9 thought starters for content

Storytelling is a skill for a founder, just like any skill with finances, engineering, design, etc. 

But here’s the kicker—you don’t have to be a copywriter to tell a story. 

You don’t even have to like writing. 

I’m going to prove that today by giving you 9 thought starters that you can use to turn into posts about your business. 

I promise to make it easy for you to start sharing about your company. 

Why you need to share

When I go anywhere and people recognize me, it’s probably from my LinkedIn content. Investors, founders, or potential partners often call out that they follow me on LinkedIn and love what we do.

In fact, I swear to you, I was in South Carolina 10 hours from my home last year, and someone recognized me on a bike path. They followed me on LinkedIn.

For years, I’ve made it a priority to share on that platform—the good, bad and ugly. 

I’ve shared about fails—losing investments during COVID, losing clients, problematic products, bad management moves, and more. I’ve shared our wins—record months for revenue, investments won, accelerators joined, new products and more. 

I think sharing it all builds a more engaged following, and when you’re an early stage founder, don’t forget that no one else is going to show up and tell your story with more impact than you can. 

In the early days, your first person view will out perform:

• Influencers
• News orgs
• Trade magazines

These are flashes in the pan. Word of mouth is the only thing that competes, and even with that, a founder telling their story fuels early WOM loyalty.

Too many founders think "I am not a writer" or "I don't have a following."

Writing isn't hard, thinking is. You just need a framework. And you need to just start posting.

I didn't have a LinkedIn following when I started GoWild. In fact I barely posted on LinkedIn before GoWild. Today, I think you should go all in on LinkedIn, and possibly Twitter (now known as X). 

Let’s take a look at my thought starters to help you start sharing. These are all easy, and formatted in a way that should help you craft a post in just a few minutes. 

Early days

1) Side hustle leap

If you’re now full time, think back to your side hustle days and when you made the jump. What did that feel like? Think back to your biggest concerns. What were you afraid of then that you now know the answers to? Answer that question and you have a great post.

Example first sentences: “When I first took the leap to found my company, I was terrified of [INSERT FEAR]. I wish I could go back and tell myself these 3 tips.”

2) Naming the company

Everyone loves to hear the story behind a name. How did you come up with your company’s name? Names often have great meaning, so sharing the foundation of it all lets you give the backstory while sharing behind-the-scenes content. 

Example first sentences: When I founded [COMPANY], I wanted a name that clearly communicated [VALUE]. Today I can’t imagine it being called anything else, but here are some of the alternatives we nearly went with and why. And I’ll share the reason behind [COMPANY NAME] at the end.

3) First client / customer

I will never forget my first customer story. It’s a special moment of a huge payoff for your company. Even if it was forever ago, this is always a fun throwback story. In fact, throwback stories often do really well on social media. Think back to your first customer or client, and relive the joy of that moment. If that customer is still with you, throw in some gratitude and this post writes itself. 

Example first sentence: It was about [NUMBER] years ago when we made our first dollar at [COMPANY]. I was so astounded that someone was paying for something we had built. Even better, [NAME] is still a customer today, and I have to stop and say thank you.

Adversity 

4) Losing your first client

Celebratory content can do well, but never forget adversity sells. The tale of losing your first customer or client usually has a ton of lessons. The #hustle bros have exploited this kind of content, but stay true to yourself and don’t exaggerate and you’ll end up with a great piece of authentic storytelling. 

Example first sentences: Everyone remembers winning their first client, but I’ll never forget losing my first. It hurt, but after talking to them about it, I realized I actually owed them—they had helped me learn how to fix our product. Here are three things I learned after losing our first client.

5) Doubters

OK, please don’t come out with an sunglasses selfie and an ego here, but talking about your early doubters and how you conquered their doubts is a fun post. It can come off gross if you lean in too much, but don’t be afraid to brag a little on yourself. This could be about that first investor who laughed at your idea to thinking back to another founder who doubted you could do it. Just make sure the post is patting your team on the back for doing something hard, and not rubbing it in someone’s face. 

Example first sentences: Four years ago someone said, “There’s no way you’ll be able to build that.” And I’m so proud to say that today, after years of work, we’ve launched our first [PRODUCT] at [COMPANY].”

6) Funding fails

Anyone who has raised capital in the last two years should have some adversity tales from fundraising in this environment. Fundraising struggles are something all founders can relate to, and sharing advice on how you conquered a sluggish raise can truly help other founders, and showcase your ability to conquer challenges to prospective investors. 

Example first sentences: I know I announced a big round a few months ago, but I have to admit, we had our challenges. The market was tough, and we talked to a lot of investors. Here are three things I’d do differently if I raised again today (OR POSSIBLY: Here are three things I think would help any founder close a round faster in this environment.)

Culture

7) Cultural alignment

I have been passionate about building great culture for the last 13 years. I’ve noticed that some of my most viral posts are about culture. People love to see how others are thinking through building culture (and seeing that you’re thoughtful about it will attract talent to your company). Share how you’re looking for good cultural fits in your hiring process, but be sure you don’t come off as someone who’s only hiring mini mes (diversity of thought and background goes a long way in building a strong product). 

Example first sentences: Our team has one thing in common—curiosity [ADD YOUR OWN TRAIT]. We look for people who are truly curious, because we believe they make the best problem solvers. Here’s how we’re doing this in our interviews. 

8) Bad culture 

If you’re in your 30s, 40s and beyond, you have likely worked within a bad culture before. I’ve found that this often drives people to seek out cultures that are the opposite (at least from the outside looking in). For founders, they often build cultures that counter the toxic traits from their past. Share how some of your best culture lessons were from watching how not to build culture.

Example first sentences: The culture was shockingly bad—but no one seemed to notice. I couldn’t believe how people engaged with each other. This cut throat environment was not for me, and I swore if I ever had a chance to build a team culture, I’d focus on building a team that valued [INSERT YOUR VALUES—EXPLAIN WHY]. 

9) Cultural beacons

Sharing positive attributes about your culture is one of the best ways to recruit great talent. Putting up posts about great components of your culture (please note this does not mean perks—maybe I’ll write about that later). Talk about what makes your culture special, and how you foster it. 

Example first sentences: Heck, just read my post here

That should be plenty to get you going. Tag me when you use the format! I’ll be the first to engage.

Content idea for this week

Really? You need more ideas? 

Who I’m listening to: Maggie Rogers

What I’m reading: “Zero to Sold” by Arvid Kahl

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