# A Short Guide to Technical Storytelling I Debbie Soon

- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2026-05-09
- Duration: 17:29
- Topics: Privy, Debbie Soon, Pragma, technical storytelling, marketing, wallet infrastructure, TEE, key sharding, policy engine, guard rails, AI agents, embedded wallets, self-custody, security, trust center, SOC 2, developer experience, docs, product marketing, audience mapping, boolean logic, business logic, UX, onboarding, smart contracts, Ethereum, Web3, blockchain, crypto, go-to-market, product-market fit, infrastructure, capabilities, narrative, branding, communication, storytelling principles
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-Up0j1_dm1EM
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up0j1_dm1EM

## Description

In this talk, Debbie Soon, head of marketing at Privy, delivers a masterclass on technical storytelling — the skill of bridging the gap between how a product works and what it enables. She argues that complexity isn't the problem; the problem is when people don't understand what your product means for them. Using Privy's wallet infrastructure and policy engine as examples, she shows how the same product gets explained differently across five audience surfaces: socials (narrative layer), website (evaluation layer), docs (implementation layer), and trust center (risk/assurance layer).

Debbie walks through two concrete translations: converting "hardware-isolated TEEs and key sharding" into "wallets that are secure by design but flexible in practice," and converting "boolean conditions with allow/deny actions" into "programmable behavior where money movement becomes safe, flexible, and predictable by design." She frames this as turning boolean logic into business logic. She closes with three daily principles for better storytelling: start with what changes (not what you built), translate systems into capabilities, and give people language they can repeat — because to make your product scale, you first have to be understood.

00:00 Introduction
00:42 What Is Privy and Why Storytelling Matters
02:30 The Problem: Complexity Isn't Bad, Misunderstanding Is
03:33 What Is Technical Storytelling
04:32 Bridging How It Works and What It Enables
05:22 Two Examples: Wallet Architecture and Policy Engine
06:15 Five Audience Surfaces: Socials, Website, Docs, Trust Center
07:30 Mapping Surfaces to Audiences
08:37 Example 1: Wallet Architecture — TEEs and Key Sharding
09:52 Translating Wallet Tech into "Secure by Design, Flexible in Practice"
11:18 Example 2: Policy Engine — Rules, Conditions, Actions
12:32 Translating Boolean Logic into Business Logic
13:43 Technical Storytelling Is Not Just for Marketers
14:28 Making Ideas Travel from Brain to Market
15:02 Three Principles: What Changes, Capabilities, Repeatable Language
16:41 To Scale, You First Have to Be Understood
17:20 Closing

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🇫🇷 *Pragma Cannes 2026*
Pragma Cannes 2026 was held on April 2nd at the JW Marriott Hotel in Cannes, France and was an in-person summit for builders and leaders in the web3 ecosystem. Watch the full Pragma Cannes 2026 YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh5OnsJ95gz7HoI1tLUj3kZr

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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✅ Follow Debbie Soon
X: https://x.com/debsoon

✅ Follow Privy
X: https://x.com/privy_io

✅ Follow Kartik Talwar
X: https://x.com/TheRealKartik

✅ Follow ETHGlobal
X: https://x.com/ETHGlobal​
Warpcast: https://warpcast.com/ethglobal
Website: https://ethglobal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UCfF9ZO8Ug4xk_AJd4aeT5HA 

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