Welcome to Scene 1: The Status Quo

This scene is all about introducing your audience (your customers/users) and establishing the status quo - the current state of affairs and assumptions before your solution enters the picture.

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What is Scene 1 About?

This scene is critical because it

Establishes the setting and introduces characters/context
Paints a vivid picture of the current state before the product or solution enters the story
Allows the audience to relate to shared experiences
Sets up the need for change

Fill-in-the-Blank Glossary

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Storytelling Instructions

Here’s the step-by-step process to producing this scene

First, think of a descriptive name for your target audience, like "aspiring artists" or "busy parents". Use something descriptive yet catchy. Write it down in the [stars] spot.
Next, really get into their mindset. What false assumptions or unhelpful beliefs do they hold right now? How are they currently trying to solve problems or achieve goals? Jot down some notes in the [status quo belief] and [the old way] spots.
Now, imagine the frustrations and obstacles they face because of this. What can't they do easily or at all? What annoys or demotivates them? Capture this in the [pain] space.
Envision their aspirations and dreams. Despite current hurdles, what are they striving for? What does their ideal future look like? Note this in the [goals] and [brighter future] areas.

When finished, read through the entire Status Quo scene. It should vividly establish who your audience is and what they currently believe before encountering your solution.

<aside> 👉 Refine the language to craft a cohesive snapshot of your audience's current state. You're now ready to progress through the remaining scenes and map out how your product or service can guide them on a journey to a brighter future!

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Scene 1 Cue Card

This cue card is a template you can use to succinctly summarize this scene.

Meet [stars], a [descriptor] [role] at [company/location]. Lately, [stars] has been facing [obstacles] when it comes to [tasks].

Because of [false assumptions], it's been difficult to [action] and [consequence]. [Stars] feels [emotion] about this and dreams of [goals] and [brighter future]. But the way things are going, [worrying outcome] seems likely.  

[Stars] assumes [outdated beliefs] and continues [inefficient processes] to try and [achieve goals], even though it leads to [frustrations]. There has to be a better way.

Below is a filled out example of this cue card for Scene 1.

Meet [Morgan], a [busy] [marketer] at [ABC Company]. Lately, [Morgan] has been facing [inefficiency and missed opportunities] when it comes to [content creation].

Because of [the assumption that quality content takes too much time], it's been difficult to [produce enough content] and [goals have suffered]. [Morgan] feels [overwhelmed and frustrated] about this and dreams of [increased performance] and [having ample high-converting content]. But the way things are going, [continued mediocre performance] seems likely.

[Morgan] assumes [there's no better way] and continues [manually crafting each piece of content from scratch], even though it leads to [burnout and lagging behind competitors]. There has to be a better way.

When can you skip this scene?

When a solution inherently reveals the problem it solves, the status quo becomes self-evident without needing explicit demonstration. Here are key scenarios where this occurs:

Universal Pain Points

Obvious Inefficiencies: When the problem is widely experienced and immediately recognizable. Situations where the current process is clearly wasteful or redundant.
Intuitive Connection: Where users can instantly connect their current struggles to the solution.
Self-Explanatory Transformation: In cases where the transformation is self-explanatory.
"Why Didn't I Think of That?" Moments: Solutions that are so intuitive they highlight the awkwardness of the previous approach.
Before/After Contrasts: Where the solution's impact is visually striking, demonstrating the prior state's shortcomings.

Technical Complexity

Simplified Complexity: Solutions that simplify obviously complex processes.
Automated Tasks: Tools that automate clearly manual tasks.
Streamlined Workflow: Interfaces that streamline visibly scattered workflow.
Abstraction of Complex Systems: Hiding intricate details behind a user-friendly interface, revealing the previous complexity by contrast.
Consolidation of Tools: Combining multiple tools into a single platform, highlighting the prior fragmentation.
Improved Performance/Speed: Drastically reducing processing time or resource usage, making the previous inefficiency clear.

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