More than two decades ago, Louis Richardson joined IBM as a Sales Lead in the company’s Document Management unit. Three years after he joined, he was promoted to Sales Executive in July 2007. Less than three years later again—in January 2010—Louis bagged an even bigger, C-Suite promotion at IBM. But before I get to that...

As of 2010, IBM had over 463,000 employees. For a company that large, one’s work must have a profound impact to earn two major promotions in a short while. It’s, therefore, safe to say that was Louis’s case. Otherwise, IBM wouldn’t have recognized and promoted him from a Sales Executive to their first-ever Chief Storyteller in 2010. 

2010: The Birth Year of Tech Storytelling?

Apple overtook Microsoft as the world’s most valuable technology company in 2010. One may argue it was due to Apple launching FaceTime, the iPad and its more iconic, iPhone 4, in 2010.  

But Microsoft also had major launches—Windows Phone 7, Office 2010, Kinect for Xbox 360, and others—the same year. The difference between Microsoft and Apple was, therefore, not the absence of revolutionary tech products. One of the two companies was led by Steve Jobs, arguably tech’s best-known storyteller.

When Jobs was launching the iPhone, for instance, he didn’t just explain it like a new product. He used storytelling to connect it to things we already knew. “An iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator… Are you getting it?[...] This is one device,” he said. 

Through stories, Jobs simplified Apple’s complex tech. This, as many agree today, enabled the tech giant to show its products’ value and increase desire, even with high price tags.

But it wasn’t just Jobs and Apple.

Louis Richardson did the same as IBM’s first Chief Storyteller. Per his LinkedIn profile when assuming the role in 2010, Louis said: 

Other factors definitely played a part. 

But in 2010, IBM and Apple grew tremendously on the back of having someone at the helm of telling stories that sold their tech products. It helped Apple to dethrone Microsoft. IBM reached double-digit revenue growth in Q1. Also, earnings per share exceeded targets as they nearly hit $100bn in sales. 

It begs the question that inspired this article:

Do SaaS Startups Need a Chief Storyteller?

Under Satya Nadella as CEO, Microsoft reclaimed its position—in 2018—as the world’s most valuable technology company. 

According to Bianca Cardenas, PhD: 

Introducing a growth and ‘learn-it-all’ mindset startups are known for certainly played a huge part. But digging deeper, like IBM, I could trace Microsoft’s resurgence back to 2010.

That year, the company created a new executive position and promoted an employee who works closely with Nadella. The employee is Steve Clayton, and he did something specific to help Nadella. 

In Steve’s own words: 

Steve Clayton was… 

Microsoft’s first Chief Storyteller. 

It’s possible.

Satya Nadella could’ve restored Microsoft’s tech dominance without a Chief Storyteller. But the results of having one by his side speaks for itself. As Chief Storyteller, Steve led the team that built all of Nadella’s tech demos. In short, Steve “was the architect of the acclaimed ‘88 Acres’ story that heralded a new direction for Microsoft’s corporate storytelling.”

Based on this, tech startups, especially B2B SaaS, need a Chief Storyteller. I’m bullish because the impact of having one was so profound other tech giants followed suit. 

For instance, in 2019, a year after Microsoft surpassed Apple, General Electric (GE) joined the fray. They created a new executive role and promoted Tomas Kellner, who led GE Reports, to become the company’s first Chief Storyteller. 

What was Keller’s responsibility?

Similar to Steve Clayton, Tomas Kellner wrote: 

So you have: 

• IBM, 
• Apple, 
• Microsoft, and 
• GE. 

All four well-known tech giants saw the need for a Chief Storyteller and continue to grow on the back of having one. Isn’t that enough proof your tech startup with an unknown brand name needs one? Of course, as Jobs did (and Nadella is doing), a founder should be at the forefront of telling their product stories. 

But a Chief Storytelling Officer working behind the scenes to craft the stories goes a long way. It helped (and is still helping) Satya Nadella and the CEOs of IBM and GE drive growth. 

It can do the same for you. 

As such, it makes sense to find someone to lead this role. Or, outsource it to a Product-Led Storytelling Studio like VEC Studio dedicated to B2B SaaS product storytelling that drives predictable growth. 

If you’re skeptical, let’s see…

How Chief Storytelling Officers Drive SaaS Growth

Picture your B2B SaaS product as a beautifully designed watch. It has revolutionary intricate gears and flawless mechanisms. 

But most, if not all, of those aren’t visible to those who never get a chance to wear the watch. 

Without a compelling story visualizing how your watch works differently and why it’s the perfect watch for your audience, it’s just another timepiece prospects snooze past. But storytelling changes that. It is the packaging B2B SaaS startups can leverage to elevate their products from merely functional to desirable.

That’s why the role of a Chief Storytelling Officer (CSO) or equivalent is no longer negotiable. Today’s overcrowded B2B SaaS space doesn’t just require nailing an overarching narrative. But in your regular marketing and sales assets, you must craft stories that engineer a connection between your product and buyers. 

Let me re-emphasize.

As shown below, B2B SaaS storytelling happens in two areas. At the overarching, product narrative level and the ongoing marketing and sales (product storytelling) execution level: 

Jordan Bower, a Business Storytelling Expert, affirmed this in one of his many articles on the impact and need for storytelling across the board.

He said: 

What does this imply, you ask? 

