Why imperfect content wins: Stan’s Dare to Dream architect on what makes an application stand out

For all the emphasis creators place on polished visuals and optimised hooks, the submissions that stand out most in Stan’s Dare to Dream Challenge tend to look far messier.

That’s according to Rebecca Larzik, Head of Marketing at Stan, who devised the company’s $250,000 Dare to Dream programme as a way to give creators the financial space to take a genuine risk on themselves.

Now in its second year, Dare to Dream awards a $100,000 grand prize alongside additional awards and mentorship for runners-up. Larzik said she arrived at the figure by working backwards from something far more practical: a year’s worth of living costs.

“I wasn’t thinking about what sounded impressive,” she The Daily Influence. “I was thinking about rent, bills, food – what it would actually take for someone to say, ‘I can go all-in on this for a year.’”

Larzik noted that many people feel stuck, and that the challenge is about giving someone permission and space to choose themselves.

What makes an application stand out

Behind the scenes, submissions are assessed against four criteria: authenticity, impact, storytelling and alignment with Stan’s mission.

Authenticity, Larzik said, is about specificity rather than polish. “What’s actually happening in your life? What are the scary parts?” she said. “We’re not looking for some hyper AI-scripted component. We want to hear your voice loud and clear.”

“There are so many people who just pick up a camera and go – it’s shaky, they’re shaky – and that’s actually something we’re really looking for,” she said.

Impact is often misunderstood as meaning proof of scale or existing success. Instead, Larzik said judges look for clarity around what winning would unlock. “How does this move your business forward? How does it impact your community?” she said. Announcing a dream, Larzik noted, is one thing. Explaining what it enables is another.

Storytelling is assessed independently of production value. “If I muted the video, would I still understand the arc?” Larzik said. “Beginning, middle, end. Can you hold attention? Can you make me feel something?”

The most heavily weighted factor is alignment with Stan’s values, including resilience, ownership and creator-first thinking. “That’s the tiebreaker,” she said. “We’re looking for people who want to build something bigger than themselves.”

What doesn’t work is equally clear. Submissions often fall short when creators struggle to articulate what they are actually building, or when narratives jump between ideas without a clear through-line. “It can be heartfelt and honest, but if it’s hard to follow, it’s hard to assess,” Larzik said.

Follower count, she stressed, plays no role – though Larzik acknowledged there is often a correlation between creators who can clearly articulate their story and those who have already built an audience. “We don’t click through to profiles. We don’t look at audience size,” she said.

From brand storytelling to creator advocacy

Larzik’s approach to Dare to Dream is shaped by a career spent on the brand side, spanning fashion, cosmetics and action sports, including senior production roles at GoPro. Working closely with athletes – effectively creators before the term became mainstream – sharpened her focus on individual perspective.

“At GoPro, your point of view was everything,” she said. “Your personal story is what made the product resonate.”

She later worked in highly regulated industries where traditional advertising was limited, forcing a reliance on long-form storytelling and community building – lessons she now applies to creator-led businesses.

“I might not be the creator in front of the camera,” she said, “but I know how to build ideas that connect to why a company exists – and why someone should want to align with that mission.”

That philosophy underpins Dare to Dream, which reflects a growing focus on income stability in the creator economy.

For Larzik, even creators who don’t win still gain something by entering. “Putting yourself out there is the hardest part,” she said. “That’s already a win.”

The Dare to Dream Challenge is open until January 31 and is available to creators aged 18+ in the US, UK and multiple international markets across Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Enjoying The Daily Influence? Read by 1,000+ professionals following how the creator economy is evolving. Get our reporting delivered to your inbox.