🎬 Founder Story Cheat Sheet · Day 7 · pin this tab
Your story · in 60 seconds.
The one-page reference for scripting · rehearsing · shooting. 4 archetypes · 5 beats · 5 hook patterns · 3 asks · camera checklist · repurpose grid. Bring this to VIP Room 3 at 14:30.
🏆 5 golden rules · memorize before you shoot
The truths of a 60-second story.
1 · Never open with "Hi I'm ___". You burn 3 seconds on nothing. Hook first · introduce yourself in beat 4 or never.
2 · Truth beats polish. Camera catches lies. Tell your real story · unpolished > invented > slick.
3 · Every beat earns its screen time. If a line can be cut without losing meaning · cut it.
4 · ONE ask · not three. "Try / DM / Sign up / Follow" splits attention. Pick ONE for tomorrow's Sprint.
5 · The pause sells the URL. When you say "[my-domain]" · pause 1 second before the last character. Silence makes viewers type.
🎭 P01 · The 4 story archetypes
Pick the shape that fits your truth.
A · Origin Story
"I lived this problem for X years. Here's what I built to fix it." Best when: personal experience · deep credibility · real pain lived. Pattern: pain → attempts → insight → build → traction → ask
B · Frustration → Fix
"I got so frustrated with X that I stopped waiting." Best when: you're the target user · problem felt but not obvious. Pattern: frustration → search → nothing worked → build → prove
C · Big Vision
"What if the status quo wasn't true?" Best when: reimagining a category · bold contrarian take. Pattern: setup the world → surface assumption → invert → build
D · Personal Journey
"I moved to X · met Y · and it changed how I think about Z." Best when: context (place · community · life event) shaped the product. Pattern: journey → shift → insight → build → invite
Truth test: if you have to invent a personal story to fit archetype A · pick a different archetype. The camera catches lies.
✍ P02 · The 5-beat structure · ~150 words
60 seconds. 5 beats. Every second earns its place.
🎬 BEAT 1 · HOOK · 0:00–0:05 · ~12 words
Stop the scroll. No "Hi I'm ___". Question · stat · scene · contradiction · confession. Ends on a beat pause.
😮 BEAT 2 · PAIN · 0:05–0:15 · ~25 words
Name the problem in FELT terms. Concrete detail · someone thinks "oh that's me". No jargon outsiders won't recognize.
💡 BEAT 3 · INSIGHT · 0:15–0:25 · ~25 words
The moment I realized what was actually broken. Your unique POV. Contrarian if possible. Sets up why what I built is different.
🛠 BEAT 4 · BUILD · 0:25–0:45 · ~50 words
What I built · plain English · one specific feature. Name the product. Benefit-driven ("so you never..."). One proof detail ("shipped Sunday to real users").
🎯 BEAT 5 · PROOF + ASK · 0:45–1:00 · ~35 words
Real number + ONE clear ask. Traction ("28 signups this week") · specific action ("try free at [my-domain]") · warm sign-off on a beat pause.
📝 Fill-in-the-blank template
Your script · drop in the placeholders.
═══ BEAT 1 · HOOK ═══[HOOK LINE · pick from 5 patterns · ≤ 12 words][pause 1 sec]═══ BEAT 2 · PAIN ═══[CONCRETE MOMENT · when I was doing X · I realized Y was broken]
It felt like [SPECIFIC FEELING · not "frustrating"].
[NAME THE PERSONA WHO FEELS THIS] get it.
═══ BEAT 3 · INSIGHT ═══
Everyone thinks [COMMON BELIEF].
Actually · [YOUR CONTRARIAN TAKE].
That's when I decided to build [PRODUCT NAME].
═══ BEAT 4 · BUILD ═══[PRODUCT NAME] is [ONE-LINE WHAT IT DOES] —
so you [BENEFIT · not feature].
The key thing: [ONE STANDOUT DETAIL].
I shipped it [SPECIFIC TIME · yesterday · this weekend · 5 days ago]
to real users.
═══ BEAT 5 · PROOF + ASK ═══
So far: [REAL NUMBER · signups · users · MRR · feedback].
If [PERSONA] in you resonates — [ONE ASK · try / DM / waitlist]
at [MY-DOMAIN].
[pause 1 sec][WARM SIGN-OFF · in your voice · 4-6 words].
Copy this template into Cowork · replace every [placeholder] · then run through P03 (hook) and P04 (ask) to sharpen the bookends.
🎣 P03 · 5 hook patterns · pick your opener
The first 5 seconds.
Pattern
Formula
Example
Best when
1 · Contrarian
"Everyone tells you X. That's wrong. Here's why."
"Everyone said I need 6 months to build an MVP. I did it in 6 days."
Contrarian archetype · bold POV
2 · Stat
"[Real number] happens every [interval]."
"42% of MVPs die before their first paying user."
