How to explain a new technology so strangers repeat it correctly
By Bridget Mao · October 16, 2026 · 2 min read
To get strangers to repeat your product correctly, describe the outcome in plain words, use one comparison they already know, and test it on people outside your company. If they can say it back in their own words without losing the point, the message works. If they stumble, simplify it before spending anything on reach.
Why founders struggle with this
You know the product too well. Every detail feels essential, so the explanation grows. A new listener needs the opposite: one idea they can carry. Explaining a genuinely new thing without jargon is one of the hardest kinds of writing.
The method
- Start with the outcome. What changes for the customer? Say that before how it works.
- Name who it is for. One specific person, not "businesses".
- Use one familiar comparison. "Like X, but for Y" helps only if X is something your listener already understands.
- Cut every term a newcomer would have to look up. Replace it with what it does.
- Write it so a ten-year-old would follow. Not because buyers are children, but because clarity travels.
The repeat test
Tell five people outside the company your sentence. Ask each to explain it to a friend. Write down what they say. Where their version differs from yours, your message is leaking. Fix that line and run the test again.
Common traps
- Describing features. Features need context. Outcomes do not.
- Inventing words. A coined label asks the reader to learn your vocabulary first.
- Trying to say everything. One idea per sentence, one sentence per page.
- Writing for investors and customers at once. They need different sentences.
Where it goes next
Once the sentence holds, it goes everywhere: the site headline, the pitch deck, the explainer video, every post. Consistency is what makes it stick. This is the second step in launching in a category with no name.
Frequently asked questions
How short should the sentence be?
Short enough to say in one breath.
Do I need a tagline too?
Not at first. A clear sentence beats a clever line.
What if the technology is truly complex?
Explain the result first. Offer detail for those who ask.
How do I test without an audience?
Friends of friends, strangers in a coffee shop, or members of an online community.
How often should I revisit it?
Whenever the product or the audience shifts.
Book a discovery call: Want this set up for your own business? Book a discovery call with me.