Chris Hare

But I think what's also happened is it's very reductionistic where people say, okay, here's one framework, like the hero's journey. And it's a paint by numbers. We take these elements and we shove them into this framework and it's going to work for us. And I think it can be a lot more complex than that.

But I think what's also happened is it's very reductionistic where people say, okay, here's one framework, like the hero's journey. And it's a paint by numbers. We take these elements and we shove them into this framework and it's going to work for us. And I think it can be a lot more complex than that.

So one of my favorite examples, one of my clients, so he was a VP of Amazon Marketplace, took them from about eight employees to 4,000 and probably about 150 billion. And what was interesting is his name was Pete. At a certain point in time, their belief, I would say their narrative within the company was that the entire future of their business was resellers.

So one of my favorite examples, one of my clients, so he was a VP of Amazon Marketplace, took them from about eight employees to 4,000 and probably about 150 billion. And what was interesting is his name was Pete. At a certain point in time, their belief, I would say their narrative within the company was that the entire future of their business was resellers.

So people who had a product and they were from whatever brand and were reselling it on the platform.

So people who had a product and they were from whatever brand and were reselling it on the platform.

And if you were to look at their data, and if you were to look at the stories that were hidden in those data, the stories that they would tell each other in the hallway about XYZ seller did this thing and had this success, it all pointed to the idea that it was just resellers and that was the future. So the stories were Vince has a product and has been selling this product successfully.

And if you were to look at their data, and if you were to look at the stories that were hidden in those data, the stories that they would tell each other in the hallway about XYZ seller did this thing and had this success, it all pointed to the idea that it was just resellers and that was the future. So the stories were Vince has a product and has been selling this product successfully.

Therefore, we need to keep doing this. That's the story example. The narrative is that belief of the future of Amazon Marketplace is resellers. Therefore, we must invest in those resellers. And then as a result of that narrative, the business then changes. throws everything at that and pursues that.

Therefore, we need to keep doing this. That's the story example. The narrative is that belief of the future of Amazon Marketplace is resellers. Therefore, we must invest in those resellers. And then as a result of that narrative, the business then changes. throws everything at that and pursues that.

What then happened then where a story actually shifted that narrative was Pete was invited to visit Brooklyn and met a number of multi-generational family-owned businesses. For example, an immigrant family potentially came over in the 30s or 40s. They may have started out repairing vacuum cleaners.

What then happened then where a story actually shifted that narrative was Pete was invited to visit Brooklyn and met a number of multi-generational family-owned businesses. For example, an immigrant family potentially came over in the 30s or 40s. They may have started out repairing vacuum cleaners.

get to the third generation and now they're inventing new products and consumables for vacuum cleaner bags, for example, and they're the brand owner. So all of a sudden he met brand owners and had conversations with them and just incredibly compelling stories that move you both emotionally, but also you're seeing the business potential of this.

get to the third generation and now they're inventing new products and consumables for vacuum cleaner bags, for example, and they're the brand owner. So all of a sudden he met brand owners and had conversations with them and just incredibly compelling stories that move you both emotionally, but also you're seeing the business potential of this.

They didn't have a way to measure that or look for that in their data, or they weren't. If it was there, it was hidden. And so they took those outside stories, what I would call them as atomic stories, these small moments of energy and matter, so that peat collided with these people.

They didn't have a way to measure that or look for that in their data, or they weren't. If it was there, it was hidden. And so they took those outside stories, what I would call them as atomic stories, these small moments of energy and matter, so that peat collided with these people.

heard their experiences, and as a result, brought those stories into the ecosystem and rewrote the narrative and said, actually, we believe the future might include these brand owners. And when that happened... had a tectonic shift. Now, I believe those brand owners, I believe they're an extraordinary part, tens of billions of dollars, if not more, of Amazon Marketplace's sales.

heard their experiences, and as a result, brought those stories into the ecosystem and rewrote the narrative and said, actually, we believe the future might include these brand owners. And when that happened... had a tectonic shift. Now, I believe those brand owners, I believe they're an extraordinary part, tens of billions of dollars, if not more, of Amazon Marketplace's sales.

And so in that case, the third generation owner that he met, they told him a story. So that's the story. And then it shifted the narrative, which is, this is the future of Amazon Marketplace. So that's how I view the interplay of them.

And so in that case, the third generation owner that he met, they told him a story. So that's the story. And then it shifted the narrative, which is, this is the future of Amazon Marketplace. So that's how I view the interplay of them.