Another Look at the Importance of High-Stakes

Tips for gripping your audience right from the start

One common mistake I've noticed with startup founders and marketers I work with is not including high stakes early on in their stories.

This brings up an old childhood memory.

Whenever my dad would find me hesitating between two options, say going to a birthday party in our neighborhood or visiting a cousin’s son my age, he would urge me to decide by saying:

“Eventually, you’ll have neither this nor that."

In hindsight, I now realize what this funny catchphrase did was practically to boost the stakes.

If I don’t decide time is running out, I risk coming out with nothing, thus increasing the urgency to make a decision.

Interestingly, Joseph Campbell’s classic Hero’s Journey nicely captures this exact moment in Act 1’s Refusal when the protagonist is still debating whether to take the call to adventure.

Or Act 1’s Debate beat in Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat story structure

Self-doubt and hesitation to make a decision is a human trait we all share.

When you think about it, it’s in essence a signal that the decision carries high stakes with either choice offering hefty pros and cons.

And since we all prefer the cozy vibes of our comfort zones, it’s only understandable why we sometimes take our time before deciding to plunge into the unknown.

If you recall, last year I covered the important role of high stakes in this Got Stakes back in August 2022.

Let’s take another look...

Curious to read the rest?

Click here