American comparative mythologist (1904–1987). Published The Hero With a Thousand Faces in 1949 after studying myths, legends and folklore across cultures. Found the same patterns everywhere — the 17-stage journey he called the Monomyth.
His work was adapted by Christopher Vogler for Hollywood, and is credited with influencing Star Wars. That’s how arcane academic work becomes the skeleton of blockbuster films.
Campbell matters to business storytelling because the Hero’s Journey provides the scaffolding for structuring any story—including your origin story. It’s not prescriptive. It’s a map of what humans recognise as meaningful transformation. When you follow it, you’re tapping into something ancient.
David Kudler, who worked closely with Campbell, said: “at its core, the Monomyth isn’t a blueprint of a plot outline; it’s a description of a psychological process.” That distinction matters. You’re not forcing events into a template. You’re describing the inner change that happens when someone moves from one state to another.
The power is in the recognition. Your audience has felt this journey before—in fairy tales, in films, in their own lives. They know the Call to Adventure. They know the Crossing of the Threshold. They know the Ordeal and the Reward. When you structure your business story this way, you’re not being clever. You’re being human.
That’s why a startup’s origin story feels resonant when it follows the Monomyth. Founder sees a problem (the Call). Leaves the familiar (Crossing). Faces obstacles (the Ordeal). Emerges transformed with a solution (the Reward). The facts don’t change. But the shape of the story activates something primal in the listener.
Campbell spent his life proving that story structure isn’t invention. It’s discovery.