By all means, build a revolutionary SaaS product that solves real problems for B2B buyers. But like our hypothetical, beautifully designed watch, building isn’t enough. A Chief Storytelling Officer makes your complex solution appear simple and easy to use through relatable, emotionally resonant experiences. 

They do this by: 

1. Nailing your overarching product narrative. 
2. Building a content marketing strategy that enables crafting marketing and sales pieces with product-inspired stories.

Measurable outcomes await startups that do both well. 

For instance, you can expect:

• Increased Customer Acquisition: Great stories spark curiosity, build trust, and simplify decision-making for prospective customers. By demonstrating value through storytelling, B2B SaaS startups reduce friction in target buyers’ journeys and accelerate conversions.
• Improved Customer Retention: Stories aren’t just for selling. They’re also for keeping, as compelling narratives enable
• Stronger Brand Advocacy: When customers connect deeply with your product’s story, they become your storytellers. Referrals and user-generated content often spring from narratives that resonate personally and professionally.
• Faster Product Adoption: By weaving features and benefits into relatable scenarios, storytelling helps users quickly grasp the purpose and utility of your product. This ensures seamless onboarding and higher adoption rates. Imagine teaching someone to drive—a well-told story about the destination makes them eager to start the journey.

Consider how Microsoft’s Chief Storyteller, Steve Clayton, created narratives that made artificial intelligence (AI) approachable and culturally relevant. The ‘88 Acres’ story, for example, not only illustrated Microsoft’s technological advancements. But it also aligned them with broader business needs, making the tech giant’s innovations appear indispensable to customers.

For SaaS startups, the stakes are even higher. 

The market is crowded, and differentiation often hinges on your ability to tell a story that isn’t just heard but ultimately leads to your product being remembered. This leads us to the next point: why your startup’s stories must be ‘product-led.’

SaaS Startup Stories Must Be ‘Product-Led’

Apple’s launch of the iPhone—“an iPod, a phone, and an internet communicator”—is a textbook example of why stories a startup tells must be ultimately ‘product-led.’ When Steve Jobs followed his quote above with, “Are you getting it?[...] This is one device,” he didn’t just unveil a phone. He told a story about a revolutionary device that would change how we connect and communicate. 

But here’s why many bought it. 

The story made us visualize a better way to connect and communicate. Weaving the new device—the iPhone—Apple was launching into the story made us desire the product needed to achieve such a revolutionary way to communicate. 

That’s Product-Led Storytelling (PLS) in a nutshell. As Jobs did for Apple and Steve Clayton is doing for Microsoft, the PLS approach is about letting your product shine as the co-protagonist of your narrative. It’s not just about showing features but revealing the transformation your prospects can achieve with those features. 

And the goal? 

Building an owned audience of fans, customers, and prospects who buy into your point of view (PoV) and product’s unique value, and are more likely to come inbound when ready to buy: 

Why is this approach critical for SaaS startups? 

I can give you four reasons: 

1. Relatability: Product-led stories anchor abstract technology in the real-world challenges prospective customers face. Picture your product as a key unlocking a door to possibilities your target audience didn’t know they had access to.
2. Clarity: SaaS products can be intricate, but stories have a unique ability to break down complexity. A product-led narrative highlights the “why” and “how” in ways that resonate with both technical and non-technical audiences. Imagine explaining a complex recipe with a story about the first time you tasted the dish. People would relate better. 
3. Credibility: Stories grounded in your product’s capabilities foster trust. By demonstrating instead of merely claiming or just telling, PLS ensures your audience believes in the value you promise. Think of it as a friend sharing their journey to success—it’s authentic, relatable, and persuasive.
4. Scalability: As your product evolves, so can your stories. A strong product narrative scales across marketing channels and sales conversations, as new

For B2B SaaS startups, adopting Product-Led Storytelling, as the name goes, is how you ensure each story told in your marketing and sales assets is ‘product-led.’ This can mean the difference between being another tool in the tech stack and becoming a desirable solution. The key is finding someone to lead this narrative—or partnering with experts who can. 

As the SaaS startup, HoneyCart, did: 

Read their success story here. 

Get Yourself a Director of Storytelling

Whether you’re a scrappy startup or a scaling B2B SaaS business, a Director of Storytelling or Chief Storyteller could be your secret growth weapon. This person—or a partner like VEC Studio—can:

• Develop an overarching narrative and product storytelling strategy that aligns with your business goals.
• Craft marketing and sales assets with stories that show (and not just tell) your product’s unique value.
• Ensure narrative consistency across all touchpoints, from marketing to sales to customer success.
• Build brand recall, generate inbound inquiries, and ultimately drive predictable growth.

A partner like VEC Studio can be your co-pilot in SaaS storytelling. Even in a fractional capacity, we can help you ensure your product-led narratives reach their destination—earning the mindshare of hard-to-convince B2B buyers through well-crafted resonant stories. We do this through Product-Led Storytelling, an approach coined and developed by Victor Eduoh, Founder of VEC Studio. 

But you mustn’t hire us. 

Download our free, Product-Led Storytelling Playbook. In it, you’ll learn the foundational pillars and execution must-haves for strategizing and executing marketing and sales that earn mindshare and drive growth with stories. The playbook comes highly recommended by a B2B SaaS narrative design expert: 

Download your copy here.