Chris Hare

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.

If we had our cameras on right now, you'd see a huge smile on my face. Yes, exactly. That's exactly it. So I find it helpful to think about it as a narrative flywheel. That's probably my Amazon background. But exactly. So the stories are the fuel that flows into the flywheel.

If we had our cameras on right now, you'd see a huge smile on my face. Yes, exactly. That's exactly it. So I find it helpful to think about it as a narrative flywheel. That's probably my Amazon background. But exactly. So the stories are the fuel that flows into the flywheel.

And then within that, the stories come in and then we synthesize those stories and look at the patterns within them, look at the different directions they could take us. And then we make choices about those Roger Martin's where to play and how to win. Based on these stories that we have now synthesized, we are going to make decisions about where to play and how to win.

And then within that, the stories come in and then we synthesize those stories and look at the patterns within them, look at the different directions they could take us. And then we make choices about those Roger Martin's where to play and how to win. Based on these stories that we have now synthesized, we are going to make decisions about where to play and how to win.

And then lastly, then we have experimentation or learnings from those that then create more stories. And then we continue to bring in stories from the ecosystem and around it goes. But you're exactly right. And I think the other piece that you said that is really powerful is is if you're Amazon or any other large company and you're to come out with

And then lastly, then we have experimentation or learnings from those that then create more stories. And then we continue to bring in stories from the ecosystem and around it goes. But you're exactly right. And I think the other piece that you said that is really powerful is is if you're Amazon or any other large company and you're to come out with

Like a narrative, you need to have one narrative. But you also spoke to the flip side, which is you said it needs to be flexible and there needs to be room for experimentation. And so I think there is Dr. Herminio Barra at London Business School talks about this for the individual is running experiments around different possible future selves when you're talking about your own narrative.

Like a narrative, you need to have one narrative. But you also spoke to the flip side, which is you said it needs to be flexible and there needs to be room for experimentation. And so I think there is Dr. Herminio Barra at London Business School talks about this for the individual is running experiments around different possible future selves when you're talking about your own narrative.

But again, with companies, I think you can do the same thing. You're not going to put a bunch of different narratives out into the world and tell the world everything. Hey, shareholders, we're going to experiment with all these narratives. You've got to come to the market with one narrative, but having the ability to experiment and learn with possible futures and then use that to adapt ongoing.

But again, with companies, I think you can do the same thing. You're not going to put a bunch of different narratives out into the world and tell the world everything. Hey, shareholders, we're going to experiment with all these narratives. You've got to come to the market with one narrative, but having the ability to experiment and learn with possible futures and then use that to adapt ongoing.

Yeah, so I think I was just thinking about this morning before our call is that a business is a collection or an ecosystem of narratives and not an infinite number, but seemingly infinite number of narratives that are just colliding against each other. I have a narrative internally about what you're saying right now.

Yeah, so I think I was just thinking about this morning before our call is that a business is a collection or an ecosystem of narratives and not an infinite number, but seemingly infinite number of narratives that are just colliding against each other. I have a narrative internally about what you're saying right now.