Data-friendly niche · B2B SaaS
3 · Scene
"[Place] · [time] · I was [doing thing] when..."
"Sunday · 2 AM · 8 hours into a webhook bug when I realized..."
Personal · story-driven
4 · Question
"What if [assumption] wasn't true?"
"What if 'you need to learn to code' is backwards?"
Reframe a category
5 · Confession
"I used to think [wrong belief]. Then..."
"I used to think you need 3 engineers to ship. I was wrong."
Personal journey · warm tone
🎯 P04 · 3 ask patterns · pick your close
The last 5 seconds.
1 · TRY
Highest volume · lowest commitment "Try it free at [my-domain]. Takes 30 seconds." Best: low-friction product · viral loop · raw signup goal
2 · DM
Highest intent · lowest volume "If this hits · DM me. I'll walk you through it." Best: quality conversations · early-adopter customers
3 · WAITLIST
Highest signal · anticipation "Not everyone gets access this week. Join the waitlist." Best: capacity limited · scarcity is real
Pick based on Tomorrow's Sprint goal: if you want raw numbers · TRY · if you want quality convos · DM · if you want signal without overwhelm · WAITLIST. One ask · not three.
🎥 P05 · Delivery cues · read like an actor
Annotate the script before you shoot.
🔥 Emphasis
Punch the word. Slight volume + pitch bump on the word that carries the beat's meaning.
⏸ Pause
1 sec silence. Between beats. Gives viewer permission to process. Feels longer than you think.
😊 Expression
Slight smile / concerned brow / glance. Face carries 50% of the meaning. Don't stare like a statue.
🎯 Eye contact
Direct camera stare. Sustained on the meaning-carrying word. Not the whole time · just the punches.
⬇ Slow
25% slower. Use for weight-carrying words. Especially in beat 3 (insight) and beat 5 (ask).
⬆ Energy up
Lift the tone. Use for hook + build. Brighter · faster · lean forward.
📸 Camera-ready checklist · Tuesday 14:30 in VIP Room 3
Show up ready to shine.
Script rehearsed 3× aloud · timed · under 62 sec on each pass
Outfit: solid color · no busy patterns · no logos of other brands · your product's brand color if possible
Face: bright · rested · water nearby · no shadow · a little bounce light off a white wall works
Voice warmed up · hum a scale · sip water · read the hook out loud 3× before the shoot
Background: clean · one meaningful object visible if you want (laptop · notebook · logo)
Phone silenced · Do Not Disturb ON · notifications kill takes
Rehearsal notes in POCKET · read once in the corner · then put away · trust the reps
Recovery line ready · "Let me try that again from [last beat]" · warm · not apologetic
Energy check · smile · shake it out · a stranger should FEEL your excitement in the first 3 sec
🚧 Common traps · avoid these
The reasons founder videos flop.
1 · The disclaimer opener
"So basically what we do is..." Burns 5 sec. Cut it. Open with the hook.
2 · Feature dumping
Listing 5 features in beat 4. Nobody remembers 5. Pick the ONE that proves your insight.
3 · Vague ask
"Check it out." Where? What am I checking? Say the URL · say the action.
4 · Monotone read
Reading like a teleprompter. Add the delivery cues · vary pace · punch the meaning words.
5 · Over-scripting
Sounding like a commercial. Read it once naturally · then throw the script away · speak from memory + heart.
6 · Perfection paralysis
Doing 30 takes to get "the perfect one". Take 5-8. Pick the best. Ship it. Imperfect + shipped > perfect + never.
🔁 P06 · One shoot · 10 assets · Tuesday distribution
Cold email subject + first line · pattern-interrupt
20 prospects
Wed 08:00
7
Pitch deck opener slide · hook typography-only
Wednesday's deck
Wed 12:30 workshop
8
Email signature line · story + URL
Every email this week
Tue evening onward
9
Podcast/press one-liner · < 20 words
Ready for any ask
Anytime
10
Founder bio · 75 words · third person
Landing page /about · press
Wed morning
Distribution sprint: post asset 2 (X) at Sprint kickoff (16:00) · asset 1 (LinkedIn) at 17:00 · assets 5+6 (WhatsApp + email) at 18:00. Repeat variations Wednesday morning.
🚀 Right after the shoot · your 24-hour User Sprint begins
16:00 kickoff. Winner takes the leaderboard.
📸 14:30–16:00
Founder Story shoot VIP Room 3 · 60-sec take · NS Film Crew may join
🏃 Tue 16:00
User Sprint begins Post video everywhere · DM your list · start conversations
🏆 Wed 12:30
Leaderboard closes Total signups + waitlist adds decide the winner
The compounding play: P06 repurpose grid turns ONE video into TEN pieces of ammo. Every hour of the sprint = a new post + a batch of DMs. Sixty seconds becomes sixty users.