Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches

Episode: BONUS Entertainment That Makes Change: Lessons in Product Thinking from Believe Ltd. With Patrick James Lynch
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Patrick James Lynch, CEO of Believe Ltd. and Founder of Bloodstream Media
Release Date: May 29, 2025

1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with Vasco Duarte promoting the Scrum Master Toolbox membership, highlighting access to extensive agile content and community engagement. However, the core of the episode begins with the introduction of Patrick James Lynch, a master storyteller, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and rare disease advocate.

2. Guest Background

Patrick Lynch is introduced as a dynamic professional wearing multiple hats:

• Filmmaker and Media Executive: Leading Believe Ltd., an agency focused on creating high-impact media.
• Rare Disease Advocate: Utilizing personal experiences with hemophilia to drive impactful storytelling and health advocacy.
• Founder of Bloodstream Media: A branded podcast network aimed at inspiring and empowering rare and chronic disease communities globally.

3. Origin and Mission of Believe Limited

Patrick delves into the inception of Believe Limited, describing it as "an agency, a creative agency and an independent production company that specializes in high impact videos, films, podcasts, live experiences and influencer campaigns" (02:18). The mission is bold: "to produce entertainment that affects change." This mission was born out of personal tragedy—Patrick's younger brother, who also had hemophilia, passed away due to complacency in self-care (03:14). This loss prompted Patrick to explore how to engage and empower young people with hemophilia through relatable and entertaining content.

Quote:
"Entertainment is the best form of engagement." (03:45)

4. The Importance of Storytelling and Customer Engagement

Vasco highlights the relevance of Patrick's insights for product people, emphasizing the need to engage, understand, and convey value to customers. Patrick shares key tips on storytelling and community engagement:

• Needs Assessment as a Starting Point: Utilizing data to identify community needs but recognizing its limitations (06:38).
• Deep Listening and Embedding: Immersing oneself in the community to uncover unmet needs not captured in formal assessments.
• Bridging Needs and Offerings: Crafting messages that resonate, such as Patrick's phrase, "Entertainment to affect change," which succinctly conveys Believe Limited's value proposition (07:50).

Quote:
"Without fail, there will be something that rises to the surface that didn't make its way to the needs assessment sheet." (07:15)

5. Embedding in the Community

Patrick emphasizes the necessity of actively participating and understanding the community:

• Dedicated Roles: Having a Senior Vice President of Engagement to deeply familiarize the team with various disease communities (09:06).
• Balancing Client and Community Perspectives: While clients have their own views, it's crucial to maintain an informed stance to serve them effectively (09:45).

Quote:
"Collaboration is only successful when all points of view are respected and allowed to bring themselves fully to the table." (15:12)

6. Handling Multi-Stakeholder Environments

Operating in complex environments with diverse stakeholders—patients, funders, healthcare professionals, pharma companies—Patrick discusses strategies to navigate these dynamics:

• Prioritizing the End Goal: Keeping the mission as the North Star to align diverse perspectives.
• Respecting Different Roles: Acknowledging and addressing the unique concerns of each stakeholder, from excited marketers to cautious legal teams (15:50).
• Effective Communication: Facilitating lateral conversations early to prevent future conflicts and ensure all voices are heard (18:30).

Quote:
"If I don't account for that scared lawyer... it's going to come up in three, six, nine weeks and it's going to be a much bigger problem later." (18:10)

7. Crafting Compelling Stories and Emotional Viability

Patrick shifts focus to storytelling as a tool for product engagement, advocating for emotional connections over mere feature listings:

• Human-Centered Storytelling: Sharing relatable stories that highlight the product's value, making the message more compelling and memorable (21:05).
• Emotional Viability: Ensuring that the product resonates emotionally with users to foster adoption and loyalty.
• Structure of Good Stories: Utilizing the traditional narrative arc—beginning, middle, and end—to maintain engagement (23:41).

Quote:
"There is nothing stronger than human centered, emotionally viable storytelling to do that." (32:52)

8. Viewing Users as Audiences

Challenging the conventional view of users as mere consumers, Patrick encourages thinking of them as audiences, which broadens the approach to engagement and storytelling:

• Attention as Currency: Recognizing that every product vies for the audience's attention and standing out requires compelling narratives (35:24).
• Story-Driven Marketing: Using stories to cut through the noise and create meaningful connections with the audience (37:27).

Quote:
"The world is an audience. We're all audiences all the time." (35:37)

9. Recommendations and Resources

In wrapping up, Patrick recommends "Save the Cat," a highly acclaimed book on screenwriting that offers fundamental storytelling techniques (37:51). He emphasizes its value for anyone looking to enhance their storytelling skills.

10. Conclusion

The episode concludes with information on how listeners can connect with Patrick and explore Believe Limited's offerings. Vasco reiterates the importance of community and shared learning, encouraging listeners to join the Scrum Master Toolbox membership for deeper engagement and resources.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• 03:45: "Entertainment is the best form of engagement." – Patrick Lynch
• 07:15: "Without fail, there will be something that rises to the surface that didn't make its way to the needs assessment sheet." – Patrick Lynch
• 15:12: "Collaboration is only successful when all points of view are respected and allowed to bring themselves fully to the table." – Patrick Lynch
• 18:10: "If I don't account for that scared lawyer... it's going to come up in three, six, nine weeks and it's going to be a much bigger problem later." – Patrick Lynch
• 21:05: "There is nothing stronger than human centered, emotionally viable storytelling to do that." – Patrick Lynch
• 32:52: "There is nothing stronger than human centered, emotionally viable storytelling to do that." – Patrick Lynch
• 35:37: "The world is an audience. We're all audiences all the time." – Patrick Lynch

Key Takeaways

• Deep Community Engagement: Truly understanding and embedding within the community is crucial for creating products that meet genuine needs.
• Storytelling as a Core Strategy: Emotional and human-centered stories are more effective in engaging audiences than feature-centric presentations.
• Navigating Multi-Stakeholder Environments: Respecting and integrating diverse stakeholder perspectives ensures successful collaboration and project outcomes.
• Authenticity and Credibility: Being genuine and transparent builds trust, even when operating outside one's direct experience.
• Iterative Development: Embracing iteration and feedback loops enhances product relevance and emotional connection with users.

For more insights and resources, visit believeltd.com and explore Bloodstream Media’s podcasts. Dive deeper into effective agile practices by joining the Scrum Master Toolbox community at scrummastertoolbox.org.