How to Tell Your Story: A Simple Framework for Startups

I get questions like this from founders all the time: How should I tell my story, and what will entice reporters to write about us? But it always feels like the cart before the horse. 

Instead, I ask founders to back up and think about why their story is important — to anyone other than themselves. I also encourage them to think less about transactional interactions with journalists and more about how they can create trusting relationships defined by shared interests in a specific market. When you don’t wait until you have an “ask” to talk with journalists, there’s room for real relationship-building that can be beneficial to you both. 

Given how frequently this subject comes up in my conversations with founders, I’ve created a deck that walks you through how I think about storytelling and public relations as a former journalist and current investor. It’s a high-level framework for any entrepreneur who is struggling to articulate their mission to the audiences that matter to them most. 

Download a high-resolution PDF on SlideShare.