Startup Comms Strategies from Unlikely Sources: Casey Neistat, Stacy London, and Dan Porter in Conversation

Startups are always storytelling. 

From the moment companies start sharing their vision with prospective talent and investors, they are communicating their brand. The startup mentality of agility and iteration can work well in today’s shifting media landscape, as our phones enable every platform, friend, and influencer to become a media channel. In a world where we’re always communicating, the first step in a communication strategy is to rethink how audiences are persuaded to try, buy, change their mind—and to trust. 

At this year’s Future Perfect conference, we convened filmmaker Casey Neistat, TV icon and author Stacy London, and Overtime founder and CEO Dan Porter to talk about the why, what, and how of storytelling. Their conversation challenged the startup focus on growth metrics as brand building—and encouraged a refocusing on authenticity and personal connection.

In a metrics-obsessed industry, I believe in the power of what can’t be measured. The satisfaction of an honest day of work, an epiphany that changes your worldview or direction, a meal with friends, holding hands with your elder parent—these are the things that touch and shape us at a cellular level. And these “unmeasurables” become the acorns of stories that reveal our genuine selves, shape the direction of our teams and business, and open the door for audiences and partners to connect.

“The top of the funnel has never been wider,” says Casey, the OG YouTube creator whose influence is evident in today’s top trending content. “Media and content used to be exclusive, and now it’s wide open. I celebrate the access we all have, but it doesn’t mean everybody gets to be good—and the bottom has not budged.” 

In this noisy landscape, what is the right startup strategy for brand communications—and how can companies leverage tension, curiosity, and authenticity, in their storytelling? Below, our panelists explore some of the key tensions and opportunities that can guide startups as they operationalize early stage communications strategies and brand reputation. 

Authenticity over metrics 

Data can help guide strategic marketing decisions and launch campaigns. But what happens when there is no precedence or data? Embrace the unknown and listen to the people who are in the know. When the engineers of Larry Page’s EVTOL company voiced concerns that our vehicle would be compared to a drone, I invited the biggest content creator known for drone-breaking videos to fly our personal flying car. That’s how I got to know Casey Neistat. 

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A parent by the age of 16, Casey worked at a seafood restaurant scrubbing pots before getting recognition and awards as a filmmaker. After YouTube launched, his daily vlogs made him the original YouTube creator. 

For Casey, content creation was driven by curiosity, not metrics—putting him at odds with today’s social media and startup cultures, where algorithms and metrics rule.

Casey encourages a focus on making things that can actually change the world, not just get views. “Thinking I need to be like this guy is a huge mistake. Instead of the creative spirit of an individual, it's about creativity by committee. That doesn't speak to me in any meaningful way.”

Today, you're able to literally craft content for social metrics, and it's a race to the bottom with creativity.

——Casey Neistat, Filmmaker

“Metrics are arbitrary, but necessary,” says fellow panelist Dan Porter. Dan has found repeated success as a founder in gaming, social media, and sports media. “They’re a good shorthand.” Before founding Overtime, recently named a Time 100 Most Influential Company, Dan started and sold two tech companies, and before that he and I were on the founding team of Teach For America and worked together in the early growth of Virgin’s North America portfolio. 

As Dan points out, metrics are useful as shorthand for progress—but true innovation comes from passion and creativity that can't be measured. 

Humans > logos

Years ago, LinkedIn EIC Dan Roth told me, “People follow other people, not brands.” 

The ability to convey authentic, human-centered stories is one way to build a brand moat. Personal narratives establish credibility and relatability far more effectively than corporate messages. Stacy London’s long-running fashion show What Not to Wear makes her a beloved personality, especially as she tackles tough topics. As she explains, “Style and self esteem go together.” 

Stacy’s career journey has taken her through grief, loss, shame, stigma, menopause, and education. “A billion people are going to be in menopause next year, and they don’t know anything about it,” she says, “They don't know they shouldn't be ashamed.”

I look for experiences that are hard to talk about, where it’s hard to connect people to each other—but once you do, you can create a community that’s more than extractive consumption.

——Stacy London, TV Host & Author

Stacy’s menopause advocacy highlights how founders can leverage personal challenges to build meaningful solutions in overlooked markets. By sharing real-life experiences in areas she is genuinely curious about, she has deepened connections with new and loyal fans and differentiated her brand in a crowded marketplace.

Casey also brings a human-centric approach to content. He began daily vlogging on YouTube to document what it was like to build a venture-backed technology company. “After three days of watching eight programmers write code, it became more about: What interestingness can I squeeze from my life? You start focusing on minutiae, then you keep drilling deeper and deeper. And I did that for 800 days in a row."

Casey’s focus on compelling storylines and consistent posting resulted in a massive following and influence—and it helped raise capital for the startup.

Focus on community to build product-market fit

To build a company, “you have to know something no one knows,” says Dan. For his third startup, he had the idea to engage an overlooked GenZ market that didn’t watch live sports. 

Creating high-quality, relevant, and shareable content can help attract and retain customers, build brand authority, and drive organic growth. By producing compelling shareable sports highlights on social media, Overtime built a community of GenZ sports fans. As a result, the company has grown community interaction (with over 100M followers across its social platforms) and built the brand credibility to expand into sports leagues. 

No one is freaking out about where to watch Friends. Audience development is about meeting audiences where they are.

——Dan Porter, Overtime Co-founder & CEO

Storytelling as a skill is also vital for building investor trust. Iterating on a business model, with the agility to adjust to market feedback and changing conditions, is a differentiator. Dan credits his ability to explain the evolution of his strategy for his success in winning over investors, partners, and talent.

The road ahead 

Storytelling is at the heart of persuasion. Relationships start with curiosity, and a strong communications strategy must aim to pique curiosity with shared interests, meaningful experiences, and unusual—controversial, fresh, from the heart—insights. 

There’s no silver bullet for brand building. Leaders get better at storytelling with road-tested practice and a willingness to mine vulnerabilities for anecdotes. As Stacy says, “Your attachment to who you were instead of who you are is stopping you from being the best version of yourself.”

What does this approach to storytelling look like? Our brand flywheel is a good place to start.

Balance creative passion with practical strategies and think deeply about your audience. Ask the questions: Where and to whom do they go to be persuaded? How can you be a meaningful part of their daily lives and habits? Finally, say yes to in-person events. In-person experiences open the door for conversation and authentic connections, which over time build cohesive and motivated partnerships. 

The need to reach audiences where they are, with the fullness of their diverse experiences, will not only build a brand function grounded in adaptability and creativity—but also build memorable tech in fast-changing times.