My challenge for 2024 is to secure a book deal. But, in the meantime, I’m committed to posting lots of short fiction on the internet. Here’s the first one — a retelling of a Greek myth as a heist.

There’s a one minute segment from Steve Jobs’ 2007 iPhone launch I come back to again and again. It’s the first minute, and it goes like this:

“This is a day I’ve been looking forward to for two and a half years. Every once and a while, a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything. You’re very fortunate if you get to work on one of these in your career. Apple’s been very fortunate it’s been able to introduce a few of these to the world. In 1984, we introduced the Macintosh. It didn’t just change Apple, it changed the whole computer industry.”

In a perfect world, your opening few lines wouldn’t matter. People would stick around for your main point. They wouldn’t mindlessly reach for their phone. But, alas, here we are and you’re likely reading this because something about the first few lines pulled you in.

I don’t blame ya. That’s how I operate too. Think of it this way.

The beginning of your story is like a door. If someone’s on the threshold debating whether to enter, you need to give them a reason to take that step. If they walk away, you’ve lost them. But get them through, get them to take that first step, and you’ve got them into your world and they’re unlikely to turn around.

Jobs uses three hook techniques in those first six sentences. And no, don’t worry, you don’t have to be Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone to use these ideas. Let’s take a look, line by line.

Make a Promise

To make his promise, Jobs does two things:

• Costly Signaling — Jobs and Apple poured two and a half years into this thing. We appreciate effort and often equate it with value.

• Raising The Stakes — They didn’t just create a new product, they’re starting a revolution.

Put yourself into the year 2007. What phone dominates the market? The Blackberry. And what company has never, in its 30+ year history, launched a phone? Apple.

Yet Steve Jobs walks on stage and promises the audience that he and Apple built a product that will “change everything.”

Give an Invitation

Steve’s already made his promise. And he follows it up with this brilliant rhetorical trick.

Jobs extends the idea of being part of something extraordinary, not just to himself and Apple, but to the audience as a whole. Notice the use of the word “you.” Nowhere else in this paragraph is it used.

It's a subtle invitation to feel privileged about witnessing this moment. To become a part of it, a part of this team starting a revolution, not just someone on the outside looking in.

Leverage Juxtaposition

The promise has been made. The audience wants to be part of the revolution. Now, Jobs wants to make them believe the impossible is possible. So he puts the iPhone and Macintosh side by side.

This comparison serves two purposes. First, it positions the iPhone within Apple’s lineage of ‘revolutionary’ products. Second, it defines what Jobs means by revolutionary. A product that won’t just transform Apple, but the entire phone industry.

Pulling it together

Is this the only way to structure a hook? Of course not.

But I love how much mileage Jobs gets out of six highly intentional sentences. When you focus on story, you can do a lot with very little.

Get your audience through that door. Then, the floor is yours.

Have an awesome Sunday,

Nathan

PS. This is an example of shortform, non-fiction storytelling. For most professionals, it’s the type of storytelling that’ll take you the furthest.

That’s why, on Feb 5th, I’m launching Storytelling: Zero to One — A limited-time course that trains you in:

• The 4 Purposes of Story

• Story Banks & Minimum Viable Stories

• The Story Structure Sandbox

• First Drafts (Defeat the Blank Page)

• Hooks, Loops, & 11 Other Rhetorical Devices to Bring Your Story to Life

• World Building & Narrative

• Distribution (Get Your Story Seen)

I’m pumped to get this into the world. If you’re curious, verify your interest by clicking here. I’m cooking up a few bonuses only available to the waitlist.

A Sentence I Wish I Wrote — Trivia

Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoyed the read.