How Cool Can Startup Presentations Be?

Long story short:

Guy ask me for intro to a VC.

Send me some documents, I said

I liked a concept, but don’t want to read a lot of ‘papers’ from another ‘dreamer’.

But when i opened first document i was amazed.

So clear, short, sub-headers that catch my attention, numbers was bold and simple.

It was that one document to rule them all.

It forced me to create this article.

So, what amazed me in is listed below.

First page:

Title in 10 words explain what they trying to do
Link to patent
Website/email/date

Page structure:

Overview
History
Explanation about patents
Applicable industries and applications
Strategies (yeah, they have a few, but you don’t right?)
Revenue model
Opportunity (aka offer)
Projections (here always a place where owners calculate future money-Yumm)
Exit strategy
Summary (last words about what they’re looking for — money and help)

They have a short plan how they will spend cash. Have 2 different estimates: positive and negative(7x difference).

What was not good:

First few sections can be more short for sure. 25% of bla, bla, bla texts can be removed.

Applicable industries can be converted into the list.

Strategy must cover a bad cases, like what they will do if they don’t get investors money.

If I get interested into a how-they-will-spend-money plan — it’s cool to have a link for detailed list with better explanation how money will be wasted. Short link is better.

There is no place where I can see something that was finished and works. All stuff is in progress. Better to focus and finish one ‘item’ in order to show potential execution.

Revenue model: very optimistic. A lot of potential stuff, but it’s only assumptions. If they list some examples of successful competitors with example how much they made — it can drive more credibility.

Projections: again, a lot of optimistic stuff + assumptions. My friend, Denis Petrov didn’t like when only nice examples are listed. It’s a statistically wrong way.

So if a lot of people will buy your product — for sure you’ll be rich. But if they don’t, hah? If things so bright, why you not pre-sale stuff and get money, that you need, right?

Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.