Founder storytelling is the most over-produced and under-prepared category in our industry. Founders walk in expecting to deliver a TED talk. They walk out wishing we had done one of three things first.
Thing one: separate the conviction from the pitch. The pitch is what you say to investors. The conviction is what you would still believe if no one was watching. The camera is interested in the second.
Thing two: pick the right format before you pick the right outfit. A 60-second monologue requires a different posture than a 12-minute sit-down. We have lost count of founders who arrived in a navy blazer for what should have been a kitchen-table conversation.
Thing three: don't use the founder film as a hiring tool, an investor tool, a marketing tool and a thought-leadership tool. It will be none of them well. Pick one. We can build the other three later.
Written by the studio
RELATABLE is a Bangalore-based storytelling, production and brand experience company. We help brands, marketing teams, and founders solve communication problems — before we pick up a camera.