My experience and take on validating a new b2b idea. Summary: Understand what would make an idea successful. Understand yourself and capabilities. Pick the right team to help you execute. Think about your business KPIs. Understand your competitors performance on these KPIs. Prepare the right set of questions that you would need input on. Talk to your potential customers in person and ask them questions that are related to your KPIs. Modify & repeat. Start growing sales with tools and partnerships. Keep pushing. Have questions or need advice on your startup? Get in touch with me to plan a call or meeting if you are in Berlin!

1. Adam Moalla
Founder & Managing Director
adam@amoalla.com
Validating Your Business Idea

2. ABOUT ME
Previously
ü Software Engineering Background
ü Head of International Product at Bonial Group
ü Founder & CEO of teambay GmbH
Today
ü Serial Entrepreneur
ü Startups Mentor & Micro-investor
ü Moalla Ventures Founder & Managing Director

3. Example Idea

4. The Secure & Private Bay for Your Team

5. Example Idea
Employee submits anonymous
feedback on one organizational
topic chosen by teambay.
Weekly, monthly or quarterly.
Management benchmarks the
results, plan actions and reply to the
people behind the anonymous
qualitative feedback.

6. What makes an idea valid?

7. Problem X
Solution X
Financial Goal X
+
+
Market
Your Idea
IDEA VALIDATION

8. What would it take to execute an idea?

9. You
Your
Founding
Team
The
Market
Growth
Strategy
Things You Can Control:
Things You Can’t Control: Success
STAKEHOLDERS

10. You
(The Founder)

11. Observe
Study
Idea
Team
Survive
Survive
Valley
Mental Sh*t
Growth
Corporate Money Bankruptcy Swamp
Big Business
Prosperity
Adam Ahmad Moalla - @amdmala
Managing Director - Teambay UG
The Founder Institute Berlin
10 July, 2014
You

12. Your
Founding Team

13. Adam Ahmad Moalla - @amdmala
Managing Director - Teambay UG
StartTheSearch
ClearVission&
M
ission
DefineNeededResponsibilities
(untilprofitorExit)
StartW
orkingFIRST
(SignanNDA
&
IPONLY)
Thinkaboutshares
PracticesayingNo!
Designtheagreem
ent
(beforereachingouttoalawyer)
whatareyouGREATat?IDEA COMPANY
Legal,set,Go!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
The difference between YOU and your BIGGEST competitor is a team.
The Founder Institute Berlin
18 September, 2014
How To
Build A
Founding
Team

14. Your
Growth Strategy

15. You
Your
Founding
Team
The
Market
Growth
StrategyYou Can Control:
You Can Not Control:
STAKEHOLDERS

16. Problem X
Solution X
Financial Goal X
+
+
Market
Your Idea
IDEA VALIDATION

17. ü Signups / Demos
ü Length of Sales Cycle
ü New paying customers
ü MRR Development
ü MRR Growth Rate
ü ARPU Development
ü Paying Customers Growth
ü Churn rate overtime
ü CLTV, CAC, & CAC Recovery
ü Number of people with this problem
ü Viability of a fitting solution
ü USP
ü Number of problems your product
could solve
ü Users rating of your solution
ü For your solution:
ü Engagement rate
ü Value per user
Problem/Solution KPIs
Think about your KPIs before starting!!
Example KPIs:
Financial Related KPIs

18. How are your competitors performing on this
KPIs?
ü Signups / Demos
ü Length of Sales Cycle
ü New paying customers
ü MRR Development
ü MRR Growth Rate
ü ARPU Development
ü Paying Customers Growth
ü Churn rate overtime
ü CLTV, CAC, & CAC Recovery
ü Number of people with this problem
ü Viability of a fitting the solution
ü USP
ü Number of problems your product
could solve
ü Users rating of your solution
ü For your solution:
ü Engagement rate
ü Price per user
Problem/Solution KPIs Financial Related KPIs

