Dan Roam - The Pop-up Pitch

Dan Roam has unearthed the core elements of persuasive storytelling and assembled into a single, simple path. If you follow Roams approach, youll quickly make meaning for your audiencesand for yourself.

D ANIEL H. P INK , #1 New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell is Human

The storyboard is a highly effective tool for helping people think visually about the problems to be solved, but just as important, it is a wonderful tool for presenting ideas to people who see them for the first time. Dans art of visual thinking and presentation is a wonderful creative tool and is well worth mastering.

E D C ATMULL , cofounder of Pixar Animation Studios and president of Pixar Animation and Disney Animation

As the world gets more complex, Dan Roam still delivers great simplicity. Mapping out a crystal clear, foolproof process, Roam leads the way through ten steps to more effective storytelling. Next time you have a high-stakes presentation, let this wonderfully practical book be your trusted guide.

Tom Kelley, coauthor of Creative Confidence and partner, IDEO

Make no mistake: Humans are story-driven creatures. Dans book brilliantly uses visual-thinking to democratize narrative and meaning so we can all go after what we want.

S UNNI B ROWN , social entrepreneur, acclaimed author, and doodler-in-residence at MURAL

Psychological research demonstrates that sketching is one of the best ways to clarify our own ideas and communicate them to others. In The Pop-Up Pitch, Dan Roam explains how we can use this powerful tool to create a compelling presentation in just a couple of hourseven those of us who cant draw. This is a profoundly imaginative and enjoyable book.

A NNIE M URPHY P AUL , author of Origins and The Extended Mind

Dan Roam is the master of using simple pictures to sell big ideas. Ive stolen truckloads from him, and now you can, too!

A USTIN K LEON , New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist

Persuading others to be a part of your journey is critical to any successful launch. In this visually brilliant and elegant book, Dan Roam gives us the tools to create your post persuasive presentation. A must read!

S ANYIN S IANG , Thinkers50 Most Influential Coach, and author of The Launch Book

Draw to Win

Show and Tell

The Back of the Napkin

Blah Blah Blah

Unfolding the Napkin

For Dan Thomas:

Mentor, sidekick, and chief mastermind for over a decade.

Have a good flight west, my friend. Ill look for you in the clouds.

T here are two kinds of people in the world. The first will make everything seem more complicated than it actually is. They will figure something out that is really useful and decide it should be a secret, theirs to keep. I mean, finders keepers, right?

And, the ones who make everything appear so easy, who figure something out and cant wait to share it. Here you go! Discovering this made things so much smoother for me, and I think it might do the same for you. You can have it. I in fact made it just for you.

Dan Roam falls squarely into the second category. His books are not I do this unique thing no one else can do, and I want to impress you with my prowess and exclusive insight but rather I have discovered this helpful thing thats in all of us and I want to assure you its in you too.

Do yourself a favor and follow the instructions in this book, for three reasons.

Because, they work.

Because, what has happened to us? Why are presentations such torture? They should be something that uplifts and inspires us, rather than something we are forced to endure.

But mostly, follow the instructions in this book because you will come across something in yourself that you had forgotten, like a treasure in your attic of things that used to bring you such joy. Here you will find your own story, your own brand of clarity, and Dan will make you feel you had it all along.

There is no gift more generous, I think, than the ability to disguise something you need to learn as something you are just remembering.

Dushka Zapata,
VP of executive communications
and two-hundred-million-read online author

I ve always believed that in an uncertain and complicated world, visual storytelling is magic. Sharing your idea with a few sketches and a simple story is clarifying, reassuring, and human. I believe its the best approach ever invented to convey your thinking to someone in a positive and persuasive way. Ive spent my career working from the promise that anyone can share any idea with anyone else in a way that is quick, clear, and optimistic, and this book is the result. I call it the pop-up pitch.

My intention in this book is simple: I want to give you a single template you can use to create the best presentation of your life. If youre a business leader, here is the story you can tell to motivate your team. If youre running a start-up, here is the most captivating way ever found to share your vision with an investor. If youre in sales, here is the story thats so engaging that your prospects will want to stay on the phone to learn more. No matter who you are, when you need to persuade someone quickly with an optimistic and positive story, the pop-up pitch is your template.