Being an exceptional communicator is one of the most important skills you can develop as a Tough Tech entrepreneur.
To secure capital, attract talent, establish partnerships, and align your team, you will need to clearly articulate your vision — and show how your technology can move from promising research to a profitable business with world-changing impact.
Your narrative matters. Investors, collaborators, and future hires will want to know why you are the team to take on this challenge, and why now is the moment to act. Storytelling doesn’t usually come naturally. Many founders benefit from working with a mentor or coach to practice sharing their ideas in ways that resonate across audiences from grant reviewers and investors to potential advisors and teammates.
Remember: communication is a two-way street. It’s not only about what you are saying, but also how it is received. To be effective, you’ll need to adapt to a range of styles and formats, whether you’re introducing your startup verbally, in writing, or with visuals. Practice telling your story early on to a wide range of listeners so that you can comfortably adjust for deeply technical and lay audiences alike.
Building a Tough Tech startup takes a village — you’ll need a strong network of allies to support your journey. As you begin to grow your team, communication is equally important inside your organization as it is outside, helping you align your team on your mission and vision while managing change in a rapidly evolving environment.
Here's what you need to know about Tough Tech communication:
Start with who, then why.
Begin by identifying your audience. What do they already know? What matters most to them? Then ask: why am I communicating? Tailor your approach to fit your goal.
Reduce noise.
Clarity comes from simplicity. Use the fewest possible words, minimize distractions, and make it easy for others to focus on what’s important.
Make sure to share your “so what.”
Technologists often get bogged down in the details and forget to explain why it matters. Challenge yourself to start with your take-home message, and then provide the essential data and evidence you need to back it up.
Try the “what, why, how” rule.
This approach is especially useful for explaining an idea or product when pitching or onboarding new hires:
What are we doing?
Why are we doing it?
How does it work (at a high level)?
Repeat your vision relentlessly.
Distill your startup’s vision into a simple, memorable phrase and repeat it consistently across all-hands meetings, investor decks, and onboarding until people can repeat it without you. Every team member should be able to link their work to the mission.
Make it human.
Storytelling beats spreadsheets. Share a specific user story, the emotional “why” behind your product, and why you are personally committed to solving this problem.
