🌟 Hello - it’s me, Kev - The Case Study Guy
In this week’s issue I share the The 10-Minute Story Test using The Story Stack
Have you ever spent hours writing a case study, only to realise halfway through that the story doesn’t… work?
That’s usually because we skip the test drive.
Before you polish the prose, you need to know if the story itself has traction.
That’s what the Story Stack gives you - a simple way to map the flow before you commit to the full script. Think of it as painting by numbers for storytelling.
Below is the 10-minute version you can use right now.
Grab a pen, a notebook, or the nearest napkin.
🎨 Your 10-Minute Story Stack Template
Hero – Who’s at the centre of this story?
Name them. Give them a title and company.
Goal – What were they trying to achieve?
Keep it simple and measurable.
Event – What triggered the search for help?
A problem, deadline, or internal pressure.
Obstacle – What stood in their way?
List the friction points - skills, systems, mindset.
Mentor – Who helped them?
That’s you, your product, or your team.
Journey – What steps did they take together?
Summarise the key actions or turning points.
Change – What’s different now?
Think behavioural or emotional change first, then the metrics.
Lesson – What can others learn from it?
That’s your takeaway or quote-worthy insight.
🧩 Example: Mary’s Story
Hero – Mary, a Fractional CMO working with growth-stage SaaS companies.
Goal – She wanted to build authority and position herself as a thought leader.
Event – After losing a retainer unexpectedly, she decided to launch a podcast to build her visibility and profile.
Obstacle – She had strategy but no production skills, and every DIY attempt stalled.
Mentor – Enter Kerr, a specialist Podcast Producer who helps B2B founders and marketers design repeatable content systems.
Journey – Together they built a lightweight process: guest sourcing, scripting, editing, and promotion templates - all in under 30 days.
Change – Six months later, Mary had released 20 episodes, doubled her inbound leads, and found her voice and confidence again.
Lesson – You don’t need a massive audience; you need a repeatable process that amplifies your expertise.
That’s the 10-Minute Story Test in action.
Eight quick prompts, one clear story.
If it flows here, it’ll flow in the full case study.
If it stalls, you’ve saved yourself hours - and found the gaps to fix.
And, if you’d like me to review your outline or provide feedback on one of your own case studies, let me know. It’ll be a review, with recommendations and most certainly not a roast.
—
Kev Anderson
The Case Study Guy
🧭 P.S. The best stories aren’t written - they’re tested first.