What if your startup pitch didn’t just inform — but moved people to believe? This episode reveals how the most effective founders use strategic storytelling to build trust, spark action, and secure funding.

What You'll Learn:

• Why most pitch decks fail to convert — and how to fix them

• How to use emotional storytelling to resonate with investors

• How to simplify deep tech for non-technical audiences

• Narrative frameworks for Series A, B, and beyond

• The psychology behind VC decisions (and what makes them say yes)

Guest Spotlight:
🎤 Ehud Dror, Founder of Tailoring Your Story, is a globally respected startup storytelling strategist. He’s helped dozens of Israeli tech startups — from deep tech to SaaS — secure VC funding and scale their vision using founder-first narratives.

Whether you’re pre-seed, scaling, or pitching for your next round, this episode gives you practical frameworks, examples, and narrative power-ups you can apply immediately.

Rate Us:
Like what you hear? Subscribe to Startuprad.io on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and your favorite app. Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review — and share this with a founder or investor who needs to hear it.

Guest Name: Ehud Dror, Founder at Tailoring Your Story

Blog Post: http://startuprad.io/post/the-startup-storytelling-playbook-craft-narratives-that-win-investors-and-customers

Relevant Resources:

• Ehud Dror on LinkedIn

• Startuprad.io Blog

Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Why Storytelling Is Startup Gold
02:05 – The Most Common Narrative Mistake Founders Make
06:00 – Clarity + Momentum: The Secret Formula for Pitches
09:25 – Why Most Pitch Decks Fail to Raise Funding
14:20 – Deep Tech Storytelling: How to Make It Relatable
20:10 – Crafting the Founder “Why” That VCs Remember
26:00 – The Role of Emotion in High-Stakes Pitching
33:15 – One Narrative, Multiple Audiences (VCs, Media, Customers)
38:44 – Startup Storytelling for Series A to IPO
41:22 – Final Takeaways + Bonus Storytelling Framework

Startups in the DACH region are heating up — from AI unicorns to VC mega-funds. In this monthly startup news roundup, we unpack the most important trends in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland’s tech ecosystem.

Learn how Parloa became Germany’s second unicorn of the year, how Quantum Systems secured €160M to dominate aerial AI, and how the EIB’s €70B initiative is reshaping venture capital in Europe. We also dive into Lyft’s FreeNow acquisition, biotech patent wars, the MiCA crypto license, and regulatory risks like the EU Data Act.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• What Parloa’s unicorn status reveals about AI-native SaaS

• How Europe’s biggest VC fund is changing startup investment

• Why fintechs like Vivid are chasing MiCA compliance

• Top DACH soonicorns to watch in 2025

📱 Give Us Feedback
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🔗 Dive Deeper and Be Ahead Of The Curve!

• DACH Startup Ecosystem 2025: The Ultimate Hub
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-ecosystem-2025-the-ultimate-hub

• This Month in DACH Startups: May 2025 Startup News Wrap-Up
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-startup-news-may-2025-unicorns-m-a-and-vc-surge

• Top AI Startups in the DACH Region in 2025
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/top-ai-startups-in-the-dach-region-in-2025

• 🚦German Venture Capital in Q1 2025: Dealflow Quality Rises Amid Exit Anxiety and Fundraising Chill
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/german-venture-capital-in-q1-2025-dealflow-quality-rises-amid-exit-anxiety-and-fundraising-chill

• This Month in DACH Startups: April 2025 Startup News Wrap-Up
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/this-month-in-dach-startups-april-2025-startup-news-wrap-up

• Germany Startup Policy 2025: Strategies for Founders & Investors
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/startup-financing-in-2025-strategies-for-founders-investors

• DACH Unicorn Tracker 2025: Trends, Funding, and Opportunities
  https://www.startuprad.io/post/dach-unicorn-tracker-2025-trends-funding-and-opportunities-startuprad-io

What happens when an FBI-trained negotiation coach brings elite sales psychology into the startup world? You get a masterclass in influence, integrity, and investor persuasion.

Today’s episode of Startuprad.io features Matthias Bullmahn, a crisis negotiation expert, former Accenture executive, and storytelling coach — here to show founders how to negotiate like pros and scale without manipulation.

What You'll Learn:

• How to apply BATNA to investor negotiations and enterprise sales

• The 3 killer words ruining most pitches — and what to say instead

• Why founders fail when they ignore buyer psychology and emotional triggers

• How to use the Motive Compass to close deals faster

• How AI fits (and fails) in human-centric sales strategies

Guest Spotlight:
Matthias Bullmahn is one of Germany’s leading voices in ethical sales psychology, negotiation, and strategic communication. He’s trained with the former heads of the FBI and Scotland Yard, founded a department at Accenture focused on agile transformation, and today advises founders, corporates, and investors on emotionally intelligent deal-making.

Now It Is Up To YOU:
If you’re a founder, executive, or investor who values clear strategy over sales fluff, this episode is your playbook.

Subscribe to Startuprad.io on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with someone negotiating their next big deal.

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Guest Name: Matthias Bullmahn, Sales Psychologist & Strategic Communications Expert

Related Blog Posts on Startuprad.io:

• 🎙️ Mastering Startup Negotiation Tactics: Sales Psychology Meets FBI Playbooks

• 🧠 BATNA for Founders: Your Ultimate Safety Net in Investor Talks

• 💬 3 Words That Kill Your Startup Pitch (and What to Say Instead)

• 📊 Case Study: Ecotech Startup Closes Investor Without Product in Market

Relevant External Resources:

• Harvard Negotiation Project

• Motive Compass by Dirk Eilert (German)
  
  Timestamps:
  00:00 – Introduction to Matthias & FBI Training
  04:54 – BATNA and Deal Power for Founders
  08:45 – Ethical Sales Psychology Explained
  18:55 – The Motive Compass: What Drives Buyers?
  27:40 – AI in Sales: When It Works, When It Fails
  39:10 – How to Win Trust in a Distracted Market
  47:05 – Final Advice for Founders & Pitch Mistakes