What's the secret ingredient behind the "unicorn" ambition?
Carlos Moedas’s dream and ambition in this collective effort to create a space—in his own words—“where young people (and the not-so-young, I might add) can turn ideas into great businesses, change the world, and find a sense of purpose”—along with a media agenda overflowing with entrepreneurship, as dictated by events like Web Summit and Acredita Portugal Virtual Week—serve as my blank canvas for a reflection that is dear to me.
What role does communication play in the success of these new, high-growth companies that will call the future “Lisbon Unicorn Factory” home? And speaking of unicorns, what can they learn from the stories of Farfetch, Feedzai, OutSystems, or Talkdesk?
If a startup If it’s a unique vision that seeks to tap into a business opportunity in an innovative (or untapped) area, then your communication must go beyond simply describing a product or service. It’s, above all, about theset a goal—demonstrating the exponential potential of solutions to as-yet-unanswered problems, of dreaming big, and of a Herculean ability to captivate the stakeholders. A journey that involves facing unexpected challenges and acquiring new skills, whether it's public speaking or dealing with the media, among so many others.
Whether it's dealing with investors, future partners, prospectsWhether they are journalists or prescribers, these emerging companies are expected to dream big and present themselves with a fully formed, confident and, above all, charismatic public voice.
When the potential effectiveness of a product or service has not yet been established, the strength of its management team and the credibility of its narrative play a major role in winning the market’s trust. While it is clear that reputation is essential to the growth of these companies, it is also worth emphasizing that a commitment to strategic communication management is the key to building trust effectively and sustainably over time. Similarly, achieving a positioning top-of-mind in the public and the permanent management of media interest become fundamental factors for a story with a happy ending.
Let's look at the example of domestic unicorns.
Most managers are experts in their own technical field. Although some of their communication efforts could be more proactive, the level of complexity, time allocation, and the expertise The demands of a structured and efficient strategy make it necessary to rely on specialized teams or external communications partners.
The focus has invariably been on the CEO as storyteller. Drawing on inspiring stories and messages that engage the stakeholders, we find the elements that make up their narratives over time. That is why we say that knowing how to tell a story is one of the most valuable skills a team of founders can master it. However, Good communication works both ways. This awareness is of vital importance when it comes to improving communication style and strategy—both by enabling you to truly listen to your audience and identify market trends, and, on a more complex level, by demonstrating a self-awareness that can help a leader learn to overcome communication challenges as they arise.
The startups Private companies valued at over $1 billion are still relatively rare, but their numbers are growing. The success of these scalable, disruptive, and replicable projects has everything to do (also) with communication.
In this ecosystem, where so much importance is placed on pitch And where are the ideas that will have the greatest impact—the ones that are the most compelling and the ones that can inspire, such as “Communicate”? The root of the issue, as in all organizations, lies in the approach. NWe can’t just say what we’re doing. As the old saying goes, “Don’t tell me, show me.”.
Marta Gonçalves
Managing Partner, SayU Consulting
In DO it!