Ship the Story, Not Just the Product

Name: Ship the Story, Not Just the Product
Start: 2026-09-28T15:10:00-05:00
End: 2026-09-28T15:30:00-05:00
Location: The Rand

When: Mon, Sep 28 · 3:10 – 3:30 PM
Where: The Rand, 3rd Floor

A brilliant product without a story becomes invisible. Teams build the product, then scramble for the narrative the week before launch. That's a gift to competitors. This session makes the case for treating narrative as part of the build, not a final step, and why leading with AI can backfire when audiences are already skeptical. With 15+ years in tech and entertainment PR and 5+ years in AI, from a sports/esports video company's acquisition to SAG-AFTRA's first voice-AI agreement, and launching a major filmmaker's AI production studio, Maria Consuelo Gonima shares what earns attention, what to avoid, and how to keep the focus on the outcome instead of the technology. What you'll hear: - Why narrative storytelling belongs in the build, not the launch plan - The AI backlash: how "look at the time you save" wins over "look at our algorithm" - How to make the tech disappear so its value is vividly clear - A framework for shipping product and story together

All of The Model The rest of the day Everything at The Rand