Each week, we share practical techniques and tips to become a more effective storyteller.
Quote of the week
“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” - Joseph Campbell
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What Intel’s New CEO Can Teach Us About Storytelling
Intel was once the undisputed king of chips. “Intel Inside” meant power, reliability, dominance. But in the last decade, Nvidia, TSMC, and AMD rewrote the rules, while Intel’s crown slipped.
In 2025, the board turned to Lip-Bu Tan - venture capitalist, chip design visionary, and now Intel’s new CEO. His challenge isn’t just technical. It’s the same challenge every leader faces in times of doubt: how to make investors believe again, employees care again, and customers bet on you again.
Lip-Bu Tan’s answer : storytelling.
In this issue of The Storyteller, we share 3 lessons from him, that you can use whether you are a marketer trying to woo customers, an engineering leader trying to keep your management invested in your big idea, or a founder trying to inspire your team.
1. Sell What It Unlocks
Tan doesn’t talk about chips. He frames semiconductors as the invisible engine of modern life, powering your phone, your car, your AI assistant.
Lesson: Don’t sell what it is. Sell what it makes possible.
2. Tell The Long Game
He reminds audiences that the biggest tech bets take 10–15 years. Instead of promising quick wins, he tells a story of endurance and staying power.
Lesson: A narrative of resilience reassures stakeholders when results take time.
3. Reframe As The Underdog
Intel, once the giant, is now the challenger. Tan turns the narrative on its head by making employees proud of the fight and investors excited for the comeback.
Lesson: Even market leaders can inspire by reframing themselves as underdogs.
We just built a quick self-assessment to help you find out. 6 questions. 3 minutes. And you’ll see whether you show up as a Shadow, a Spark, or a Flame — plus what to do next.
Try 1 - 3 This Week
Take a current project or update you’re working on. Which of the 3 lessons from Tan do you see yourself using for an issue you face now :
1. Sell What It Unlocks
Instead of: “We launched a new campaign for our SaaS tool.”
Try: “Teams that used to wait 2 weeks for approvals now close deals in 3 days - this campaign shows customers they get speed, not just software.”
Exercise: Pick one feature in your product. Don’t describe it. Describe what it unlocks for your customers.
2. Place It In The Long Game
Instead of: “We reduced system downtime by 7% this quarter.”
Try: “7% downtime cut this quarter is just step one. Our 18-month roadmap will save $5M in lost productivity.”
Exercise: Take a technical win. Show how it ladders up to the company’s bigger arc - efficiency, savings, or growth.
3. Frame It As Fighting Back
Instead of: “We maintained our user base despite churn pressures.”
Try: “Two well-funded rivals entered the market, and yet our users stayed loyal. That’s proof we can win as scrappy underdogs - and we’re just getting started.”
Exercise: Look at a recent result. Recast it as an against-the-odds victory your team can rally around.