Narrative Design and Strategic Storytelling Services
I take a small number of engagements at a time, with B2B technology companies, fintech firms, AI startups and the marketing leaders who own their positioning.
The work fits best where trust is the hard part. You're asking buyers to believe in something new, change a habit, or bet on a brand they don't know yet.
Narrative Diagnostic
A scored audit of your public story. I apply the Narrative Authenticity Framework to your website, messaging, leadership communications, content and earned media.
You get a scorecard for each component, the specific lines that are costing you, and a ranked list of fixes. It's the right first step for a CMO who suspects the story is off and needs evidence before a rebrand budget.
Strategic Narrative Design
The full build. We design the core narrative your company runs on: the problem you name, the stake you hold, the reason you're the credible one, and the future you invite buyers into.
This is the work behind The Net Terms Economy at Fundbox and the Russian Sanctions Initiative at ComplyAdvantage. It suits companies heading into a raise, a category launch or a repositioning.
Storytelling Systems
A narrative only works if people can use it. I turn the strategic narrative into messaging architecture, proof points, executive talk tracks and a content spine your team can write from without calling me.
Founder and Executive Narrative Coaching
Between 2008 and 2013 I coached 50+ startup founders on their pitch narrative, and 75% went on to raise a Series A. I still work with founders and CEOs on keynotes, investor stories and the version of the company only they can tell.
Talks and Workshops
Sessions on narrative design, AI and brand, and the Narrative Authenticity Framework for marketing teams, leadership offsites and conferences.
Questions people ask
What is narrative design for business?
Narrative design for business is the practice of building the core story a company runs on. It defines the problem a company names, why it's credible to solve it, and the future it offers customers. Marketing, sales, PR and recruiting all draw from that one narrative.
How is narrative design different from messaging?
Messaging is the words a team uses. Narrative design is the argument underneath those words. A company can rewrite its messaging every quarter and still be making the same weak argument.
What’s the difference between brand narrative and brand positioning?
Positioning tells buyers where you fit in a category and why you’re the better pick. A brand narrative explains why the category needs to change at all: the friction your buyers live with, why you’re the one to fix it, and the world you’re building. Positioning helps you win a side-by-side comparison, and the narrative is what gets you into the comparison in the first place.
What is the Narrative Authenticity Framework?
The Narrative Authenticity Framework (NAF) is a scoring method created by Tim Donovan. It rates a brand's story from 0 to 10 on four components: Friction, Lived Stake, Distinctive Qualification and Real Aspiration. See how scoring works.
How do I know if my narrative is working?
Listen to your buyers. When they repeat your story back in their own words, it’s working. When sales has to re-explain the company on every call, or each campaign starts from scratch, it’s weak. A Narrative Diagnostic puts a number on each of the four components so you know where to start.
What does a Narrative Diagnostic include?
A SeekArgus Narrative Diagnostic scores your website, messaging, leadership communications, content and earned media against the NAF. You get component scores, the specific lines hurting you, and a ranked list of fixes. Book a Diagnostic.
Who needs a strategic narrative consultant?
Companies preparing for a funding round, a category launch or a repositioning get the most value. So do companies whose product has outgrown the story they tell about it.
Can storytelling help B2B companies, or is it only for consumer brands?
B2B buyers make bigger, riskier decisions, so the story matters more. The Net Terms Economy, a B2B trade credit narrative, supported Fundbox's $326M Series D.