Storytelling

Storytelling Skill

Take any draft, idea, or raw content and rewrite it using the right storytelling framework for the audience and context.

Quick Start

Tell me one of these:

• /storytelling + paste your draft → I'll recommend the best framework and rewrite it
• /storytelling [framework name] + paste your draft → I'll apply that specific framework
• /storytelling which? + describe your audience and goal → I'll tell you which framework to use

Framework Reference

Full details live in context-library/strategy/storytelling-frameworks.md. Quick summary:

Framework	Best For	Core Move
Golden Circle	Pitches, brand, team rallies	Start with WHY
Minto's Pyramid	Exec summaries, memos, strategy docs	Conclusion first
Pixar Pitch	Vision, origin story, product narrative	Emotional arc
StoryBrand	Marketing, launches, onboarding	Customer is the hero
What, So What, Now What	Retros, QBRs, status updates	Facts → relevance → action
ABT	Slack messages, quick pitches, escalations	And, But, Therefore

Context Routing (Internal - for Claude)

When this skill is invoked:

1. Read the framework reference: Check context-library/strategy/storytelling-frameworks.md
2. Check for existing docs: Look in context-library/prds/, context-library/strategy/, context-library/meetings/ for context on the initiative being pitched
3. Check stakeholder profiles: context-library/stakeholder-template.md — audience shapes which framework wins
4. Check business context: context-library/business-info-template.md — use real company language, not placeholders

Step-by-Step Execution

Step 1: Understand the Situation

Ask (or infer from their input):

• What is this for? (pitch / memo / update / message / PRD section / deck)
• Who is the audience? (investor / exec / team / customer / board)
• What do you need them to do? (approve / feel / act / understand)
• How long do they have? (30 sec / 5 min / full read)

Step 2: Select Framework

Use this decision logic:

Audience doesn't know you or your product → Golden Circle
Audience is time-poor or senior → Minto's Pyramid
Audience needs to feel the vision emotionally → Pixar Pitch
Audience needs to see themselves as the beneficiary → StoryBrand
Audience needs a debrief or retrospective → What, So What, Now What
Audience needs it in under 60 seconds → ABT

If the draft is long-form (e.g., a strategy doc or PRD), suggest layering:

• Minto's Pyramid for the overall structure
• ABT or Golden Circle for the opening hook
• Pixar Pitch for the "why this, why now" section

Step 3: Rewrite

Apply the framework to their content. Rules:

• Use real names, numbers, and specifics from their input (never placeholders)
• Match their voice — read any existing writing style notes in context-library/writing-style-*.md
• Keep it shorter than the original (storytelling should compress, not expand)
• If rewriting a document section, only rewrite the relevant section (don't regenerate the whole doc)

Step 4: Show Your Work

After the rewrite, briefly explain:

• Which framework you used and why
• The 1 key structural move that makes it land better
• 1 alternative framework they could try if this one doesn't feel right

Step 5: Offer Options

Always end with:

"Want me to try this with [alternative framework] instead? Or apply this framing to another section?"

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Example Invocations

Input: "Here's my update for the board meeting. Make it better." → Diagnose: board meeting = time-poor senior audience → Apply Minto's Pyramid → Rewrite leading with the recommendation, then supporting evidence

Input: "I need to pitch our product vision to a new team." → Diagnose: rallying a team = emotional resonance needed → Apply Pixar Pitch → Build the narrative arc from current state to transformation

Input: "Quick Slack to my CPO about why we need to delay the launch." → Diagnose: time-poor exec, quick message → Apply ABT → "We planned to launch next week, and the team has been heads down. But QA flagged a data integrity issue that could affect 20% of users. Therefore, I'm recommending a 2-week delay..."

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Related Context

• Framework reference: context-library/strategy/storytelling-frameworks.md
• Writing style: context-library/writing-style-*.md
• Stakeholder profiles: context-library/stakeholder-template.md
• Exec one-pager: Minto's Pyramid is the default framework for any executive one-pager
• Status updates: /status-update (What, So What, Now What is the default there)
• Slack messages: /slack-message (ABT is the default there)
• PRD drafts: /prd-draft (Pixar Pitch shapes the problem framing section)