The author of Morphology of a Folktale,Vladimir Propp was a 20th century folklorist who analyzed Russian folktales and argued that these stories could all be reduced to their simplest narrative components -- to the "31 functions" that are the building blocks of storytelling. Folktales needn't contain all 31, but they are always comprised of some, according to Propp: an absent family member (a dead mother), an interdiction (if you touch the spinning wheel, you will die), a quest (deliver this food to Grandma's house), a magical object (pumpkin carriage), a marriage (happily ever after). (Check out this Proppian Fairy Tale generator for more info.)
Scholars have subsequently challenged Propp's Formalist approach, saying that it overlooks many important elements of storytelling. But as I spend my days reading stories about tech and tech businesses, the folklorist in me can't help but wonder how many of Propp's functions appear in the company creation or brave founder hero stories we tell.
iProppian Functions: The Startup Story Building Blocks
(with credit to Changing Minds for its list of Propp's 31 narratemes)
1. ABSENTATION: Someone goes missing. Once upon a time...
2. INTERDICTION: Hero is warned. "Your idea/product/logo/code is stupid." "You should talk to a lawyer first." "You should finish your MBA."
3. VIOLATION OF INTERDICTION Hero quits job at Google/AOL/Yahoo to found startup. Hero drops out of BA/MBA/PhD program.
4. RECONNAISSANCE: Villain seeks something. Facebook launches a new feature that almost mirrors what the hero's product does. Unscrupulous advisor asks for an equity stake in the company. Delay in approval of iPhone app.
5. DELIVERY: The villain gains information. Information about hero's plans leaked via Quora, Twitter, or anonymous email tip to a tech blog.
6. TRICKERY: Villain attempts to deceive victim. "Make sure you ask for NDAs." "Nah, you shouldn't build your app in the cloud."
7. COMPLICITY: Unwitting helping of the enemy. Hero is misquoted by a journalist.
8. VILLAINY AND LACK: The need is identified. Hero reads Steve Blank's The Four Steps to Epiphany.
9. MEDIATION: Hero discover the lack. Hero figures out how customer development works.
10. COUNTERACTION: Hero chooses positive action. Hero builds an MVP. Hero open sources project.
11. DEPARTURE: Hero leave on mission. Hero moves to San Francisco. Hero and team move into the garage.
12. TESTING: Hero is challenged to prove heroic qualities. Hero bootstraps.
13. REACTION: Hero responds to test. Hero is "ramen profitable."
14. ACQUISITION: Hero gains magical item. Hero hires a mindblowingly awesome UX designer. Hero creates a viral video. Robert Scoble tweets that he thinks the hero is "the next big thing."
15. GUIDANCE: Hero reaches destination. Hero buys an awesome domain name.
16. STRUGGLE: Hero and villain do battle. Hero is sucked into a pissing contest on an online forum.
17. BRANDING: Hero is branded. Online forum pissing contest makes hero look like a creep... but a smart creep.
18. VICTORY: Villain is defeated. Competitor is down-voted in online forum pissing contest. Competitor is removed from the iTunes App store. Competitor gets scathing reviews from bloggers.
19. RESOLUTION: Initial misfortune or lack is resolved. Hero gets paying customers.
20. RETURN: Hero sets out for home.
21. PURSUIT: Hero is chased. Hero hears another startup is working on a nearly identical product.
22. RESCUE: Pursuit ends.
23. ARRIVAL: Hero arrives unrecognized. Hero forgets to get business cards printed.
24. CLAIM: False hero makes unfounded claims. Fucking patent trolls.
25. TASK: Difficult task proposed to the hero. Hero must write documentation.
26. SOLUTION: Task is resolved. Launch!
27. RECOGNITION: Hero is recognised Front page of The New York Times, bitches!
28. EXPOSURE: False hero is exposed
29. TRANSFIGURATION: Hero is given a new appearance Hero appears (photoshopped) on the cover of Newsweek. Struggles with iPhone app approval force complete revision of product "look and feel".
30. PUNISHMENT: Villain is punished Competitor incurs the wrath of 4chan. Enemy is publicly denounced by Stephen Colbert.
31. WEDDING: Hero marries and ascends the throne M&A. Hero has founded a "dipshit company" and is purchased by Google for $25 million.