The “Commercial Killer” Advantage

Unbeknownst to me, Jack Ma and his 2007 Alibaba IPO team had a little internal competition among the dueling underwriters: choosing the page from all the pitchbooks that best told the complex Alibaba story. My page won.

While the internal attaboy reward from Goldman Sachs was nice, the lesson learned was invaluable as it forever shaped my view of what makes great founders.

Here was one of the most iconic founders in history, prioritizing the narrative. Why? Because Jack appreciated the simple fact that it doesn’t matter what you build or how smart you are. If you can’t compel others, it’s a tree falling in the forest.

Since that iconic IPO, I've had the opportunity to work closely with brilliant founders who are gifted storytellers.

– Chesky turned a spare bedroom into an entrepreneurial experience platform.
– Kalanick drove the banal taxi and limo industry into the future of mobility.
– Zuckerberg and Sandberg swiped a voyeuristic social desktop experience into a global mobile, data, and advertising platform.

These founders, and many others, are what we call Commercial Killers.

They don't just dream and build, they know how to sell their vision. They are engaging, not transactional. They don’t pitch, they weave. They consistently succeed in attracting talent, investors, customers, partners, and global markets to join their journey.

I’ve shared below some of the Commercial Killer traits I’ve collected over the years. I’d love to hear yours.

→ They craft stories, not brochures: A story drives conviction, not information. A well-crafted narrative makes value obvious and the future irresistible. It isn’t about buzzwords. It’s engaging, genuine, and often emotional.

→ They own it: Passion and insight, two key ingredients to great stories, can’t be delegated. Inspiration must come from the top. It must be credible and personal.

→ They read the room: Knowing when to stop selling is as critical as driving to close. They engage their audience, be it one-on-one or a stadium.

→ Their words are their currency. A great story makes teams work harder for less, investors weather storms, and strategic partners look beyond multiples. A superpower that translates into a competitive edge.

Are you a Commercial Killer? Do you appreciate and harness the power of the narrative? Are you a natural-born storyteller or open to coaching?

As potential investors, we aren’t only evaluating what you are saying, we are assessing your ability to compel us and others. VCs are paid to be optimistic and risk-taking, but many others critical to your success aren’t, and are frankly negatively biased.

Your road ahead entails capital to close, revenue to generate, key hires to persuade, and strategic partnerships to form.

We’ll do all we can to help, but at the end of the day, it’s your words, your passion, and your journey encapsulated in a concise, memorable, and investible form that will be the difference maker.