storybrand
Note: This skill is independent analysis and commentary, not a reproduction of the original text. It synthesizes the book's core ideas with modern startup practice, surfaces where frameworks are outdated or incomplete, and integrates perspectives from adjacent disciplines. For the full argument and context, read the original book.
StoryBrand
"If you confuse, you'll lose." - Donald Miller
Should You Use This Skill?
Is your marketing underperforming despite a good product?
|-- YES --> Can customers explain what you do in one sentence?
| |-- NO --> THIS SKILL. You have a clarity problem.
| +-- YES --> Do they understand why they should care?
| |-- NO --> THIS SKILL. You're not connecting to their story.
| +-- YES --> Problem is elsewhere. Try Traction (channels) or
| Obviously Awesome (competitive positioning).
+-- NO --> Is your product actually good?
|-- NO --> Fix product first (Lean Startup / Four Steps).
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100m-offers
Designs irresistible Grand Slam Offers using Alex Hormozi's value equation, obstacle-solution mapping, value-cost trim/stack, and offer-naming patterns. Use when fixing low conversion rates, packaging products, pricing services, designing high-converting offers, or when prospects browse but don't buy. Covers value stacking, guarantees, scarcity, urgency, and pricing psychology for validated markets.
66lean-startup
Applies Eric Ries's Lean Startup methodology for building products under extreme uncertainty. Use when iterating toward product/market fit, designing MVPs, deciding whether to pivot or persevere, setting up actionable metrics, or accelerating the Build-Measure-Learn loop. Triggers include 'how do we test this idea fast', 'what should our MVP look like', 'our metrics look good but we're not growing', 'should we pivot', 'we're building features no one uses', 'how do we measure validated learning', 'vanity metrics vs real metrics', 'how to do innovation accounting'. NOT for companies with proven product/market fit scaling a known playbook (use Crossing the Chasm), not for determining Market Type (use Four Steps), not for sales methodology (use SPIN Selling), not for pricing strategy (use Monetizing Innovation).
63mom-test
Validates business ideas through customer conversations using Rob Fitzpatrick's Mom Test framework. Use when planning user interviews, getting product feedback, validating ideas, designing discovery questions, or extracting honest signal from biased customer responses. Covers good vs bad questions, deflecting compliments, anchoring fluff, pressing for commitment, and customer slicing.
62100m-leads
Builds lead generation systems using Alex Hormozi's Core Four framework (warm outreach, content, cold outreach, paid ads), lead magnets, and Rule of 100. Use when designing customer acquisition, scaling advertising, choosing marketing channels for revenue stage, building referral programs, or fixing low lead flow. Covers lead magnets, LTGP:CAC math, More Better New scaling, and Lead Getters (referrals, employees, agencies, affiliates).
61traction
Applies the Bullseye Framework from Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares. Use when choosing growth channels, testing customer acquisition strategies, or deciding where to spend marketing effort. Covers all 19 traction channels with selection methodology, testing protocol, and phase-matched channel advice. Triggers include 'how do we get customers', 'which marketing channel should we use', 'we have a product but no users', 'our growth has stalled', 'should we do content marketing or paid ads', 'how do we test traction channels', 'what channels work at our stage'. NOT for product development (use Lean Startup), not for positioning/messaging (use Obviously Awesome), not for pricing (use Monetizing Innovation), not for enterprise sales methodology (use SPIN Selling).
60influence
Cialdini's seven principles of compliance (reciprocation, commitment-consistency, social proof, liking, authority, scarcity) plus Unity (added 2016) and Pre-Suasion. Use when crafting ethical persuasion (marketing, sales, negotiation), defending against manipulation, or designing systems that need cooperation. Includes replication-crisis caveats and known factual corrections (Bickman parking-meter numbers, Hofling modern replication, Drive Carefully condition disambiguation, Genovese myth).
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