Narrating the startup journey

I didn’t invent Tradeshift. At best, I’ve just been involved in deciding some of the ways we talk about it. But I think it’s a good idea:

1. Connect every company in the world on an open platform for business interactions (5m soon.)
2. Let anyone build Apps that use those connections and add value to the data
3. Make the world a better place.

As Comms Manager, I tell people this story. A lot. And it’s a lot of fun because, once they get their head around it, their eyes light up. They start asking questions about what we could be building on the platform — and then realise that actually anyone could build and sell those things…

However…

I find there’s a strange other side to the process too. At an innovative, disruptive startup, everyone’s living for that shared mission. But in Comms, you’re telling people about it and experiencing their reaction so often that it’s hard not to take ownership to some extent. Sometimes I wonder if you could start to brainwash yourself and forget that it’s not really your idea — in fact, it’s not even really your story.

You’re just there to communicate it as authentically and effectively as possible. The execution is yours and getting the message across and stepping out of its way can be satisfying in its own right. But you are not an entrepreneur, you are not the inventor — you’re just a mouthpiece.

When I describe Tradeshift with enthusiasm, I guess I try to report the story more like a third party, since that helps make this distinction. More like I’m telling them about something interesting that I recently saved to Instapaper or stumbled across on Medium.

Being a narrator, rather than a character, seems to be the balance that feels right. A good story, well told, is still something to be proud of.