Storytelling: Startup's Strongest Moat

Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of Startup Policy Forum, emphasized the importance of storytelling in building a business at TechSparks 2026, stating that it can be a startup's strongest competitive moat.

Kohli led a masterclass titled ‘Startups and Storytelling: Making Narrative Your Moat’, where she shared her insights on the role of storytelling in building a business. With nearly 28 years of work experience, Kohli has a deep understanding of what makes a startup distinctive.

According to Kohli, 'Every startup is a story no one believes in yet'. Founders must explain 'why them' and 'why now' to make their story distinctive. A mission alone does not make a startup distinctive because competitors may have similar goals.

Kohli's own experience motivated her to establish Startup Policy Forum, as India lacked an institution to represent the startup ecosystem’s policy concerns to the government. She demonstrated the importance of explaining the 'why' behind a business by sharing her own career story and highlighting what was missing - the reason behind her decision to establish Startup Policy Forum.

## Why it matters The ability to tell a compelling story can make or break a startup. As competitors gain access to similar resources such as technology, capital, and talent, founders need to explain what makes their companies different. Storytelling can help build trust, create personal connections, and differentiate a business. By explaining the 'why' behind their business, including their mission, passion, and timing, founders can make their story distinctive and attractive to investors, customers, and partners.