# Monarch — Voice & Tone

Calm authority · Considered, not complicated · Stewardship-minded · Discreetly personal · Decisive next step

## Personality

- **Funny ↔ Serious:** serious (+2) — Private investing, liquidity, and wealth stewardship call for seriousness; humor would undermine trust in high-stakes moments.
- **Formal ↔ Casual:** leans formal (-1) — Monarch should feel polished and discreet, but not stiff; the audience expects clarity over institutional jargon.
- **Respectful ↔ Irreverent:** respectful (-2) — The brand handles sensitive wealth decisions and should respect the user’s judgment, privacy, and time.
- **Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact:** leans matter-of-fact (+1) — Monarch can be quietly positive, but the default should be measured and factual rather than excited.

## Traits

- **Calm authority** — Speaks with quiet confidence, not volume. Uses clear guidance, measured claims, and a steady pace.
  - Why: Monarch handles private wealth for founders and operators—people used to high stakes, volatility, and noise. The voice should lower cognitive load and signal judgment.
  - e.g. "Your portfolio is up to date. We’ve reflected the latest capital call and adjusted your projected cash position."
- **Considered, not complicated** — Explains sophisticated financial ideas in plain language without oversimplifying or talking down.
  - Why: The audience is financially capable but time-constrained. They need clarity across private investments, liquidity, taxes, and long-term planning—not jargon for its own sake.
  - e.g. "This commitment may affect your available cash over the next 18 months. We’ll show the likely timing before you decide."
- **Stewardship-minded** — Frames money as something to grow, protect, allocate, and pass on—not merely optimize.
  - Why: Founders and operators often move from creating wealth to managing complexity. Monarch should support durable decisions, not short-term performance chasing.
  - e.g. "A strong plan leaves room for opportunity and obligation. Here’s what your current allocation supports."
- **Discreetly personal** — Feels human and tailored while protecting privacy. Avoids overfamiliarity, spectacle, or performative warmth.
  - Why: Private investing requires trust and discretion. Monarch should feel like a thoughtful partner, not a consumer finance app trying to be a friend.
  - e.g. "We’ve saved this preference for future allocations. You can revisit it anytime."
- **Decisive next step** — Ends with a useful action, recommendation, or implication. No vague reassurance.
  - Why: Founders and operators value momentum. Monarch should make wealth decisions feel manageable without rushing them.
  - e.g. "Review the expected funding schedule, then choose whether to reserve cash for this commitment."

## Tone by context

- **Onboarding:** Welcoming, composed, and efficient. Emphasize control, privacy, and the value of bringing accounts and investments into one view. Avoid cheerleading or lengthy explanations.
- **Dashboard and portfolio views:** Precise and scannable. Lead with what changed, what it means, and whether action is needed. Use neutral language for gains and losses.
- **Investment discovery:** Curious and analytical. Present opportunities with balanced context: objective, structure, risk, time horizon, and liquidity implications. Never sound promotional or urgent.
- **Recommendations or insights:** Advisory but not paternalistic. Use phrases like 'consider,' 'may,' and 'based on your plan' when appropriate. Explain the reasoning behind a suggested action.
- **Success states:** Brief, reassuring, and professional. Confirm the outcome and any next step. Avoid celebratory language that feels inappropriate for financial decisions.
- **Errors and delays:** Own the issue plainly. State what happened, whether anything is at risk, and what the user can do next. Avoid blame, cute language, or vague apologies.
- **Risk, loss, or market volatility:** Steady, transparent, and context-rich. Avoid panic and avoid false comfort. Focus on exposure, time horizon, liquidity, and plan alignment.
- **Security and privacy:** Direct and confidence-building. Be specific about protections and user control. Do not overpromise absolute safety.
- **Marketing and acquisition:** Aspirational but restrained. Speak to the shift from earning wealth to stewarding it. Avoid hype, hustle language, and mass-market investing clichés.

## Messaging

**Audience:** Founders, executives, operators, and high-earning professionals whose wealth includes cash, public markets, private investments, equity, real estate, funds, and future obligations.
**Value:** Monarch gives founders and operators one calm, considered place to grow and steward private wealth.

- **One clear view** — Bring public accounts, private investments, commitments, distributions, and liquidity into a single, understandable picture.
- **Decisions with context** — Understand how each opportunity or obligation affects cash, risk, timing, and long-term goals before acting.
- **Private wealth, handled privately** — Treat sensitive financial data, family priorities, and investment activity with discretion and control.
- **Built for builders** — Support people whose wealth is complex, concentrated, and evolving—from exit proceeds and equity grants to capital calls and long-term stewardship.

