Tell your Start-up's Story to a 6 Year Old on Day One.

At a NH High Tech Council networking event last night, Gregg Fairbrothers, Founding Director, Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network discussed interesting innovations opportunities. He also noted that two things most in need are 1) Qualified people to work for these companies, and 2) Investment.

When he asked the group what we thought one might be, I said marketing. I should have said good storytelling.

To obtain #1 and #2, you -- Ms., Mr. and Mrs. Entrepreneur -- must tell story of your company in a coherent manner so that:
1)      People want to work for you.
2)      People want to give you money.

Start-up folks don’t think about such issues early on because they are focused on getting the product to work or their service launched. But building the story (i.e., the elevator pitch, talking points) are as just as important as getting your fungal-based protein expression systems to work (Yes, Virginia, there is a fungal-based protein expression system).

It was Einstein who said that “If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself.” If you can’t explain why anyone should care about your innovation, what’s so innovative about it?

So Ms., Mr. and Mrs. E: make sure to find someone who can create and tell a good story to a 6-year old. I can almost guarantee it is not you. Nothing personal.

That person knows that in order to get #1 and #2, you must put words together in a way that convinces people your company is innovative, trustworthy, credible and able to take this innovation to implementation. 

They will be so excited that they will want to work for your or give you their last dollar.

It was Buffet who said, “Never invest in a business you cannot understand.” He also said, “Beware of geeks bearing formulas.”

The answers don’t need to be set in stone from Day One, but they need to be drafted, written in pencil. Make them part of your company’s blueprints as you build and begin the journey to success. They will change. 

That’s ok. That’s what happens with blueprints. 

But you get others excited so they want to be part of your success. And they feel engaged and empowered.
So here they story-blueprint questions.

• What is our company? (What are we? What do we want to be?)
• What do we stand for?
• What problem do we solve? Why should anyone care?
• How are we different – and better – than our competitors?
• What three words define our company’s essence

Do you agree? What other 30,000-foot questions might you add? 

Chime in. Please. More brains are better than one.

And beware of geeks baring formulas for fungal-based protein expression systems.