Why Story?

As touched on above, we see a good story as the heart of a growing business. However, ‘good’ is doing a lot of work there, so let’s unpack that. Stories are not, as some might see it, fluffy, vague, substance-less things; in fact good stories are the complete opposite. They’re precise. They’re painstakingly crafted. They’re bursting with very specific value. Think of the story a barrister tells in court. Or the parables of the Bible. Or Aesop’s fables. Or your kid’s reasoning on why they deserve an ice cream. Or the best TV ads. They get our attention and engage our brains because their fundamental make-up pushes all the right buttons. 

Why Cube?

Two reasons. First, the framework is made up of six questions/areas and cubes have six sides. It was Story Cube or Story Insect, and we played safe. A cube is also something solid and tangible with each side supporting the others. And that’s what your brand story should be. A solid foundation for decisions you make about your business. Something you can build upon.

These six sides are simple to grasp, but may of course be tougher to answer. They are:

Problem (what problem you solve and how you’ve validated it) 💔

Solution (how you solve the problem) 🔨

Differentiators (what makes you stand out from the competition) 🤩

Motivations (why you’re doing what you’re doing) 🙌

Connections (who your customers are and how you reach them) 🔍

Obstacles (what might get in the way of your success) 💣

We'll now go through each of the six sides of the cube in turn...