Engaging Customers Through Storytelling

BONUS: Patrick James Lynch on Entertainment That Makes Change - Lessons in Product Thinking from Believe Ltd.

In this BONUS episode we explore how Patrick James Lynch, filmmaker, media executive, and rare disease advocate, has built Believe Limited around a powerful mission: entertainment that effects change. Patrick shares his journey from personal experience with his brother's hemophilia to creating award-winning content that empowers rare and chronic disease communities, offering valuable lessons for product managers on human-centered design, stakeholder alignment, and building emotionally viable products.

The Genesis of Entertainment That Effects Change

"This is more than a product."

Patrick's journey began with a deeply personal question about his brother who had hemophilia. As an entrepreneur, he set out to respond to an identified need with one product to meet that need, but quickly realized the scope was much larger. His curiosity about what was different between him and his brother led him to understand that he needed to help people like his brother. This realization drove him to create valuable online videos to engage their audience, marking the beginning of Believe Ltd.'s mission of entertainment that effects change.

Essential Product Lessons: Listen, Learn, and Do No Harm

"The fact that I am my audience, does not mean that I'm an expert."

Patrick emphasizes the critical importance of conducting thorough needs assessments and truly understanding your community before building products. Key insights include:

• Embed yourself in the community you're serving rather than making assumptions

• Follow the principle of "listen, learn and do no harm" as your starting point

• Involve community engagement as a dedicated role - Believe Ltd. has a VP of community engagement

• Define clear phrases that explain the value you deliver to your audience

• Use your personal story to establish credibility and relate experiences to your audience

The goal is to get as familiar with your community as possible, then conduct your own research and development based on those deep insights.

Navigating Multi-Stakeholder Complexity

"Collaboration only succeeds when all points of view are respected."

Working with patients, funders, healthcare professionals, and pharmaceutical companies requires careful orchestration. Patrick's approach centers on prioritizing the end game and identifying the north star goal that aligns all parties. He emphasizes focusing on combined skills and networks rather than trying to accomplish everything at the start. The key is ensuring that aligning stakeholders becomes a central part of the process, with everyone being accounted for throughout the journey.

Human-Centered Storytelling as Product Strategy

"What's the story that shows the value add of your product?"

Patrick advocates for human-centered storytelling as a fundamental product approach. Rather than leading with features or specifications, he suggests crafting stories that demonstrate real value - like how a thermos saved someone's life while hiking. Stories have been humanity's primary communication tool since the beginning of time, and they remain the most effective way to show product value and connect with audiences on a meaningful level.

Being a Value Fundamentalist

"At any given moment, if anyone takes a screen grab, and set it against our five core values as a company - you see it's playing out."

Patrick describes himself as a value fundamentalist, meaning that their company's core values are always present in everything they do. This requires courage, including the willingness to say "no" when opportunities don't align with their values. As CEO, he believes in embodying these values consistently, even when it's challenging, because who they are must always be visible in their work.

Balancing Vision with Community Feedback

"When you ask the audience for a solution, there's no innovation."

Patrick warns against sacrificing vision simply because you're working closely with your audience. While being in the sandbox with your community is essential, maintaining your original vision for entertainment that changes minds is equally important. He recommends having someone you can bounce ideas off to help maintain this balance, and remembers that all great things start small and are inherently iterative.

Creating Emotionally Viable Products

"We can't develop emotional connection by going through a list of features."

Beyond minimum viable products, Patrick focuses on emotional viability - the hook that makes people truly care. Emotional connection cannot be built through feature lists but rather through compelling stories that capture people's imagination. When audiences engage with products outside of direct supervision, storytelling becomes the bridge that helps them discover new uses and applications. This creates a dance between product creators and their audience, leading to better product design.

The Currency of Attention

"Attention is the only currency - there's great wisdom in that."

Patrick recognizes that in today's landscape, capturing and maintaining attention is the fundamental challenge. Since everyone is an audience member at different times, this perspective helps inform both strategy and tactics. Products must compete not just on functionality but on their ability to engage and maintain audience interest over time.

As a recommended reading, Patrick suggests that we should read "Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" to understand how to better tell stories about our products.

About Patrick James Lynch

Patrick James Lynch is a filmmaker, media executive, and rare disease advocate. CEO of Believe Limited and founder of BloodStream Media, he uses his experience with hemophilia to drive award-winning storytelling, health advocacy, and mission-driven content that inspires and empowers rare and chronic disease communities worldwide.

You can link with Patrick James Lynch on LinkedIn and follow Patrick James Lynch's work on his website.