Pilea Story Studio

A 30-day design sprint for early stage founders to focus on crafting a story-driven investor pitch that positions (1) you as a credible thought leader, and (2) your company as a key player in a larger unfolding narrative.

What it is.

A 30-day personalized design sprint for early stage founders. We work 1:1 to focus on crafting a story-driven investor pitch that positions (1) you as a credible thought leader, and (2) your company as a key player in a larger unfolding narrative.

Who it’s for.

Early stage (seed & Series A) founders who are committed to getting their story straight and becoming persuasive communicators before their next raise.

*Series B/C narrative reframe available for repeat clients only.

Why it works.

Unique approach tweaked & tested over 10+ years across industries, ranging from entertainment to finance; collectively raised $235M+ in venture & institutional funding.

Proven to hook interest, bypass the logical critic, appeal to audience emotion & identity, and activate the imagination around what will happen next.

 

Dasami Moodley, CEO of Zero3 (~$50M raised)

"Jess re-defined my "go-to story" in a way that allows me to connect with partners and investors much faster, creating authentic meaningful connections with people. It truly shifted my personal intro and has made me a more approachable and investable entrepreneur. The last investor I spoke with said, 'call me when you're ready for funding.' "

Carl Hasselskog, CEO of InstaBridge ($10M raised)

Not only was Jessica instrumental in helping me close the round successfully despite difficult market conditions, but along the way she also pushed me to explore my 'growth edge,' identify beliefs and assumptions that were holding me back, and clarify what's really required to take my organization from X to 10X…Bottom line: if you struggle to create a story about your company that gets through the noise and sticks, you should hire Jessica today.”

 

WHAT HAPPENS IN 30 DAYS

Day 0: Live Pitch [Benchmark]

  • Record “as-is” mock pitch to assess needs & opportunities

Weeks 1-2: Founder Story

  • Illustrate who you are & why you’re the right person to build the company

  • Develop & articulate personal/professional/industry POV

  • Identify & refine 1-3 relevant “founder” stories to establish credibility & trust

Weeks 2-3: Company Narrative

  • Differentiate your company as a key player in a larger narrative

  • Excavate 4 pillars of company ‘meta-story’

  • Explore architecture & flow of a story-driven investor pitch

  • Organize complex data into coherent narrative arc

Weeks 3-4: Investor Pitch Narrative

  • Weave founder story & company narrative into proven pitch format

  • Play with effective presentation & influence techniques for investors

  • Strategize answers to tough FAQ’s

  • Develop straw decks & “talkover track” to guide finished deck

Day 30+: Live Pitch [Growth]

  • Deliver pitch to warm internal audience for final recording + feedback

Available Add-ons (+$)

  • Finalized pitch decks

  • Follow-on iterative coaching and/or fundraising support

  • Cold investor audience for additional pitch practice + targeted feedback

  • Key parts of your story rendered in short film/video format

  • Narrative strategy reframe for Series B raise (repeat clients only)

 

Who’s behind it?

The unique methodology powering the Story Studio was originally developed by Jessica Mastors, longtime Partner Coach at Pilea, a collective of coaches working with Early Stage Startups to create a world of work that is healing and authentic.

For 10+ years, Jessica has served as a trusted advisor to founders, VC’s, experts & execs across North America and around the globe to excavate the true stories – and build the narrative skills – that move decision-makers to say YES.

In our modern business context of proliferating change, information, complexity, and uncertainty, it’s Jessica’s strong belief that experts and leaders will not succeed in moving us into a more positive future – until they learn how to communicate in ways that get the rest of us to relate, imagine, and care. And for that – no matter your message, vision or goal – you need story, narrative, analogy and metaphor.

By learning how to leverage these tools for their unique contexts, Jessica's clients have collectively raised over $235M in VC and institutional funding, across industries ranging from tech to entertainment, finance, hospitality, health, beauty, education, information technology, and national security.

While the Story Studio's proprietary methodology has been refined over a decade, the accelerated 30-day sprint format represents a new and innovative container designed to solve founder needs on their timelines, and facilitate pitch readiness in a matter of weeks (versus months).

 

Your story is what makes your company compelling. Get it right and get to yes.

The Studio

  • $39K starting in Q4 2024

  • Limited spots in pilot phase (through Q2 2024) for $24K

    • Pilot participants are expected to provide generous and constructive feedback & testimony

  • 50% deposit due 14 days in advance to secure start date