Simple storytelling is a core component to success. Complexity is a distractor. The Back of the Napkin (B.O.T. N.) column of Bon Appetit values a short story: your story should fit on the back of the napkin. If your message can be conveyed in 10 words or less, that is even better. The space constraint forces brevity, clarity, and the big picture idea of your business or product. Or recipe.
Each month, Bon Appetit features on the last page a short interview with celebrity figures. Celebrities sketch their dream food or memories. For instance, actor Kevin Bacon draws his dream Bacon Lettuce Tomato or B.L.T. sandwich with avocado and smoked salmon. He turns the acronym into a B.L.A.S.T.
Others use the napkin space to campaign a certain food, whether virtuous and healthy, or for pleasure. The rapper Common extols his daily green juice, for its nutrition. Troy Aikman, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, draws frozen margaritas and a charcoal grill alongside football images.
The back of the napkin concept has become a powerful business model. International bestselling author Dan Roam wrote The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures that proves that a simple drawing can be more powerful than reams of research and elaborate multimedia presentations. His book launched into the business Napkin Academy where he teaches how visual thinking is an effective and persuasive practice where you “use pictures to clarify complexity, banish confusion, and defeat fear.”
Examples of Successful Businesses That Started on the Back of the Napkin
Multimillion dollar businesses started on the back of the napkin. Stories shared on Entrepreneur show that the back of the napkin plan is not just a myth. An example of a business plan that took shape over drinks is Southwest Chile Supply. This company began on the back of a cocktail napkin when Allison Rugen and Carlo Marchiondo failed to receive an order of green chiles. Cloud-computing company Ahead emerged after three martinis and 10 cocktail napkins from Chicago’s Boka restaurant.
Drawing and cooking come together in the collaborated site They Draw & Cook. Apple Crumble for instance becomes bowls of oats, slices of apples, and almonds along side blue scripted instructions.
Browse through the 6,500+ illustrated recipes for inspiration. For more ideas, follow the site’s guide to creating great illustrated recipes.
You can draw (and should!) your own ideas.
The beauty behind B.O.T.N is that we can all do this. No professional art training required, just creative thinking. Pull out whatever paper you have nearby…post-it note, Trader Joe’s receipt, parking ticket…pick up a pen or pencil and draw out the pieces of the recipe, the problem, the solution, or whatever it is that you want to tell your audience about.
You’ll be able to capture your best ideas, anywhere, anytime.
Take Away:
SIMPLE Stories gives you BIG Results.
Try it. You will get what you want. Every time.