developing resonance

I've seen the power of a masterful communicator up close for the past year and change. With an insight and articulation, the best of the best can build movements, attract capital, and win hearts and minds.

Combine that with the fact that the world's knowledge is at our fingertips and technical execution is asymptotically approaching free, the ability to share ideas with other people in live situations, is what will matter most.

So as I think about the skill sets that are within my control (and importantly defensible against the machines), this seems to be top of the list. So I've begun to capture ideas from the people who do it best and what they do in various contexts.

What follows is a collection of ideas I've gathered from experts who have spent their life thinking about communication. Nancy Duarte on where to begin, Matthew Dicks on the where to end, Scott Galloway on creating drama, and Matt Abrahams on thinking faster, not speaking faster. Even just collecting these ideas have begun to shape how I think about adding value in any conversation, whether I'm talking to one person or presenting to a room.

The Foundation: What Resonance Actually Means

Everyone wants their ideas to resonate. But what does that actually mean?

The scientific definition makes so much sense in this context: Resonance is the amplification of motion or energy in a system by matching its frequency, not by force.

To get ideas to resonate, you have to match the frequency in the system. What does that look like in practice? Resonance starts with empathy. Not in a mushy, yoga-babble way. But you actually should put yourself in the shoes of the person or people that you're interacting with. Hypothesize where they might be stuck, or what they care about, and why they should give an F about what you're saying.

One-to-One: Your Job Is to Serve

Most people (including me) forget their job when they're in a professional conversation. Someone is giving you their time, so your job is to actually engage that person. I've started to view it as a little bit of a challenge. It's not to sound smart or humble either. It's to deliver information in a way that's relevant to them, in a memorable way, in the time frame they need it. Matt Abrahams has a framework that I've found somewhat useful to remember this called the WINS framework.

The WINS Framework

Letter	What It Means	Why
W	Why am I sharing this right now?	The answer should be service rather than self-interest.
I	Importance	What I'm offering has value, even if incomplete. Progress often depends on ideas being shared before they're perfect.
N	Notice	Notice the people and the moment. Stay connected to the room instead of retreating into self-judgment.
S	Speech	Most often just slow down. :)

When the answer to "Why am I sharing this?" is about service rather than self-interest or protection the job-to-be-done is a lot simpler.

One-to-Many: Building Stories That Move People

Presenting to groups is a bit different. Whether in meetings, presentations, or written content you need more than just the right mindset. You need to create movement.

Starting with Empathy

We talked about this earlier but before you can move an audience, you have to meet them where they are. You have to step into the skin of your enemy and ask: Where is my audience right now, and what frequency are they operating on? This is the first step to resonance.

Creating Movement Through Contrast

Once you understand where someone is today, the job is to create movement by showing what they could become. The most effective way I've seen this done is through juxtaposition. Contrasting what is with what could be. Mike Maples is especially good at this :)

Matthew Dicks also builds on this for presentations specifically. His advice is when making a presentation or telling a story, start by asking "What are we trying to say here?" Then make the beginning of your story the complete opposite of that endpoint. The contrast between what is and what could be creates tension. That tension makes change feel necessary.

In the context of a startup, I've learned that your product, idea, or message becomes more than what it is when it sits inside that tension. It gains an origin, a reason for existing, and a point of view about the world. It helps people move from the present state they recognize to the future state they desire.

…And a few other tactical helpful tips :)

There are a few other helpful tips I try to come back to in storytelling and presentations:

Zoom Out and See the Bigger Picture

Scott Galloway talks about this constantly: sharp communicators don't just regurgitate what a single event means. They look for cause and effect and contextualize statistics by connecting dots that others miss. The drama (the thing that makes people lean in) comes from understanding the why behind events, not just the what.

The STAR Moment

Nancy Duarte talks about the STAR moment: Something They'll Always Remember. When the story or presentation works, it's remarkable in the sense that people have something to remark about to their friends or family.

This is your chance to get creative, but the STAR moment might be a meme, a person brought onto the stage, or something else that catches people by surprise.

The Four Essential Elements

Matthew Dicks emphasizes that every compelling story needs these elements:

Stakes: What's at risk if nothing changes?
Suspense: Keep them wondering what happens next
Surprise: Subvert expectations to maintain attention
Humor: Create moments of relief and connection

"You can't assume people care about your information. The internet exists. AI can give you that information in five seconds. You have to share it in a way that makes them remember it."

What I'm doing about all of this

I've realized is that you don't need to master everything at once. BUT every conversation is an opportunity to practice and get just a bit sharper.

In the AI era, the ability to move people (to create resonance) feels like one of the most defensible skills we have. It requires something uniquely human, and I don't see that going away.