meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

#202 Matthew Dicks: The Storytelling Expert

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish

Farnam Street

Business, Investing, Entrepreneurship

4.72.9K Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2024

⏱️ 119 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Master storyteller Matthew Dicks unveils the hidden blueprint behind stories that win million-dollar deals, transform resistant teams, and turn skeptical investors into champions. Learn why most leaders tell stories that fail, and discover the counterintuitive techniques that make audiences lean in, remember, and act. From high-stakes boardrooms to viral TED talks, Dicks reveals the psychological triggers that turn everyday moments into weapons of mass persuasion.


(00:00:00 Intro

(00:03:28) What makes a good story

(00:06:57) Stories vs anecdotes

(00:08:29) A Story: The Spoon of Power

(00:17:42) The art of story architecture

(00:21:28) Create compelling stories

(00:36:30) Common mistakes & how to fix them

(00:55:01) Strategic Listening

(01:03:32) Can you lie in stories?

(01:05:10) 'And' stories vs. 'but / therefore' stories

(01:10:05) Finding engaging stories in everyday life

(01:20:05) Structuring a story

(01:24:00) Storytelling for an unforgettable brand

(01:31:20) Learn confidence

(01:38:40) Writing vs telling a story

(01:51:53) Teach kids to love writing

(01:55:15) Define success


Newsletter

The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it’s completely free. Learn more and sign up at https://fs.blog/newsletter/

Upgrade

If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fs.blog/membership/⁠⁠ and get your own private feed.

Follow Me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/farnamstreet

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-parrish-050a2183/


--

Sponsor: Overlap https://www.joinoverlap.com/ - Listen to podcasts like never before.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

You've probably been telling not so good stories all your life.

0:04.1

And you've probably heard people who tell amazing stories all the time.

0:09.3

It turns out that's not actually something that people are born with.

0:13.0

It's just strategic.

0:14.7

And if you become a little more strategic, you can be one of those people, right?

0:19.7

Now we want to know.

0:22.6

Now we're curious. We're not giving anything away. We're not indicating the end, but we're finding something that's going to like

0:27.4

appeal to people in a real emotional way. We're going to identify a need they have. And if we

0:32.7

identify an appropriate need, then we're going to grab our audience and they're going to pay attention.

0:53.7

Yeah. appropriate need, then we're going to grab our audience and they're going to pay attention. Welcome to the Knowledge Project, the biweekly podcast exploring the powerful ideas, practical

0:59.0

methods, and mental models of others.

1:01.3

In a world where knowledge is power, this podcast is your toolkit for mastering the best

1:06.1

of what other people have already figured out.

1:07.8

I'm your host, Shane Parrish.

1:09.4

Before we dive in, I have a quick

1:11.1

favor to ask. If you're enjoying the show and listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other

1:16.1

platform, please take a moment and hit the follow button now. The more followers we have, the better

1:20.8

guests we can bring on to share their knowledge with you. Thank you. If you want to take your

1:25.2

learning the next level, consider joining our membership program at

1:28.6

FS.Blog slash membership. As a member, you'll get my personal reflections at the end of every episode,

1:35.3

early access to episodes, no ads, including this, exclusive content, hand-edited transcripts,

1:41.4

and so much more. Check out the link in the show notes for more.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Farnam Street, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Farnam Street and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.