'History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes' is a famous quote attributed to Mark Twain (but supposed to have been said by a psychoanalyst named Theodor Reik).
Leaders should have a sense of history - to be able to identify parallels between present-day events and past occurrences, especially in their own industry.
Marc Andreesen (co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz or a16z, one of the world's leading Venture capital firms) is one leader who displays that awareness.
In a fascinating interview with The Mckinsey Quarterly, Marc shares his perspective on a wide array of topics - including the current technology era, the cryptoeconomy and Web3, and why companies should have more technologists in charge instead of MBAs!
During this week, I will share some of the storytelling techniques that Marc uses in the interview.
Today's principle: The use of historical context/parallels.
During the conversation, the interviewer asks Marc to talk about the type of institution Marc is trying to build at a16z.
Here is Marc's response:
I love that response - it uses so many storytelling techniques:
#SOTD 86
Ravi
PS: Here is the context for #SOTD and the 'Ultimate Guide to Storytelling Techniques' framework I use - in case you joined this series late! Here is the archive of previous posts. Click here to subscribe.
A Storytelling Coach More details here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankar-iyer/
As I hoped last week, I did get in some book-writing time this week. The chapter I'm writing? Humour in storytelling! That's right - I'm writing about fun (yet safe) ways to use humour in workplace communication. Can't wait to share all of it, along with the other chapters, by sometime late next year. (I know - it's such a long way away!). Meanwhile, here's a great quote I'm keeping in mind even as I write the chapter: "Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. They both die in the process."...
Phew - it's been a busy week with 4 training days out of five and I'm a bit exhausted! (In a rare state of affairs, I'm writing this newsletter at 8.30 pm on Friday night!) Having said that, I did manage to catch a movie during the week (Thalaiva's Vettaiyan; would NOT recommend for Jailer fans). Hopefully, next week will be easier and I can get in some book-writing time. And now, on to the newsletter. Welcome to the eighty-sixth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'. A newsletter recommending...
Earlier this week, I saw this fascinating movie called 'CTRL' on Netflix. Boy, was my mind blown. Sure, you could say that it was Black-Mirror-inspired. But the way it was adapted for the Indian context was superb. The writing was gripping throughout. The cinematography (mostly using phones or involving laptop screens) was raw and authentic. And the acting was fabulous - I'm a fan of Ananya Panday for her unfiltered and vulnerable portrayal of the young Nella Awasthi. Catch it if you haven't...