from idea validation to business modelling to pitching to investors to growth hacking
Increase capability and reach
what do we offer
Some ideas are boot-strappable while others are not. Which category is yours? Making a correct call on this is the starting point of your fund-raising journey.
Dorm friends, colleagues, siblings, spouse - all rock-solid relationships so who needs legal agreements, right? Wrong!
The top (or thereabout) reason for startup failure is not having a demand for your product. You don't want to go there! A crisp definition of your customer is the difference between success and failure.
''We not only wanted to enable the future, but participate in it too' has been the lament of many a great visionaries! If you present a great idea and don't move quickly to translate that into reality, someone else will!
When do you see money? Start for one client to generate money on day 1 and then build your product with milestones that are saleable? Or you have a long gestation period before you see money? Or you have more than one products?
Product and Services Mix is one of the most vexing issues for a startup. At times, services can bring you cash so you can keep going without having to dilute your ownership. At other times, you need to offer a service in order to make your product usable. How do you want to see the split of your costs, revenues, people, and assets at different times on your roadmap?
A Fintech is a non-starter without a solid grip on this one. What regulations will apply to you, and to your customers? Who in your value chain gets access to data that you collect? The security expectation is the same whether you are a single-person bootstrapper or Microsoft!
Are all greenbacks the same for you? Do you need an investor that understands your space? Provides you key expertise and technology to build your product? Provides you customers? May want to buy you down the road?
What is your business model? What do you need the money for? Is it working capital or expansion needs or technology adoption or experimentation? Do you know the mix?
Attracting talent beyond the co-founders is perhaps your biggest challenge. How do you attract them when you cannot offer even 50% of they already make? What ownership options, how does it vest to balance both interests? Do they easily see the upside in pure dollar terms?
What does your product do for your customer? Does your brand instintively communicate that value? What are the best ways of promoting the same knowing your customer's attributes and preferences? How does the company brand and product brand(s) relate to each other?
What is the flow from cold-lead to collecting post-implementation final payment? Can you run it all by yourself? Who do you need to or can partner with? How does your ecosystem support your growth?