How to Matter More to More People: Storytelling for Founders Who Speak in Code

Are You Speaking a Language Only Your Engineers Understand?

Once upon a startup, a brilliant founder—let’s call them Alex—had built an enterprise AI system that could easily predict market shifts before they happened. Investors should have been throwing term sheets at them. Customers should have been lining up.

Instead, Alex’s pitch meetings felt like TED Talks for robots (or robotics teams). Their slides were full of technical jargon, complex graphs with axis labels only a PhD would love, and words like asynchronous data pipelines delivered with the deliberate pace of an instruction manual.

After yet another meeting that ended with polite nods and no follow-ups, a well-meaning advisor finally pulled them aside and said:

“Alex, you’re solving an incredible problem, but I have no idea why I should care. Can you tell me a story that I can understand?”

That was the moment Alex realized: It doesn’t matter how brilliant your technology is if people don’t understand why it matters to them.

And that’s where many technical founders go wrong.

The Founder’s Dilemma: Genius That No One Gets

Technical founders face a paradox. They’re creating game-changing technology, but the more complex and groundbreaking it is, the harder it is for the world to grasp.

• Investors nod along in meetings but don’t write checks.
• Customers visit the website but don’t click ‘Book a Demo.’
• Potential hires say, “Sounds interesting,” but don’t leave their jobs to join.

The problem? For the most part, humans don’t invest in technology details. They invest in outcomes.

The market doesn’t always reward the best technology. It rewards the best storytellers. The companies that win are the ones that make their ideas unforgettable—to customers, investors, and the people they need to recruit.

You don’t need to be louder to matter to more people; you need to be clearer.

The Antidote: Storytelling for Mere Mortals

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to be Aaron Sorkin or Steve Jobs to tell a great story. You need a framework to make your ideas land.

Here’s how to do it.

Lead With the Problem—But Make It Hurt

Most founders start with their solution:

“We built a quantum-enhanced cybersecurity protocol that reduces data breach risk by 73%.”

That’s like opening a movie with, “Here’s the solution to a murder you didn’t know happened.”

Instead, start with the pain your audience already feels.

• Bad: “Our AI optimizes sales forecasting.”
• Better: “Every sales leader makes million-dollar bets with blindfolds on. We remove the blindfold.”

People don’t buy technology. They buy relief.

What’s the best way to make a problem feel real? Show how people are suffering without your solution.

• Instead of: “Our tool improves code deployment efficiency.”
• Say: “Every engineer dreads 2 a.m. ‘site down’ alerts. We make sure they sleep through the night.”

A great opening line doesn’t just introduce the problem—it makes people feel it.

Make It a Movie, Not a Whitepaper

Facts tell. Stories sell.

Too many founders describe their products in abstract terms. Instead of:

“Our platform improves cloud efficiency by 40%,”

Say:

“Imagine you’re a CTO staring at a cloud bill the size of the GDP of a small country. You realize you’re paying for unused servers, redundant processes, and inefficiencies you don’t even understand. Our platform finds and eliminates that waste automatically—saving you six figures before your next board meeting.”

The difference? One is a stat. The other is a scene.

Storytelling works because it activates the brain in a way numbers never do. When people hear a story, they see themselves in it.

• Instead of: “We help customer success teams reduce churn.”
• Say: “Ever lost a big customer and only found out when they didn’t renew? We make sure that never happens again.”

Make your audience see the stakes—and they’ll remember your product.

Speak Human, Not Machine

A simple rule: If your pitch could be mistaken for a research abstract, you’re losing the room.

Cut the jargon. Use metaphors. Make your technology feel like something people already understand.

• Instead of: “Our NLP engine achieves 98% sentiment analysis accuracy.”
• Say: “Our AI reads customer feedback like a seasoned therapist—catching every signal before it turns into churn.”

Great storytelling isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about making smart ideas irresistible.

One way to test if your message is clear: Would your mom understand it?

• Bad: “We developed a decentralized identity verification protocol.”
• Better: “We ensure your digital identity is as secure as your passport—without a password.”

If “Mom” wouldn’t get it, simplify it.

Give Your Audience a Role in the Story

People care most about themselves. So frame your story around what they stand to gain.

Instead of saying:

“Our platform enables seamless API integrations,”

Say:

“Integrating software should feel like clicking ‘connect’ on LinkedIn—not like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions. We make that happen.”

Your audience should see themselves in the future you’re painting.

This is critical for:

• Investors → Help them see how your company will make them rich.
• Customers → Show them how your product makes their lives easier.
• Employees → Make them feel like they’re joining something bigger than a job.

The best founders don’t just sell a product. They invite people into a movement.

Don’t Get Pulled Into a Technical Debate You Can Win but Shouldn’t Fight

Technical founders often face a trap: the urge to prove they’re the smartest person in the room. Investors, customers, and potential hires might test your technical chops—sometimes genuinely, just to see how you handle it.

Here’s the thing: Even if you can win the technical debate, you’ll likely lose the bigger game.

Your job isn’t to out-argue the engineers in the room. Your job is to lead the parade.

The goal is to grow your movement, not to win every intellectual battle. If you spend too much time getting into the weeds too early, you risk leaving behind the people who actually drive your success—decision-makers, budget holders, and future believers who don’t need (or want) to understand deep tech.

Yes, there will be a time for technical validation. It will come at the right sales cycle stage, the investor diligence process, or the hiring journey. And when that moment arrives, you can bring in the details, the technical deep dive, and the proof points.

But the foundation of it is a story that mere mortals can understand—and be inspired by.

End With a Mic-Drop Moment

Every great story leaves something ringing in your mind (and sometimes beating in your heart) long after it’s over.

Your pitch should do the same.

Leave them with a line that makes them feel something:

• “AI won’t replace managers. But managers who use AI will replace those who don’t.”
• “The future of cybersecurity isn’t better locks—it’s doors that disappear when threats approach.”
• “Your competition isn’t another startup. It’s obscurity. The companies that win are the ones people remember.”

Make your last line stick.

Emotional Resonance For the Win!

Your ability to matter more to more people depends on your ability to make them care. And that doesn’t happen with bullet points and bar charts. It happens with stories.

So, if your pitch isn’t landing, stop talking about technology details and start telling a story.

Your next investor, customer, or hire is waiting. Make them feel something.

What’s Your Story? Let’s Make It Unforgettable

If you’re a founder looking to sharpen your pitch, I’d love to help. Let’s discuss whether you’re refining your startup’s story, struggling to make technical ideas resonate, or want a fresh perspective.

Regarding your biggest storytelling challenges, DM me on LinkedIn or email me at richard@crane.vc. I’m happy to help in any way I can. Let’s make your startup matter more to more people.