One of the greatest joys in my work is watching a founder's eyes light up when they finally articulate what they're building with crystal clarity. To see them go from scattered, super technical, illogical pitches to sharp, clear, and magnetic pitches.
And the tool that gets them there? Surprisingly, it's not a new SaaS dashboard or a deck template. It's such a simple thing as writing a manuscript.
For the past 10+ years, I've coached over 1200 startups (in all stages).
Yes—every founder I coach 1:1 has to write their own manuscript. And yes - they are not that happy about it in the beginning. It takes some work but it pays off in multiple ways. It crystallizes thinking. And over and over, I've seen it become the single most valuable tool for founder clarity, internal alignment, and external traction.
The Starting Point
As a startup founder you know (or should know) how important the pitch is.
Yet in almost every initial meeting, (and I've watched thousands of pitches) I hear founders stumble through explanations filled with technical details, corporate fluff and industry buzzwords. They struggle to be crystal clear and to the point, there is no storyline in their pitch, they jump illogically between different topics, making it nearly impossible for anyone to create any understanding or feeling of the innovation. This communication gap doesn't just affect pitching – it undermines every conversation with potential customers, partners, and investors.
Here's what it often looks like:
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Pitch decks filled with heavy text and technical details that confused rather than clarified their value proposition
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Team members describing the product differently, revealing misalignment on core vision
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Inability to clearly articulate why anyone would care about their solution in under 30 seconds
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Multiple pivots based on investor feedback rather than deep customer understanding
The Founder's Manuscript Method
In my experience the most successful startups are the ones that can articulate their vision so clearly that anyone in their company could pitch if the founder got sick. They don't hide behind jargon or create unnecessarily complex explanations. They have a universally understood language that works across all stakeholders.
And I have seen first hand that the same results can be achieved by writing a manuscript.
This is why I developed the "Founder's Manuscript Method" as a mandatory first step for every startup I work with.
The Founder's Manuscript Method consists of:
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Core Narrative Development - Writing out the complete story of your startup without any bullet points, slides, or visual aids
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Problem-Solution Articulation - Clearly defining the problem and solution with empirical evidence, not just anecdotes
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Customer Journey Mapping - Documenting the emotional and practical journey your customers take, from problem awareness to solution adoption
Implementation
Phase 1: The Initial Draft Founders write their manuscript, producing several pages of thinking about their startup. This initial draft typically reveals their reliance on industry jargon and buzzwords instead of clear, persuasive language.
Phase 2: The Clarity Challenge The manuscript undergoes critical review, highlighting instances of corporate fluff and challenging founders to make their message universally understandable.
Phase 3: The Universal Template Founders transform their manuscript into a communication swiss army knife – a document so clear and compelling that it serves as the foundation for all business conversations, from investor pitches to talent recruitment.
The Results
The impact of this process has been remarkable:
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Founders report significantly clearer product strategy within days of completing the manuscript
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Teams reduce meeting time as alignment increases
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Startups frequently adjust product features based on clarity gained
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Pitch conversion rates improve using language developed in the manuscript
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Communication becomes consistent across the entire organization
The Hidden Benefits
Beyond the obvious improvements in messaging, the manuscript delivers unexpected benefits:
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Continuity insurance: If the founder falls ill or is unavailable, anyone in the company can step in and deliver the pitch with the same clarity and conviction
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Universal communication template: The well-articulated, conversational language becomes the foundation for all pitching scenarios – whether to investors, customers, potential partners, or talented recruits
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Bullshit detector: The process forces founders to be crystal clear and to the point, making it easy to identify and eliminate corporate jargon and fluff
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Team alignment accelerator: New team members onboard faster when given the manuscript as part of orientation
How to Implement This Yourself
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Block out 3 hours of uninterrupted time to write your first draft in plain, conversational language that anyone could understand
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Focus on articulating your vision so clearly that any team member could deliver it in your absence
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Ruthlessly eliminate jargon, buzzwords, and corporate-speak – if it sounds like a press release, rewrite it
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Test your manuscript by having someone outside your industry read it and explain your business back to you
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Use your final manuscript as the foundation for all company communications from investor pitches to sales conversations
Write your manuscript in such clear, everyday language that your grandmother could understand it. If you can't explain your business without industry jargon, you don't understand it well enough yet.
BUT, remember…
Just because you have written a manuscript doesn’t mean that you should learn it by heart, word by word. Actually - You are NEVER to learn it word by word. I usually learn my manuscripts by 85% and that then gives me room to be present with the audience and be spontaneous if something unexpected happens.
Until next time!