3. Getting that first customer
•
•
•
•
•
Think of your first deal as a partnership
Creative artificial time pressure
The evangelical salesman
Flinch pricing
Paid pilots
Remember:
One customer does not a company make!
(also: feature vs. company)
4. The key to selling…
is to know when to stop building.
5. What comes next?
• Scaling sales operations
• Repeatable business or partnership deals
• Reduction in spin up time and cost per
customer
7. A slide like this…
Giant
Incumbent
Fledging
Competition
Not even in
your market
✓
✓
✓
✓
Feature that
some of the
competition has
✓
✓
Unnecessary
feature your
competition cut
✓
Feature you
think you have
✓
Feature you
wish you had
✓
Feature list
Feature
everyone has
YOU!
✓
✓
10. So know your place.
your startup operates in the context
of an ecosystem
there are those you partner with and
those you compete against and
those who keep you awake at night
11. You know more than investors
about your space.
Own it! Teach ‘em something.
12. Know the ecosystem
Competitors:
direct, indirect, potential
entrants
Partners:
suppliers, channel,
resellers, cosellers
Substitutes:
drop in, partial, how it’s
done today
13. What if?
Your competitors are NOT corporations?
o Economic + political trends
o Cultural + social shifts
o Technological innovation
o Regulations + legislation
You still need to include them in your risk
analysis.
14. SWOT Analysis
Strengths: why you kick ass
- Team
- Technology
- Scalability
- Execution
- Customer acquisition & retention
- Distribution
Weaknesses: why you don’t kick ass
- Team
- Lack of Technology
- Scalability issues
- Inability to execute
- Unreliable product/service
- Poor distribution
Opportunities: why you might kick ass
- Early mover
- Emerging segments
- New technology
- New distribution channel
- Changing tastes
- Etc.
Threats: why you might not kick ass
- Competitors w/ more $
- Emerging segments
- New technology
- New distribution channel
- Changing tastes
- Etc.
15. A long view
• Create a long-term sustainable advantage
IP, roadmap, network effects, switching cost
• Continuous learning & innovation
Recruiting, culture, 20% time
• Excellence and speed in execution
• Don’t obsess about others
• A little competition is healthy
Keep an eye on competition but don’t loose
focus on what’s really important: the customer!
16. Deciphering a VC
What we say…
What we mean.
Who do you compete with today?
How are you different from the 15
other dating fitness trackers I saw this
week?
Who will you compete with
tomorrow?
When does Google plan to do this?
I’d like to better understand how you
are different, what’s your competitive
advantage?
Sorry, what did you just say?
[Insert name here] just raised $50M
from these 10 firms, how are you
differentiated?
Your competition has deep pockets…
will anyone be willing to fund your
next round?