It’s one of the most common mistakes we see in early-stage start-ups – especially in fintech and tech: assuming your product is your story.
You’ve spent months, maybe years, building something that solves a real problem. It’s your baby that you’ve spilt blood, sweat and tears developing. Naturally, you want to talk about it. So, you lead with the features. The integrations. The roadmap. The architecture. You describe the thing.
But here’s the truth: customers, investors, and talent don’t buy the thing. They buy the change it creates.
They buy the before and after. The pain and promise. The transformation.
The problem is, when you lead with features, you force people to do the interpretive work themselves. They have to figure out why it matters, where it fits, and how it’s different. And most won’t bother.
What they’re looking for is a story and your product is just a character in it.
Here’s a simple framework we use with clients:
This shift – from specs to story, is what helps a start-up become more than just a tool. It makes you a mission. A movement. Something people want to be part of.
Think about the early narrative behind Monzo. They didn’t launch by talking about multi-factor authentication or modern stack banking infrastructure. They talked about building “the bank of the future.” The problem? Banks were slow and broken. The promise? Instant, mobile-first, customer-first banking. The proof? A waiting list of over 100,000 users before launch.
You don’t need 50 features to tell a compelling story. You need clarity on what you stand for.
At Rowntree², we work with early-stage tech and fintech companies to craft strategic narratives that attract investment, signal momentum, and scale with the business.
Your story doesn’t start with your product. It starts with why the world needs it.