Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune to build two startups supported by amazing people. In my evolution as a founder, I realized that building a product isn’t just about the “what”: it’s about the “why.”
The “why” is driven by a story that explains why your product exists and how it solves a customer’s problems — a story that must be both rational and emotional, distilling complex ideas into simple, relatable concepts that drive every decision you make.
To shape this story, you talk to customers and refine your vision until it resonates. If the story doesn’t work, your product won’t either. For Myra — the language model chatbot company I started — the story evolved with customer feedback, shifting from a consumer chatbot like ChatGPT to an enterprise workflow agent driven by real needs.
As Tony Fadell, creator of the iPod and iPhone, says:
“And when I say ‘story,’ I don’t just mean words. Your product’s story is its design, its features, images and videos, quotes from customers, tips from reviewers, conversations with support agents. It’s the sum of what people see and feel about this thing that you’ve created.”
The process of telling a product story over and over and refining it is as much an art as it is a science. A good story is empathetic, blending facts and feelings to connect with people’s worries, fears, and aspirations.
This truth applies to our personal stories, too. Our experiences, ideas, and aspirations define who we are — yet we often assume others already know what we’re about without ever sharing or refining our narratives. In the age of AI, these stories will be even more critical, serving as the bridge between human insight and a fast evolving world.
So, it’s essential that we tell our stories and polish them with feedback from our communities. By writing consistently, we refine the most valuable asset we have — ourselves — and all that defines us: our ideas, our thoughts, our dreams, and our aspirations.
Let your story speak for you.
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If you have any questions or thoughts, don't hesitate to reach out. You can find me as @viksit on Twitter.