinating stories of what worked and what failed abysmally, peppered with insightful quotes from some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley.
The book will take you step by step through:
- What investors talk about after you leave
- The 10 biggest mistakes startup founders make
- What must be in a pitch deck
- Fundraising silicon valley style
- And most importantly, how to craft your own story-led pitch deck that gets results
Donna’s 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. Let Donna help peel the layers away and let you polish your stories until it “shines like the top of the Chrysler building”.
Donna Griffit is uniquely positioned to help you with this. She is a gifted Corporate Storyteller that has worked globally for over 16 years with Fortune 500 companies, Start-Ups and investors in a wide variety of industries. She has consulted and trained clients in over 30 countries, helping them create, edit and deliver verbal and written presentations, pitches and messages. Donna has the ability to magically spin raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive results. Through her guidance, clients have raised over a billion dollars.
Stewart Butterfield, CEO of Slack, said: “If there’s one piece of advice I could go back to give myself, it is concentrating on that storytelling part, on the convincing people. If can’t do that, it doesn’t matter how good the product is, it doesn’t matter how good the idea was for the market, or what happens in the external factors; you don’t have the people believing.”
So take the advice of the founder of one of the biggest startups in Silicon Valley, and craft your own story today.
Advance Praise
Amazon Customer Reviews
Dan Szt
5.0 out of 5 stars In a word, this book is generous.
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Donna's engaging storytelling style makes this book an invaluable resource which includes an actionable roadmap for any new business or startup looking to build their best origin story and hook potential investors for funding, winning clients, and building partnerships.
Rather than filling its pages with empty words and generic advice, Donna combines concrete examples, lists of questions investors are likely to ask, and defines exactly how to build the best ‘elevator pitch’ to sell your brand. The book is filled with step by step instructions that are easy to understand and follow, and Donna's storytelling skills make it an effortless read.
But this book is more than just a roadmap - it's a guide on how to focus on what's important. This vibrant, storytelling alchemist helps empower the reader to incorporate their passion into their pitch while clearing away unnecessary details, sticking to what investors and partners need to know, and what they don’t want to know. In other words, helping the reader get out of their own way.
Most consultants aren't quite so generous when sharing their personal IP. But that’s not Donna. Full disclosure, I’ve known Donna for over a decade. We have worked on a project or two together and I’ve been coached by Donna myself. So, I know first hand just how powerful and effective her storytelling style is and how audiences light up and sit up to take notes every time she speaks.
This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to sell their company or build their brand.
Evyatar
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for anyone who raise money from VCs and Angeles
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups” is a book that delivers a fresh perspective on storytelling for startups. The book, written by Donna Griffit, is a must-read for entrepreneurs who want to connect with their audience on a deeper level and make their businesses stand out.
Donna presents the idea that the success of a startup lies in the art of storytelling. She emphasizes the importance of crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with the target audience. Donna discusses various techniques and strategies that entrepreneurs can use to tell their stories in a way that captivates and inspires.
One of the strengths of the book is its clarity and simplicity. Donna uses straightforward language that is easy to understand, even for those who are not familiar with the startup world. She also provides plenty of real-world examples that illustrate her points effectively.
Another strength of the book is its practicality. Donna not only explains why storytelling is imperative for startups but also provides a step-by-step guide on how to create an engaging narrative. She emphasizes the importance of being authentic, understanding the audience, and creating a story that resonates emotionally.
Overall, “Sticking to My Story: The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups” is an insightful and practical book that can help entrepreneurs unlock the power of storytelling. It is a valuable resource for anyone looking to differentiate their startup from the competition and build a loyal following. Highly recommended!
Available Editions
| ISBN | 9781991197313 |
| PRICE | $6.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 212 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Maria B, Reviewer
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.
