1. Overview

This is a guide for creating a one-page dossier on an organization and the people you're meeting. The goal is to get beyond the basic facts and uncover the unique cultural and narrative details that show you've really done your homework.

2. Why This is Helpful

This dossier gives you the key background, but more importantly, it arms you with the "inside baseball" — the founding stories, core philosophies, and internal language. Mentioning these intelligently builds instant rapport and shows genuine interest.

3. When to Use This

Use this before any important meeting where building a strong personal and company connection is critical (prospects, VCs, key partners, etc.).

4. What to Provide

• Organization Info (Required): Some identifying description of the company like the name and/or website.

• Person Details (Required): Some identifying description of each person, like their name and/or title.

• Meeting Context (Recommended): A simple reason for the meeting. (e.g., "First pitch for our seed round," "Partnership exploration.").

5. What You'll Get

Part 1: Dossier Summary

• Top 5 Takeaways: A bulleted list of the five most critical, actionable insights (this will now include cultural/narrative points).

Part 2: Detailed Profiles

• Organization Profile

  • The Basics:

    • One-Line Description: What they do.

    • Website: Their URL.

    • Location: Headquarters.

    • Industry & Niche: Their market.

    • Profile: Their products, services, and customers.

    • Key Competitors: 2-3 main competitors.

  • The Deep Dive: Culture & Narrative

    • Foundational Philosophy: The "why" behind the company. (e.g., "Founded on the belief that 'finance should be democratized'").

    • Corporate Myth / Founding Story: The key story they tell about their origin. (e.g., "The founders famously built the first prototype on a napkin...").

    • Cultural Artifacts & Traditions: Unique things they do. (e.g., "They have a 'shipping gong' they ring for new releases," "All-hands meetings are called 'The Huddle'").

    • Internal Language & Jargon: Words they use. (e.g., "Employees are called 'Acme-ites'," "Their core value is 'Radical Candor'").

• Recent News & Activity

  • A list of 3-5 recent, relevant items.

• Person Profiles (One for each person)

  • Full Name & Current Role

  • Professional Summary: A 2-3 sentence bio.

  • Recent Activity: 2-3 recent items (e.g., "Posted on LinkedIn about...").

  • Connection Points & Rapport Builders: Shared connections, schools, or hobbies.

  • Personal Narrative: How they fit into the company's story. (e.g., "Was an early employee; often posts about the 'good old days'").

6. The Step-by-Step Plan

Step 1: Research the Organization (The 2-Part Process)

Part A: The "Hard Facts"

• Research their business model, recent news, funding, and competitors. This is the baseline.

Part B: The "Deep Dive" (How to find the cultural gold)

• This requires reading between the lines and going off script. You are looking for stories and values.

• Try things like going to the "Careers" or "Life at..." Page: This is where they sell their culture. Look for their "Core Values." Are they generic ("Integrity") or unique ("Be an Owner," "Default to Transparency")?

• Find Founder Interviews: Search for the founder's name with terms like "podcast," "interview," "How I Built This," or "our story." Listen for the first 5 minutes—this is almost always where they tell the founding myth.

• Read Their Blog and Socials: Don't just look at product announcements. Look for posts with titles like "The Next Chapter," "Why We Raised a Series B," or "Our 5th Anniversary." These are often full of narrative.

• Check "About Us" for Timelines: Some sites have a company timeline. This is a pre-packaged list of their defining stories.

• Look for Internal Language: As you read, note any weird words they use repeatedly (e.g., calling projects "missions," calling employees "partners" or a unique name). This is a huge cultural artifact.

• Synthesize: Fill out the "Culture & Narrative" section of the dossier with these findings.

Step 2: Research the People

• For each person, research their professional background (LinkedIn, company bio).

• Crucially: Try to connect their story to the company's story.

  • Are they a new hire brought in to "professionalize" the quirky startup culture?

  • Are they an "old guard" employee who embodies the founding myth?

  • Do their personal blog or LinkedIn posts echo the company's values? (e.g., If the company value is "Customer Obsession," does their feed show them constantly shouting out customer stories?).

Step 3: Find the "Top 5 Takeaways"

• Review all the info (facts + culture).

• Pull out the 5 most important insights, ideally relevant to the meeting context (if provided).

If you can't find a piece of information (like a "corporate myth" for a very new company), just write "No strong public narrative found" (or equivalent) in that field.