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📰 Today's Edition

The reason I write this newsletter is to help founders build their startups.

And a lot of the content that I produce is centered around things like fundraising, GTM strategies, customer discovery, getting (and keeping) customers, etc.

But there is one thing that impacts your ability to build a business more than anything else: your story.

In my opinion, knowing how to tell an intriguing founder story can unlock funding, revenue, partnerships, and growth in a way that impressive metrics simply cannot.

So today we're talking storytelling. My guess is that nailing this will help you stand out from an increasingly crowded and competitive market.

To do this, I’m gonna hand the mic over to someone who has perfected the art of founder storytelling.

Meet our Storytelling Expert

Hey, I'm Thiago Lima, a Brand Story Strategist & Ghostwriter.

When I was nine years old, my father sat me down to watch a movie, "Papillon".

It was about a wrongly imprisoned roughneck who repeatedly tries to escape a penal colony despite being beaten, dumped in solitary confinement, and starved every time he tries.

So, the perfect movie for a nine-year-old.

I watched the entire saga stone-faced, then, as the credits rolled, burst into tears.

After recovering from this emotional trauma, I strangely found myself wanting more.

Sure, I was scarred for life, but I gained a lifelong obsession with movies, jokes, music, books – anything that provokes an emotional response from an audience.

This obsession was the launching point for a decades-long career in film, comedy, and TV.

I spent years in dingy comedy clubs, empty coffee shops, and audition waiting rooms learning how to develop weird, half-baked ideas into killer jokes or can't-put-down scripts… and discovering what really makes audiences lean in.

Throughout it all, I funded my obsession by working as a copywriter, learning how to craft effective brand messaging that gets real results.

Today, I'm going to harness all those experiences to help you construct a memorable founder story that will resonate with your target audience.

To do this, we’ll use four steps pulled from my free founder story workbook, The Storyteller's Mindset.

(Or if you'd rather just get the whole workbook ASAP, you can grab your copy here.)

Ready? Let’s jump in.

Step 1: Find Your "SNAPSHOTS"

So, you’re ready to tell the world about yourself and embrace being in the spotlight. 

How do you tell a story that captures all of who you are – your accolades, emotions, interests, and ideas – without it turning into a rambling monologue?

You can’t.

We are too big and too layered to ever fit into a single story.

So instead of trying to capture the whole picture, we are going to use “Snapshots”.

“Snapshots” are vivid, specific moments. Memories, turning points, scenes from your life that meant something BIG to you.

Think about:

• Foundational Moments: When and where did you first discover your talent, passion, or obsession?

• Emotional Moments: What made you cry, laugh, or jump for joy? What hit you so hard you can still feel it?

• Accomplishments: Forget what “sounds impressive.” What actually meant something to you?

• Failures: When did you totally fall on your face?

• Lessons + Realizations: When did something click? What changed your mind or shifted your perspective?

Grab a few of these before moving on to step two. I’ll wait.

Step 2: Build Your "HOOK"

When someone asks you to talk about yourself, or clicks on the “About Me” section of your website, they’re expecting you to start with WHAT you do or did:

"I’m an electrical engineer." "I went to Purdue." "I’m from Boston."

What they’re not expecting is for you to tell a story.

When you do, the surprise alone is often enough to make people lean in. Because even the most mundane story is more interesting than a list of impressive facts.

Imagine that I said to you, “So the other day I was standing in the checkout line at the grocery store…” and then I walked away mid-story to take a phone call.

Some part of your brain is thinking: “Wait – what happened at the grocery store?”

That’s how humans work. We’re wired to want to know what happens next.

So from your “Snapshots,” let's select a relevant moment to serve as a foundation for your journey. 

It doesn't have to be the most impressive or sensational. Just the one that means a lot to you, and will resonate with others like you.

Don't be a news reporter here. 

Feel free to mythologize a bit. Make it big and epic. Then draw us in. Bring us to the center of that genuine, specific moment. 

Tell us WHEN and WHERE it all went down.

Step 3: Share Your "JOURNEY"

Okay, you’ve hooked us. Now we want to know:

Why did that moment stick with you? What did it set in motion?

You’re not trying to impress us. You’re helping us understand your direction, your curiosity, your values.

Show us how the moment from Act 1 grew into something more.

Step 4: Bring Us To the "MOMENT OF TRUTH"

This is where you land the plane.

You’ve shared where it started. You’ve shown the journey. Now, bring us to the present moment.

And when I say present moment, I mean literally the exact moment you're telling the story or the moment your audience will be reading it.

What are you focused on? What’s driving you right now? And most importantly – how can the person in front of you be part of what comes next?

Example Time

A lot of founders, when asked to speak about themselves, will simply rattle off a laundry list of accomplishments:

John is the founder and CEO of BrightGrid. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and served as lead engineer at two venture-backed energy startups. He holds multiple patents in power systems and has closed several pilot agreements with Fortune 500 operators. 

Fine. 

But put yourself in the shoes of a VC or potential collaborator. You’re constantly meeting early-stage founders. 

Sure, these facts are impressive. But are they memorable? Do they prove why you should be in charge?

We need to bring something more to the table if we want to separate ourselves from a sea of other founders with impressive credentials. 

Like this: 

“One day, when I was five years old, I was playing with my sister. We were pretending this fork we had was a magic wand. Then something caught my eye. A socket. Those little slits looked like such a perfect place to jam that fork. So I did – and immediately got the shock of a lifetime. I started screaming and crying. It was terrifying. But also kind of fascinating. I couldn’t understand how something invisible could feel so intense.”

If you heard both on the same day, which one is going to stick with you?

Need More Help?

You might be thinking that your snapshot is cringey. Or you’re having trouble flowing from one step to the next. Do you want a full example to follow along with?

Thiago’s workbook answers questions like these and offers other great insights, like how to:

• Confront the feeling that you are “not interesting”

• Make almost any moment story-worthy

• Construct a positive and memorable narrative identity

You can get it here.

There’s no charge and no catch. He didn’t pay us to share these insights. We just think Thiago’s take on founder storytelling is practical and unique… and actually works.

You can also book a free 30-minute founder story consultation call with him here.

Reply back with your snapshot,

Dunky from Hustle Fund

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