Story Time!

Warning: This video might make you cry!

I came across this video while attending Hack Arizona, an event for both professionals and amateur hackers that all MIS majors should attend at least once in a lifetime. While the experience was amazing, and I got quite a bit of exposure to different technologies, one of the most memorable moments for me was at the opening ceremony. Keynote speaker Miri Rodriguez, a storyteller at Microsoft, gave us a speech on how to tell a story; “Your Story”. She rightly pointed that while most of us dream of developing the next best hack, we sometimes get caught up on the process and forget to convey our passions to others.

Why do you think great Tech companies like Microsoft and Google hire storytellers?

Recall the formula we all learned in class;

-        Write a business plan

-        Pitch it to investors

-        Assemble a team

-        Introduce a product

-        Start selling as hard as you can.

Storytellers come in to play in the last two stages of this formula, and I believe these to be the hardest to succeed in as <<techies>>. Going back to the video, what do you believe is the connection between an old man finding his childhood best friend and Google’s search tool? We can identify to it! Consumers/client don’t really care for how many man hours it took to write the programming code or the mechanics behind it. We want to know what is the value added to us. You must think about it as “Your company can’t get what it wants unless your customers and users get something they want”. I find that to be the hardest thing to achieve for startups.

Once we've developed the next best hack that is going to revolutionize the tech industry, we need to switch the focus to the end user (click here for an article on user story mapping). You need to know your story and understand that it evolves just like your hack. Learn how to convey your passion for the technology you develop without getting caught up on the <<tech stuff>>.

After coming to this realization, here’s my take on storytelling (click here to learn more about this);

-        Everyone has a unique story, and someone wants to hear it (maybe)

-        A great story is a strategy to introduce a product and sell your idea

-        Learn how to tell your story

-        A story is the bedrock of a lean startup

-        And finally, remember that your story will be the reason to believe in your ideas.

Many of us might nurture the dream to have their own startups. I believe turning this into a successful reality requires all the elements of the formula above, plus a great story!

Question to consider:

-         Do you agree that startups need to put more emphasis on telling a story rather than just selling their product? If not, why?

-        Apart from Google and Microsoft, what other companies have you seen emphasizing storytelling?