Hey there — I’m going to say this for the 100th time, so if you’re a return customer please bear with me: AI is making it easier than ever to launch a company. Every day, someone with a laptop and a dream is spinning up a startup powered by ChatGPT and no-code platforms.
I like to call it the founder gold rush. But, there’s a catch to this opportunity — the founders who will win won’t be the ones with the best deck or the slickest landing page.
They’ll be the ones who own the strongest narrative. Because customers, investors, employees, and partners don’t just buy into what you’re building. They buy into who is building it and why.
Your Narrative Is Your Strategy
Think about some of the best-known companies of the last two decades. Two that come to mind for me immediately are Patagonia and Airbnb.
Patagonia didn’t just sell jackets; it sold a movement for environmental responsibility. Its now-famous “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign turned purpose into profit despite what the literal message said, and was able to rally a global community of customers who felt they were part of something bigger than clothing.
Airbnb didn’t just sell spare bedrooms and apartments; it sold belonging anywhere.
In both cases, the narrative wasn’t decoration. It was the strategy. It’s what guided their teams through chaos, attracted top-tier talent, and convinced skeptical investors to take a bet.
Your narrative is the thread that ties together your vision, your culture, and your growth. Without it, you’re just another founder with a product in a crowded market.
The Story Has Gotta Come from the Big Boss
Ten years ago, CEOs could get away with keeping a low profile while letting their product teams or marketing messaging do the talking. That’s no longer the case.
Here’s why:
The media landscape has changed. Journalists are swamped with hundreds of pitches per day. They don’t have time to “discover” you. If you don’t own your narrative and share it consistently, you’ll get drowned out.
Capital is more competitive. Investors are evaluating more startups than ever, often in faster cycles. A strong external voice helps them understand your conviction and vision quickly, and can even draw them to you.
Talent wants leaders, not bosses. The best people don’t just want a paycheck; they want to be part of a mission. If they can’t see your voice and vision in public, they’ll join someone else who inspires them.
Customers buy into humans, not features. In an AI-saturated world, product specs blur together. What stands out is a founder with perspective, authenticity, values, and dare I say it… hot takes.
What it comes down to is that hiding behind your product is no longer an option. The founders who stay silent aren’t just being modest — they’re leaving growth, talent, capital, and partnerships on the table.
In an era where AI can spin out a thousand blog posts in seconds, no one needs more content. That’s why your narrative is so critical – people need meaning.
Your team needs to know what you stand for so they can rally behind it.
Your investors need to see not just your numbers but your conviction.
Your customers need to feel not just your product, but your purpose.
And it has to come from you - the real you. It comes from your failures, your lessons, your conversations, and your always-evolving vision.
Vulnerability Builds Trust
And since we’re on the topic, here’s what most leaders get wrong, too. :) They think thought leadership means having all the answers. But the most magnetic leaders are the ones who are willing to share the messy middle — the lessons learned, the missteps, the questions still being figured out.
I was recently speaking with Christine Choi, Partner and Head of Brand Communications at M13, about the power of vulnerability in leadership. One thing that she pointed out was how some of the strongest leaders that she’s worked with ONLY tell failure & lessons learned stories – because we all know and hear about their success in the news. It’s a genius strategy really, because the lessons learned and the paths travelled by those leaders to their success is what drives connection. It not only makes them feel more human to their audience, but it also inspires that audience to assess and push through their own struggles.
There’s a reason why not everyone is doing this, because that kind of vulnerability can’t be faked.
Why Founders Struggle — And How to Get Past It
But despite all of this, most founders struggle to execute, even though they already know they should be out there sharing their vision. The reasons I hear across my clients vary – but for the most part it comes down to the fact that it takes a lot of courage, discipline, and time. The internal struggle sounds a lot like…
“What if I don’t sound smart enough?”
“What if my perspective isn’t unique?”
“What if I say the wrong thing?”
And don’t get me wrong, these are real fears. But here’s the reality: staying silent is riskier. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. And their version won’t serve you.
That’s where the right communications partnership changes everything. A great comms partner doesn’t just polish your words — they pull out your insights, sharpen your perspective, and help you build the discipline to show up consistently. They’ll help you create your narrative and help you execute on it. Because that’s the other thing — and I’m talking to you too, comms people — a narrative is a powerful brain and a game-changer for any founder & company, but only if you know how to put it into action at the right place (or platform), to the right audience, at the right time. Otherwise it’s really just another document that’s going to collect dust on the shelf.
The Clock is Ticking
Founders who hesitate to develop a strong external voice will get passed by. The ones who step forward with clear, bold, human narratives will define the next decade of business.
Your job isn’t just to build a company. It’s to lead one. And leadership starts with owning and sharing your story.