Hey, I'm Elan. I run Off-Menu, a brand consultancy for high-growth companies changing the game. Clients include Scale AI, Rho, Paradigm, and dozens more.

I started Off-Menu after watching too many startups with great products struggle to break through.

What I've found is that story is the best tool to make that happen. Because people don't really care about "design." We crave stories. And while there are a ton of agencies that can give you a glow-up or make you look cool, cool doesn't convert. A compelling story does.

So glad you asked, because I can nerd out on this stuff all day.

High level, it's a distinctive, aspirational, culturally relevant point of view that's rooted in people's real emotional needs. In other words: a why that makes the world care.

If you have that POV as your foundation, everything else flows from there. Your brand, your product strategy, the way you talk and who you hire all emerge organically.

Coming in with the hardball! Fair enough.

Because I've been in your shoes. I co-founded Glimpse (backed by Google and First Round Capital), led product at Shoptiques (YC), and built an in-house consultancy at Twitter. I've felt that pressure to break through. So I understand what you need, and just as importantly, what you don't.

So I don't give you vibes or agency bullshit. I get obsessed with your business, diving deeper and searching wider to unlock a "why" that earns attention and rewires your company for growth. Then I use it to create design that cuts through the noise.

And I'll get there, no matter how many territories or revisions or post-its on the wall it takes. And here's the thing: this whole process is actually super fun. You'll learn a lot along the way, and you'll have a chance to get creative and grow as a team.

I do two things, and I do them well:

There are six inflection points when POV becomes your competitive advantage:

Not sure where to start? Take this 2 min quiz.

How to stand out without selling out. I write about it at offmenu.substack.com.

I also open-sourced my swipe file with my Mt. Rushmore of favorite ads.

I'm a marathon runner (13 races, training for sub-3), co-founder of a burger club, and dog dad based in Brooklyn, NY. Forbes 30 Under 30, back when I was a young buck. Also, I was an extra in an Adam Sandler movie. Ask me about it.