#154

Strategy needs a story. Journalist-turned-investor Christina joins Kaihan to unpack why narrative is a hard business lever, not window dressing. From fundraising and sales to culture and retention, she shows how to frame strategy with stories people believe, remember, and act on. You’ll hear her SOAP framework, how to pick from the seven classic plots, when to name an enemy, and how to craft an origin story that actually lands.

YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO
• Swap stale “updates” for the SOAP framework: Surprise, Openness, Authenticity, Pathos
• Choose the right plot (monster, quest, voyage and return, rags to riches, comedy, tragedy, rebirth) to frame strategy
• Use narrative to raise capital, win customers, and keep teams together
• Balance vulnerability with credibility and brand or legal constraints
• Design an origin story: predestined talent, repeated failures, or lived experience

CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro and why a storyteller wrote about storytelling
01:00 “If you know me…” life, family, and context
02:00 What is strategy? Reading the tea leaves and planning for risk and gain
03:30 Why storytelling makes better prognosticators
06:00 Story drives investors, sales, and internal culture
08:15 When leaders should speak up at work: a healthcare CEO’s approach
11:00 The SOAP framework overview
12:00 S is for Surprise: engineering plot turns in business
13:45 O is for Openness: vulnerability with limits
15:30 A is for Authenticity: formats that fit you
17:30 P is for Pathos: design for the audience
20:00 The seven plots and why they work in business
22:00 Applying plots: Tesla as monster, quest, and rebirth
24:00 Starbucks as voyage and return
25:00 Apple as rebirth (with rags to riches notes)
26:00 WeWork as tragedy
28:00 Microsoft’s comeback arc
31:00 Intentional narratives in startups
32:00 Case study: PillPack’s David vs. Goliath moment
34:00 Should you name an enemy? Risks and rewards
35:00 Crafting origin stories that land
37:00 Where to follow Christina and her work

Additional Resources:

Book: The Storyteller’s Advantage — Christina Farr (Basic Venture) -https://basic-venture.com/titles/chri...
Newsletter: Second Opinion - https://secondopinion.media/
Christina Farr on LinkedIn -   / christinafarr  

CREDITS
Host: Kaihan Krippendorff
Executive Producer: Zach Ness
Editor: James Pearce

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