Storytelling for Entrepreneurs: Tom Kelley (Replay)

Storytelling isn't a nice-to-have for entrepreneurs. It's often the only asset you have before you have a brand, a product, or proof.

In this episode, we talk with Tom Kelley, IDEO partner and co-author with his brother David Kelley of the bestseller Creative Confidence, about the four stories every entrepreneur needs ready to go: the elevator pitch, the origin story, the pitch deck, and the internal story that keeps a team believing when things get hard. Tom also shares tactical storytelling tips pulled from two decades of working with his own speaking coach.

This is a replay episode. With 10 years of podcast episodes, we’ve got an extensive back catalogue of conversations to inspire you, no matter what challenge you’re facing.

If you’d like to improve your storytelling skills, check out IDEO U’s newest course Creative Storytelling with AI. The course starts August 13, and for a limited time, you can bundle it with Storytelling for Influence, our foundational storytelling course, and save $200.

Related Resources:

Tom Kelley on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-kelley-867b685/

D4V (Design for Ventures) — https://d4v.com/

Blog recap: Storytelling Techniques for Entrepreneurs — https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/storytelling-techniques-for-entrepreneurs

Creative Storytelling with AI course — https://www.ideou.com/products/creative-storytelling-with-ai

Storytelling for Influence course — https://www.ideou.com/products/storytelling-for-influence

In This Episode:

Timestamps are approximate due to edits and ad breaks

(00:00) “The data does not speak for itself"

(02:01) Mina introduces this replay and why we're revisiting it

(02:55) Coe Leta Stafford introduces Tom Kelley, co-author of Creative Confidence and IDEO partner

(03:29) Tom's decades-long connection to Japan

(05:10) How storytelling built IDEO's brand in Tokyo before it had one

(06:17) D4V and Yubi: the "karaoke interface" fix for a healthcare app older users couldn't use

(09:54) Barbara Beskin, IDEO's 90-year-old designer, on lived experience as expertise

(11:06) The 15-second elevator pitch challenge

(12:13) Why the same pitch should change depending on who's listening

(13:14) Why IDEO used to think the work should speak for itself — and why that was wrong

(16:56) The four stories every entrepreneur needs

(17:42) Elevator pitch tips: Made to Stick and the power of a shortcut

(20:25) The origin story: why authenticity beats a good hook

(22:04) The pitch deck: team, market size, and the one soundbite people will repeat

(25:40) The internal story: motivating a team around purpose, not just a paycheck

(27:13) Lessons from 20 years with a speaking coach

(28:49) Why nobody remembers the data, but everyone remembers Rebecca

(30:26) Tom's advice to his younger self, and the two words that changed how he saw himself

(31:11) Brené Brown's The Gift of Imperfection

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