## Lexicon

**Use:** `steward`, `grow`, `preserve`, `allocate`, `commitment`, `liquidity`, `cash position`, `private investments`, `capital call`, `distribution`, `time horizon`, `risk exposure`, `plan`, `strategy`, `opportunity`, `consider`, `review`, `align`, `long-term`, `one clear view`, `private wealth`, `founders and operators`, `measured`, `durable decisions`, `your next step`
**Avoid:** `crush it`, `moonshot returns`, `get rich`, `beat the market`, `exclusive deal you can’t miss`, `democratize wealth`, `set it and forget it`, `hack your portfolio`, `turbocharge`, `unlock alpha`, `10x your money`, `no-brainer`, `risk-free`, `guaranteed`, `easy money`, `FOMO`, `hot opportunity`, `secret access`, `elite investors only`, `just vibes`, `oopsie`, `uh-oh`, `congrats, you’re rich`

## Mechanics

- **Capitalization:** Sentence case for headlines, buttons, navigation, and UI labels. Use title case only for proper nouns, legal names, and document titles.
- **Contractions:** yes
- **Emoji:** Never in product, transactional, security, or investment contexts. Avoid in marketing except in rare social contexts where the surrounding brand system supports it.
- **Reading level:** Grade 8–10: plain, precise language with enough sophistication for private investing concepts.

## Boilerplate

- **Short:** Monarch is a private investing and wealth app for founders and operators who want one calm place to grow and steward their money.
- **Medium:** Monarch helps founders and operators manage private wealth with clarity. The app brings investments, commitments, liquidity, and long-term planning into one considered view, so members can understand what they own, what’s ahead, and which decisions deserve their attention.
- **Long:** Monarch is a private investing and wealth app built for founders and operators whose financial lives have grown more complex. It brings public accounts, private investments, capital calls, distributions, liquidity, and planning into one calm, considered place. With Monarch, members can see what they own, understand what’s changing, and make decisions with the context their wealth deserves. It is built for the shift from building wealth to stewarding it—quietly, clearly, and over the long term.

## Voice in action

**Dashboard summary after account sync**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Your accounts are connected. We’re organizing your balances, holdings, and recent activity into one view. | Nice, your accounts are linked! We’re pulling everything together so you can start tracking your money. | The on-voice version is calm and precise. The alternative is plausible but too casual and generic for private wealth. |

**No private investments added yet**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| empty-state | Add a private investment to see commitments, capital calls, and distributions alongside the rest of your portfolio. | You haven’t added any private deals yet. Add one now to complete your portfolio. | The on-voice version names the real utility. The alternative uses 'deals' and pressures the user to 'complete' something. |

**Capital call reminder**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Capital call due May 15. Review the expected cash impact before funding. | Reminder: You have a payment due May 15. Tap to view details. | The on-voice version uses the correct private investing term and explains the decision context. |

**Distribution received**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Distribution recorded: $42,000 from Northline Fund II. Your cash position has been updated. | Good news! You received $42,000 from Northline Fund II. | The on-voice version avoids celebratory language and focuses on the financial record and implication. |

**Investment opportunity detail**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Review opportunity | Get access now | Monarch should encourage considered evaluation, not urgency or exclusivity. |

**Reserve cash for a future commitment**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| primary-cta | Reserve cash | Lock it in | The on-voice CTA is clear and financially accurate. The alternative sounds promotional and imprecise. |

**Portfolio insight**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| notification | Your private commitments may reduce available cash over the next two quarters. Review your funding schedule. | Your cash could get tight soon. Check your upcoming payments. | The on-voice version is specific, steady, and useful. The alternative is understandable but too colloquial. |

**Market volatility message**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | Public market values have moved materially today. Your long-term plan and private investment schedule are unchanged. | Markets are volatile today, but don’t worry—your plan is still on track. | The on-voice version avoids false reassurance and separates market movement from planning assumptions. |

**Failed bank connection**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | We couldn’t refresh this account. Your existing balances are still visible, but recent activity may be out of date. | Something went wrong while syncing. Please try again later. | The on-voice version states the consequence clearly. The alternative is common but vague. |

**Security verification**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| error | For your protection, we need to verify this device before showing private investment details. | We need to make sure it’s really you before continuing. | The on-voice version is direct and appropriately discreet. The alternative is friendly but less professional. |

**Marketing homepage hero**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| hero-headline | Private wealth, brought into one calm view. | The smarter way to manage all your money. | The on-voice headline is distinctive to Monarch’s positioning. The alternative is competent but generic. |

**Marketing subhead**

| Surface | ✅ We say | ❌ We don't say | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| hero-headline | Track investments, commitments, liquidity, and long-term decisions in one place built for founders and operators. | See all your finances in one easy-to-use dashboard designed for modern investors. | The on-voice version names the audience and complexity. The alternative could apply to almost any finance app. |
