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Insights from Alexei Lazarov on why stories are your most powerful business tool.
Welcome to the first article in our new series showcasing our most dedicated mentors and their invaluable wisdom. These are the silent heroes working behind the curtains – the ones who jump in and help our founders when they need it most, but rarely get the spotlight. Get to know the people our founders already swear by and gain access to their knowledge.
Traditional advertising is collapsing under its own weight. You’ve seen it happening – your ads are getting more expensive while delivering less impact. As brands pump ever-larger budgets into digital campaigns, engagement rates are falling, attention spans are shrinking, and consumers are tuning out the noise. The rules of the game have changed: persuasion is no longer about volume but about resonance. In this environment, businesses that master storytelling will not only be heard but remembered.
Alexei Lazarov, co-founder and CEO of Visibilio (a company that creates AI agents for automating and enhancing content production for businesses) brings 27 years of storytelling expertise from his career at Capital, as a reporter, editor and as an editor-in-chief. His message is clear: companies that fail to embrace storytelling risk irrelevance.
Why Stories Matter More Than Numbers
“No one ever made a decision because of a number. They need a story,” says psychologist Daniel Kahneman. This insight sits at the heart of effective business communication.
Stories are hardwired into our brains. We dream in stories, organize our lives through narratives, and most importantly – we buy based on stories, not just rational arguments.
The “Significant Objects” experiment proves this point perfectly: researchers bought thrift store items for $50 total, paired each with a story, and resold them for $8,000. One $0.25 yo-yo sold for $41 just because it had a narrative attached – that’s the power of storytelling.
Surviving ‘The Big Content Bang’
We’re living in what Alex calls “The Big Content Bang” – humanity has never produced or consumed so much content. This explosion has:
📌 Fragmented audiences into smaller, more specific groups
📌 Created unprecedented amounts of noise
📌 Made traditional advertising increasingly ineffective, especially for b2b companies
Most companies respond by shouting louder. The smart ones, however, recognize that attention is won through storytelling, not saturation.
“Stories are melody; noise is the opposite of melody. People are always searching for melody in noise.”
Alexei Lazarov
Co-Founder and CEO, Visibilio
Stop Being the Hero in Your Company Story
The greatest storytelling error businesses make? Positioning themselves as the protagonist. In reality, the customer is the hero. The company’s role is that of the guide—Obi-Wan to Luke Skywalker, Dumbledore to Harry Potter.
The truth? The story is not about you, it is about them. Your customer is the hero. Your company is the guide.
Think about it this way:
- Luke Skywalker is the hero; Obi-Wan is the guide
- Harry Potter is the hero; Dumbledore is the guide
- Your customer is the hero; your company is the guide
To position your company as the guide:
- Show empathy – Demonstrate understanding of customer struggles
- Establish authority – Offer credible solutions to their challenges
The Three Levels of Customer Problems
Every compelling story addresses problems at three levels:
- External problems – The obvious, surface-level issues your product solves. This is where most companies stop, but it’s just the beginning.
- Internal problems – The emotional challenges driving customer behavior. Companies tend to sell solutions to external problems, but people buy solutions to internal problems.
- Philosophical problems – The larger “why” that gives meaning to a purchase.
*Consider Tesla: They solve the external problem of needing transportation, the internal problem of wanting to be seen as forward-thinking, and the philosophical problem of environmental sustainability.
By addressing all three levels, you create a story that justifies premium pricing. The depth of your story directly influences the perceived value of your product.
*P.S. We’re only focusing on the benefits of brands recognising deeper customer problems. We are not commenting on the recent events connected to the Tesla brand and its founder. 👀
Building Your Own Audience: a Practical Framework
Step 1: Listen first
The best conversations start with listening. Learn to think of your clients as an audience. What information do they need? Where do they get it? What problems are they facing? Every story starts with listening.
Step 2: Find your company-audience fit
Identify the sweet spot between your expertise and your audience’s interests. The easiest approach? Identify the “villain” in your story – the problem your product helps solve.
Step 3: Create content that fits THEIR needs
BBC research revealed six primary user needs that drive content engagement:
- Update me – Keep me informed
- Give me perspective – Help me understand context
- Educate me – Teach me something new
- Inspire me – Motivate me
- Help me – Solve my specific problems
- Connect me – Link me to community
The key insight? Less than 20% of content consumption is news-driven. Most people engage with content that educates, inspires, helps, or connects them.
Step 4: Use multiple formats
Spread your story across written content, videos, podcasts, and social media to reach your audience where they already are.
Step 5: Don’t just create “Buy me” content
A critical mistake brands make is focusing solely on sales-driven messaging. If all your content screams “Buy me,” audiences will tune out. Instead, speak to the intersection of what your company does and what your customers care about. When you consistently deliver value, you earn trust and engagement—so that when you do present a call to action, it carries far more weight.
Real-World Success Stories
Three examples of companies that have mastered audience-building:
- Red Bull – A media company that happens to sell energy drinks. Their media house employs 400 people creating content for adrenaline-seekers, building an audience that identifies with their brand rather than directly selling products.
- Tesla – With $0 spent on traditional advertising, Tesla relies entirely on storytelling, clearly identifying their villain (gas-guzzling cars), hero (conscious consumers), and positioning themselves as the guide.
- Leading VC firms – Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia have become publishers, with websites that look more like media outlets than corporate sites.
Your Seven-Step Action Plan
- Tell a story or die – Alex puts it simply – “If we don’t tell compelling stories with our companies, we end up playing supporting roles in someone else’s story.”
- Build your own audience – Every company should function as a publisher in some capacity.
- Think of clients as an audience – Change your perspective on who you’re talking to.
- Listen carefully – Understand their context, problems, and needs.
- Find their internal problems – Address the emotional drivers behind purchasing decisions.
- Create content that fits THEIR needs – Focus on what your audience finds valuable.
- Do it consistently – Regular content builds trust and visibility.
Remember Alex’s warning: don’t be a supporting character. Your company exists to create value for your clients – tell that story. It’s what they want to hear.
⚡Quick Fire Questions with Alexei Lazarov:
Professional Quick Fires:
1️⃣ Biggest storytelling mistake you see companies make repeatedly?
Positioning themselves as the hero instead of the guide and creating only “Buy me!” content.
2️⃣ Most underrated content format that businesses should use more?
Long-form content – companies underestimate its power, and also funny stories. Companies don’t have to speak in only one tone of voice.
3️⃣ What separates a story that converts from one that gets ignored?
Addressing an emotional need, not just a rational one.
4️⃣ One skill every content creator should master before anything else?
Empathy – the ability to see through the audience’s eyes.
5️⃣ In just one sentence – how has AI changed your approach to content creation?
Amplification – every company and every person now has the ability to become a content powerhouse
Personal Quick Fires:
1️⃣ Favorite way to recharge?
Be with my family and friends.
2️⃣ Book currently on your nightstand?
A few, actually – On Freedom by Timothy Snyder, Nexus by Harari, and Technofeudalism by Yanis Varoufakis. Writing them down, I realized they’re all quite leftist. I should add something more conservative for balance. Any recommendations?
3️⃣ Hidden talent?
I make decent V60 coffee and cappuccino, but I am still mastering the art of creating pictures in the foam.
4️⃣ Favorite productivity hack?
Get the job done! Don’t overthink it – just get it done.
5️⃣ What would you do if not in communications/media?
No idea. 🙂
