You have to figure out your own story and your company’s story in a way that catches people’s attention and makes it interesting. You have to figure out how to tell the story in a way that is memorable - or sticky - and gets your audience asking for more.

I have to admit, I'd been writing a newsletter based on Rita Gunter McGrath's book SEEING AROUND CORNERS. McGrath is one of my favorite business strategist. Her work is practical and highly actionable.

My piece involved some sci-fi systems thinking and speculation about our post COVID-19 world. Ultimately I was unsatisfied with the draft, So, I put it aside and decided to write something else. 

In my last post, I wrote about brands and brand building. This week, THE ECONOMIST ran a story on brand building titled “It Has Never Been Easier to Launch a New Brand.” The article explains why you’re seeing so many new brands -- Harry’s, Allbirds, Casper, among them.

Why is it easier to launch a new brand?

Because it’s never been easier to identify, target, build, and connect with an audience. The thing that differentiates these new brands from the old incumbents is their story.

In 1916, a group of exiled European artists gathered in Zurich and started an art movement that would change the world.

Unhappy with the violence and the horror of the first World War, the artists rejected logic, reason, and modern capitalism.

Birthed at the Cabaret Voltaire, the movement was called Dada.

I love strategy.

The word gets overused but you can’t accomplish a thing without a strategy.

And strategy is simple.

It’s a plan of action to achieve a goal

Imagine you had written an article or blog post, or had recorded a podcast or video that answered the most pressing issue in your industry.

Your audience would read, listen, or watch, and would understand your solution.

Their questions would be answered.

So, clearly, you are all aware that I’m on an obsessive crusade to help scientist-entrepreneurs tell great biotech and synbio stories, convince investors to back you, build great companies, disrupt the way things have been done, and make the world a better place.

“To live well is to see wisely, and to see wisely is to tell stories.” - Padraing O. Tuama (quoted in Jerry Colona’s Reboot)

A question I’ve been asking myself lately is: Who am I talking to? Right now?

In the past three days, I’ve spoken with:

Given the amount of information we process everyday, telling your story, sharing your vision of the future, is more important than ever. It is how you stand out.