To be successful in business you need to become good at influencing people. This means communicating your intentions in a way that people feel compelled to take the action you want, which might be buying your product, changing their behaviour, joining your team, or just giving you the time of day to hear out your idea.
At Mum's Garage, the first thing we do to help founders become effective at communicating an idea is to create a document that is called Startup DNA. This provides a structure for founders to describe what is meaningful about their idea, and why people should care about it.
The outcome of developing this Startup DNA is having a story that can be communicated in a way that is compelling enough to the right people, so they become willing to help.
It also becomes a foundational document for the company.
As a side note, when you are in the early stages of developing your idea, the most helpful thing someone can do is usually to connect you with the people who are your potential customers.
Building your Startup DNA
Ideas that stick generally have stories behind them that are meaningful for the founder. These stories contain insights which give the idea a unique value. You can find out more about how this works in our blog 'How ideas are formed and how to get better at coming up with them'.
The process of developing the Startup DNA is designed to pull out the valuable experiences, insights and meaning behind the idea. We find the best way to do this is by asking a series of questions.
The structure of the Startup DNA document and the questions we ask is freely available. You can access it by clicking the button below.
Share your story
Once you’ve finished creating your Startup DNA, tell your story to 5 people. Keep in mind the outcome that you want, rather than being self-conscious about your ability to communicate.
Having the person you're talking to respond with questions is a good outcome, as it will give you an opportunity to understand what interests them about the pitch, the message they pick up on and what they miss. Using this feedback you can continue to improve your story and become better at getting the outcomes you want.