Entrepreneurs are always selling. When you’re the founder of a startup, you are your company. You’re in a constant state of pitching. And one of the most important tools to have at your disposal while selling is a matrix of stories.

Getting out of the building to talk to customers doesn’t mean getting out of the building and telling people about your idea. You’re not out to say the following: “I have a great idea X to solve Y problem with Z solution. What do you think of that?” What you’re really doing when you talk to customers is listening and learning.

Steve Blank’s Founder Genius clip “Creating a Reality Distortion Field” reminds us that the ability to create a vision that compels others to join you, invest in you and buy from you is an acquired skill, and one that is critically important to your company.

We have interviewed dozens of accomplished entrepreneurs for our Founder Genius clips. We’ve talked with them about topics ranging from founding team dynamics, balancing the entrepreneurial life, sales and presentation strategies, and how they tackle the challenges of protecting intellectual property.

So you’ve got an idea that provides a solution to a customer’s migraine-worthy problem. Now what? Creating a marketing strategy can help you do everything from acquire customers, build brand awareness, and build credibility with potential investors. Our series on Entrepreneurial Marketing with Anita Newton builds a strong framework for how to think about the stages of your marketing plans. But building these plans requires building competency in search engine optimization, email marketing, and content marketing.

When Craig Wortmann, in his series “Entrepreneurial Selling”, describes the entrepreneur, racing back and forth across the long side of a triangle, teetering on a teeny tiny point, trying not to tip over, something about the image rings so true. He so vividly describes: “as the entrepreneur you’re running back and forth on the top, doing everything that has to be done– from making the coffee to creating the product, to overseeing the sales, marketing, and communications.

It may surprise you to learn that your financials should not be left to a bookkeeper alone. In order to understand a business and avoid making mistakes, you must understand the numbers that drive the important metrics–cash flow and revenue–that fuel your venture.

As the term and definition of a millennial continues to grow in society today, the generation becomes more and more associated with the need for a mission and a cause to stand behind. But can this propensity for a social cause combine with the desire to start a viable, sustainable company?