Pitch Storytelling Can Be Trained—but Beware of Overused Stories

Originally published 2022-09-17Robin’s experience (as of September 2022, from an investor’s perspective)

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2022-09-17. Translated 2026-10-31 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

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Robin notes that after a full day of pitches, investors may not remember every company’s details, but parts of a story can leave a strong impression. Learning to tell a memorable short story within limited time is a trainable skill. He cautions against overused stories even when true: like an entrance-exam essay grader reading one grandmother story after another, investors can become weary. Many PhD founders of biotech drug companies begin with a family member’s cancer inspiring them to develop treatments; repeated often enough, the story loses some emotional impact.

Key points

Parts of a pitch story can remain in investors’ memories.
Storytelling is a skill that can be trained.
Use stories repeated by many others cautiously.
An overused opening can lose its emotional impact on investors.

Trees at different stages of growth with connected roots on cream paper, suggesting patient cultivation and lasting value. — Venture capital & investmentThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

#TheTriumphOfNarrative Stories endure partly because they remind us of what we know, and partly because they remind us of what matters deeply to us. Robin: “After a full day of pitches, we often cannot remember every detail about every company. But part of a story can still leave a deep impression. Learning to tell a memorable short story in very limited time is something you can train.” A brief aside: be careful with stories repeated by too many people, even if yours is true. Think of high-school students writing entrance-exam essays that bring in their paternal or maternal grandmothers. One such essay may be good. But as the grader, if every essay starts with a grandmother story, you may become more irritated the more you read. Many biotech pitches begin with a family member developing cancer, leading the founder to resolve from childhood to create new drugs to treat it. This is almost the standard opening for every PhD founder of a biotech drug company. Having heard it so often, investors are less moved.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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