06/06/2026
One session from my last module at IIM Lucknow stayed with me longer than I expected.
Sandeep Das on storytelling.
I've been in brand and communication design for over two decades. I walked in thinking I'd be nodding along.
Reader, I took three pages of notes.
1. Problem → Tension → Resolution. In that order. Always.
Most of us skip the tension. We present the problem, flash the solution, and wonder why nobody's paying attention. The tension — why this problem matters, what's actually at stake — is the part that makes people lean in.
Turns out we've all been telling stories with the most interesting bit removed.
2. Nobody remembers your opening slide.
They remember how you ended. The human brain judges and recalls the ending of any experience — a meeting, a pitch, a brand moment.
That brilliant data dump you opened with? Largely forgotten. How you closed? That's what they're taking home.
3. Showing off is just being comfortable being seen.
His words. Not mine.
And as someone who spent years quietly letting the work speak while the person stayed firmly in the background — this one had some nerve.
Still sitting with it. Clearly.
Thank you — didn't expect to leave a storytelling session questioning my entire communication philosophy. But here we are. 🙏
CreativePulpDesign Ish*taSud BrandStrategy
