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Welcome to this week's issue of Unpacking Meaning. If you received this from a friend and enjoy it, ​subscribe here.

It’s 1959.

Nine elite Soviet hikers.

The Ural Mountains.

Level three mountaineering test—the hardest there is.

They were young, confident, and experienced. They set off with cameras, carefully mapped routes, and a plan.

And they vanished.

When the search party arrived days later, they found the group’s tent half-buried in snow. It had been slashed open from the inside.

Inside: clothes folded neatly in the corners. Outside: barefoot tracks in the snow, leading away from the tent. They followed the prints down to a sparse forest, where they found the first bodies. Frozen. Some stripped nearly naked. One was draped over a tree branch. Another had deep scratch marks in the bark, as if they’d tried to climb it in a panic.

Further down, six more bodies. Some had swapped clothing. One had no tongue. Another, radioactive residue on their clothes. One had their chest crushed with the force of a car crash—yet no external wound.

The official Soviet report said it was “an unknown unnatural force.”

That’s how MrBallen tells it. And when he tells it, you feel like he was there.

Even though he wasn’t.

He just fully owned it.

I was listening to him tell this story on The Diary of a CEO podcast, and I loved this big lesson:

That’s what hits you watching his videos.

It’s not the script. It’s not the production value. It’s the conviction.

Most companies spend forever polishing the story. They test. They tweak. They wait for more data.

But they forget the part that actually moves people:

Committing to the story you can tell—right now.

Not the one that’s perfect. Not the one your competitors are telling. Not the one you hope to tell someday when you “have the numbers.”

Just this one. Told like it matters. Told like you were there.

Belief is contagious, and if you don’t believe the story enough to stand inside it, why should your customers?

The Committed Narrative Framework™

How to find your story—and write like you believe it

Most messaging sounds forgettable not because the idea is weak… …but because it reads like no one really believes it.

The Committed Narrative Framework helps you do two things:

1. Find the story you’re willing to own
2. Write it with conviction—so others believe it too

Let’s break it down.

Part 1: Find the story you can commit to

Before you finesse the words, you need a core story worth telling, one rooted in truth, tension, and point of view.

Ask yourself:

1. Why did we build this? What problem, friction, or pattern did you see that wouldn’t leave you alone? Why this solution, and why now?

2. What drives us crazy about the market? Which assumptions, practices, or competitor claims feel out of touch—or even harmful? What’s broken that others accept as normal?

3. What do we believe needs to change? What shift are you trying to create in how your audience sees the problem, the solution, or their role in it?

4. Where is the customer getting it wrong? What are they trying, assuming, or buying that’s holding them back? And how does your product help them see a better way?

5. What’s behind our buzzwords? If you say you're “AI-powered,” “data-driven,” or “frictionless,” dig deeper: → Why does that actually matter to the customer? → And what deeper insight or belief led you to build it that way?

The goal here is clarity first. Get to the raw truth.

Part 2: Tell the story like you mean it

Once you’ve found your story, the next step is inhabiting it. That’s what makes people feel it’s real even before they understand every detail.

Here's how to write like you're in the room when the story happened:

1. Strip the disclaimers. If your sentence starts with “Some people might find…” or ends with “but it depends,” cut it. Lead with clarity, not caveats.

2. Open with tension. Start where the pain is sharpest or the belief is boldest. Don’t waste your headline or first sentence on what you do, start with why it matters.

3. Anchor the reader in a worldview. Make it clear what you believe and how that belief shapes the product, the experience, and the outcomes. Let the reader feel: This isn’t just software. This is a stance.

4. Use structure to reinforce story. Don’t just say you think differently—show it in how you organize the page. Build tension. Flip assumptions. Land your key insight like a punchline.

5. End with direction. Whether it’s a CTA or a final takeaway, make it decisive. You’re guiding belief, not asking for permission.

What does uncommitted messaging sound like?

Let’s look at a before-and-after using a fictional B2B SaaS company that helps mid-market customer support teams automate repetitive tickets using AI.

❌ The uncommitted version:

What’s happening here?

It’s accurate. Polished. Safe. But it sounds like it could’ve been written by anyone in the space. There’s no belief. No point of view. No reason to care.

There’s no tension. No why. It’s product-led instead of problem-led. And it’s defensive, trying to tick all the boxes instead of making a case.

✅ The committed version:

What’s working here?

This version reflects a clear belief about the market, a sharp definition of the problem, and a conviction about how to fix it. It speaks to the real tension their customer lives with, and takes a stand on what most solutions get wrong.

Here’s your takeaway for today:

Uncommitted copy describes. Committed copy decides.

It decides what to say and what not to say. It decides who it’s really for—and who it’s not.

People don’t commit to products. They commit to narratives they believe in.

So start with yours.

Then write it like you were there.

DISCOVERY

Episode 34 of The Message-Market Fit podcast is out!

​

I had an great chat with Brandon Lutz, a B2B offline media expert who has worked with tech giants like Indeed, Miro, and Amazon. Here's what you'll learn:

• How to leverage offline advertising to break through digital clutter in B2B SaaS
• How to adapt product marketing messaging for offline channels like audio and TV
• How to test and measure offline campaign effectiveness with practical frameworks
• How to navigate cultural differences when marketing across European markets
• How to advocate for offline media investment with the "Everest mentality" approach
• And way way more.

Check it out here. And if you find it valuable, would you consider subscribing and leaving a rating? 🙏

Is AI writing ruining it all for us?

I loved this take on how the em dash is being perceived and used or misused, thanks to AI writing.

RESONANCE

Seth Godin, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Chris

Chris Silvestri Founder & conversion alchemist

🙌🏻 Let’s be friends (unless you’re a stalker)​

When you're ready, here's a few ways I can help

Not sure where to start? Take our free message-market fit scorecard.​