Your Startup Story – Not Another Movie-in-the-Making, & That’s Okay!

Two friends exchanging ideas and creating a world-changing product out of their garage – an exciting and typical story of starting up? Not always. In most cases, a real startup story does not have such inspirational beginnings, and that is okay!

For all aspiring creators and entrepreneurs out there – your startup story is not about how awe-inspiring your beginning was, but about the other important factors that actually matter to your potential consumers and investors.

The Why

Get past the “what your startup does” and “how your startup does it” and focus on the “why” of it all. The leap of faith you take with starting up must be based on a passionate “why”. Your brand and business must resonate with your belief in the cause of it, and this cause must be the heart and soul of your startup story.

“If you have a mission, you can easily handle all the highs and the lows.” 

The Product

The end product that you create is what your brand truly represents.

What happens behind the scenes is of no consequence when your product is good enough to speak for itself. Your investors and consumers want to know – what your product offers, and what your consumers stand to gain out of your product. If the end product can cut it, what goes into it hardly ever matters.

“Every startup should address a real and demonstrated need in the world. If you build a solution to a problem lots of people have, it’s easy to sell your product to the world.”

The Culture

The work culture within your organisation represents what your startup stands for. A healthy work culture is what will make your brand stand out and create an identity for itself in the market. It is also vital that you encourage the people in your organisation to share the ideologies of your brand, as the people who represent your business also create your brand image.

“Never hire for skills. Hire for passion. Skills are cheap, Passion is hard to come by.”

Audience Approval

The consumers, the social influencers, and all potential users of your product become the impactful voice of your brand and have the power to craft the aura for your startup story. The brand story you create and the brand story your audience creates must be in sync for an impact and value of your product.

For instance, you think your product is a tech innovation, but your audience is attracted to the voice of your brand more than the innovation it stands for. In this case, you will have to decide whether you want to follow the route your audience has decided for your product, or make a diversion towards the path that leads to what you want your product to represent.

“Don’t focus on multiple things. Focus on the main thing, and the business will follow you.”

Let your startup story take its natural and organic course instead of forcing it. The backstory, no matter how interesting, is not capable of matching up to other important factors that shape up your business. A brand story should be strong enough to write itself with the right set of ingredients. Focus on your cause, your final product, and the work culture you embrace for your business.

Also read Stay Motivated – The Ups & Downs of Entrepreneurship