# Two types of narratives

By [Doug Lane](https://paragraph.com/@axalane) · 2022-03-30

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Regardless of the [positioning style](https://mirror.xyz/axalane.eth/egTUWjZatLV7VnRWMgZRMMpn0dnvMvQwxj_f-E3FF-M) you choose, creating one or more "narratives" will bring it to life.

So what is a narrative?

Simply stated, it's a story about **your buyer** that helps them understand how their life will be different with your company in it. Depending on your positioning style, you might employ one of two types of narratives:

*   A "strategic narrative" that lives at the top of your positioning hierarchy and frames a major industry shift.
    
*   One or more "sales narratives" that sit beneath your overall positioning and speak to specific buyer pain points – and your unique point of view about them.
    

For most cybersecurity startups, I recommend the latter. Major shifts in the security landscape are very real. But it's very difficult for security startups to stake an exclusive claim to them. Plus, most security buyers evolve their security strategies in iterative steps.

\-Doug​

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*Originally published on [Doug Lane](https://paragraph.com/@axalane/two-types-of-narratives)*