Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

325. Message Market Fit: Turning Great Ideas Into Communication That Lands

September 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In 2018, when Oliver Aust started building his personal brand, his team told him he needed to be out there. His instinctive reply was, “But it’s about the team. It’s not about me.” Their response: “Yeah, we hear you, but it helps all of us.” That tension—between the instinct to stay humble and the need to be seen—is the starting point for Aust’s work on message market fit, a concept he argues is just as critical to a company’s survival as product market fit. While product market fit means there is a market for what you make, message market fit means you have found the right words and story to convince top talent, customers, and investors to work with you, buy from you, or invest in you. In his view, the reason 90% of startups fail—and why established companies have shorter lifespans—is often a lack of message market fit, not a bad product.

The Outcome, Not the Drill

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (02:46) **Defining Message Market Fit** - Oliver explains that companies need both product market fit and message market fit to succeed, and that lack of the latter is why 90% of startups fail.
  • 2 (05:57) **From Overlooked to Unignorable: The Three M's** - Oliver introduces his framework for personal and company branding, starting with a mindset shift.
  • 3 (06:57) **Mindset: Overcoming the Reluctance to Self-Promote** - Oliver shares his personal struggle and why being visible is necessary in today's market.
  • 4 (08:11) **Messaging: The Three C's for Clarity** - Oliver explains how to craft a message that sticks using contrast, compression, and cadence.
  • 5 (09:54) **Method: The PACE Framework for LinkedIn** - Oliver breaks down his system for building a professional presence on the platform.
  • 6 (12:28) **Managing Communication Anxiety: The BMW Framework** - Oliver shares a practical method for feeling calm and confident before high-stakes communication.
  • 7 (14:19) **The CEO as Storyteller in Chief** - Oliver argues that in a fast-changing world, leaders must use narrative to make sense of the world for their stakeholders.

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Show Notes

“No one cares about us, our company, our products. We have to make them care, and for that, we need the right words.”

Great work doesn’t always speak for itself. For communication strategist and author of Message Machine: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder, Oliver Aust, getting your ideas noticed requires “message-market fit,” finding the right words and stories to make people understand why what you offer matters. In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Aust joins Matt Abrahams to discuss how to craft messages that resonate and stand out. From focusing on outcomes instead of products to building a personal brand and using storytelling to make sense of change, Aust shares practical strategies for communicating your value with greater clarity and impact.


Takeaways:

  • Make people care about the outcome, not the product. Strong messaging focuses less on what you do and more on the value you create, helping your audience see and feel what’s possible.
  • Good work still needs to be communicated. Building visibility isn’t just self-promotion. Clearly sharing your value, defining who you’re for, and developing a distinctive message can help the right people find you.


Activity:

  • Show the picture. Choose one product, service, or idea you regularly describe. Instead of explaining what it does, describe the outcome your audience wants to experience. Make that outcome the centerpiece of your message.

To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.


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