Neil Tanna's early fundraising mistake: he could articulate the hero perfectly. But he couldn't explain the villain.

As founder of Howbout (6 million users, backed by VCs and the Sidemen with 300 million followers), Neil learned the hard way that the hero makes no sense without the villain.

Investors don't care if you can describe your solution. They need to understand the problem you're solving - viscerally.

What you'll hear:

Why early Howbout messaging failed. They focused on the solution (social planning app) without making the problem (losing touch with friends) crystal clear. They were brilliant at the hero. Terrible at the villain.

How the villain evolved as users actually used the product. Initially: scheduling pain, the back-and-forth of group chat. But users weren't just planning events - they were putting their entire lives in the calendar. Everything. The real villain became "losing touch with friends in a world pushing you toward creators over actual connection."

What to do when users redefine your product. Howbout positioned as "social planner." Users turned it into a "platform to share time." Gen Z were adding when they're on their period, when they have dates, everything. Why? Because they're digital natives who share their live location with 5-15 friends. Time is the same.

How to pitch the same business to different audiences. US VCs: "Why are we talking about monetisation?" European VCs: "Why are we talking about anything else?" At seed, 10x more monetisation talk. At Series A, barely mentioned it. You have to evolve your story based on who's listening.

Why you need to define your ethos, not just vision/mission. What is the emotional reason someone uses your product? Why do they share it? Why do they pay for it? Everyone in your business should articulate this in a couple sentences. This is your right to win.

The CFO growth hack. Every friend group has a Chief Friendship Officer - the Type A planner, the micro-influencer. Neil targeted them through Instagram memes.

Why focusing on everyone means no one. Howbout only focused on UK 18-22 year olds initially. Then proved US growth before Series A. If you try to be everything to everyone, your messaging becomes mud.

The insight:

Listen to find out 😆

One action: Listen to the end for Neil's framework on defining your right to win.

More from James:

Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

Everyone Needs to Know Who the Villain Is - Not Just the Hero