What's your Founder Origin Story

What does a great founder story look like?

Some of it can’t be taught but most of it can. You may be asking yourself, why the hell would I (the writer) start off with that type of statement. That’s a good question. The type I hope you’ll continue to ask throughout this article.?

I say it because the vast majority of people have zero business stepping into the world of being a founder.?

They don’t have what it takes to make it. They don’t have the background (and no I’m not talking about a specific education or location). They don’t have the right mindset. They don’t have the drive and the ambition.?

But maybe you do. After all, I’m guessing that’s why you’re reading this right now.?

To have a great founder story you need to have the right origin story. Just like Bruce Wayne’s childhood leads him to become Batman, the same should be true for you.?

This brings us to the first question you need to answer.?

How did you get here?

Sounds simple but it’s where the origin all starts. For this question I want you to really think through one of my favorite quotes (and one I use often in story pitches I develop with clients):

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, or whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” Steve Jobs

Think through how your past has led you to this moment. Those dots should connect as you look backwards so you can create a compelling picture of why you’re uniquely qualified and positioned to succeed.?

Because the next question builds on this one.?

Why do you care?

If you can’t answer this with a level of absolute conviction, you need a different idea.?

Being a founder isn’t easy. It’s brutal. It’s stressful.?

Your why sets the tone for whether you can be trusted to push through. Absolute conviction in your why means you won’t ever stop. You will run through walls. As many walls as it takes.?

Now the why can come from many different sources. There’s the most obvious why and it’s something that directly affects you. These create powerful whys but they also have downfalls. Sometimes this can feel too personal and like the vision is skewed because of it.?

Sometimes being the key word. Other times this is an absolute powerhouse of a why. It all depends on some of the other factors but worry about that once you start testing your story.

Other potential sources could be something a friend or family member is facing or has faced. This pops up a lot in the health tech space.?

Another could be a societal problem that connects to you for some reason. It could be a trip you took where you met a stranger that stirred the emotion in you to solve the problem because they couldn’t.?

I recently saw this type of inspiration with a founder in the agricultural technology space. The why came from work with nonprofits across the developing world and watching farmers struggle to survive.?

A specific event to you, a circumstance affecting your friends or family, and even societal problems you see that fill you with an unwavering sense of “I can fix this” all work as your why.

Once you have the why then it’s time to move into the next phase of this founder story.?

Where can this idea go?

Be big. Be bold. BE WILDLY AMBITIOUS.

This part of the answer needs to walk that line of believable insanity.?

William Blake said it this way, “I was walking among the fires of hell, delighted with the enjoyments of Genius; which to Angels look like torment and insanity.”

If you think about what makes a founder story resonate the most, it's the audacity behind the vision. A level of ambition and a way of seeing the future that most people can’t.?

Paint the picture. Show how your idea can change the world. Humans are wired to want to dream. That’s why Sci-Fi exists and why when Elon says he’s going to put people on Mars that they listen.?

If you can answer these three questions in a convincing and compelling way, you will be ahead of 95% of founders out there.?

People will want to listen to what you have to say. People will ask you to share your story.?

Because I believe we need more dreamers. We need more world changers. We need more people filled with unimaginable ambition.?

That’s the only way the future looks brighter. I’m here to guide you.?

Think of me like Obi-Wan.?

Think of yourself as Luke or Leia...You’re the hero.