19. teambay Story : First Idea
Employee
Retention
&
Employee
Satisfaction
Problem X 1st Solution Financial Goal X
+ +
New Employee
Onboarding
Onboard and train
your employees in
a cloud platofrm,
with data analysis
and extentive
content.
2M+ in
valuation for
the first round

20. What went wrong for 1st idea
ü Signups / Demos
ü Length of Sales Cycle
ü New paying customers
ü MRR Development
ü MRR Growth Rate
ü ARPU Development
ü Paying Customers Growth
ü Churn rate overtime
ü CLTV, CAC, & CAC Recovery
ü Number of people with this problem
ü Viability of a fitting solution
ü USP
ü Number of problems your product
could solve
ü Users rating of your solution
ü For your solution:
ü Engagement rate
ü Price per user
Problem/Solution KPIs Financial KPIs

21. teambay Story : Pivoting
Employee
Retention
&
Employee
Satisfaction
Problem X 2nd Solution Financial Goal X
+ +
Employee
Engagement
Analytics
2M+ in
valuation for
the first round

22. Difference in 2nd idea
ü Signups / Demos
ü Length of Sales Cycle
ü New paying customers
ü MRR Development
ü MRR Growth Rate
ü ARPU Development
ü Paying Customers Growth
ü Churn rate overtime
ü CLTV, CAC, & CAC Recovery
ü Number of people with this problem
ü Viability of a fitting solution
ü USP
ü Number of problems your product
could solve
ü Users rating of your solution
ü For your solution:
ü Engagement rate
ü Price per user
Problem/Solution KPIs Financial KPIs

23. Problem X
Solution X
Financial Goal X
+
+
Market
Your Idea
IDEA VALIDATION

24. Talk IN PERSON to as many potential customers
as you can!
KPIs understood? Competitors performance understood?
Then:
From your KPIs, develop questions and ask it to your target customers.
As many of them as you can!

25. Ask Them The Right Questions About YOUR KPIs
ü Signups / Demos
ü Length of Sales Cycle
ü New paying customers
ü MRR Development
ü MRR Growth Rate
ü ARPU Development
ü Paying Customers Growth
ü Churn rate overtime
ü CLTV, CAC, & CAC Recovery
ü Number of people with this problem
ü Viability of a fitting solution
ü USP
ü Number of problems your product
could solve
ü Users rating of your solution
ü For your solution:
ü Engagement rate
ü Price per user
How much they would pay? Their opinion of existing practices?
Their budget? What would it take them to take decisions….. etc

26. Modify & Repeat

27. Take it to a new level!
Leads List
Sales
Materials
CRM
You will need:
GROW SALES

28. Sneak peak into my favorite Sales Tools
Identify
companies
with the
problem
Find
decision
makers
Automated
Webinars
Personalized
bulk
emailing
Auto-Track
and update
CRM
GROW SALES

29. 3290
1074
380
256
82
32
0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Prospects
Qualified Prospects
Cotacted
Interested
Demo Done
Closed Deals
Sales Funnel - Organisations
€20.894.933,46
€6.821.020,83
€2.413.396,57
€1.625.867,16
€520.785,58
€203.233,40
Prospects
Qualified Prospects
Cotacted
Interested
Demo Done
Closed Deals
Sales Funnel - Deals Value
SALES FUNNEL
First Contact Demo Done Start Trial Invoice Paid
3,25 Weeks 6,34 Weeks 11,05 Weeks
Your Sales Funnel – Your Growth Playground

30. A Sample Cold Emailing Results
EMAIL CAMPAIGN
A sample basic idea for growth. Find what works for your business.

31. Modify & Repeat

32. UnderstandYourCom
petitors
PickTheRightTeam
UnderstandYourIdeaBusiness-KPIs
TalkInPersonFirstToYourCustom
ers
PrepareTheRightQuestionsToAsk
M
odify&
Repeat
StartGrowingSales
UnderstandYourself
IDEA Business
KeepPushing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
SUMMARY

33. Modify & Repeat

34. Thank you!
Questions?
Adam Moalla
Founder & Managing Director
Lableb
Moalla Ventures
Simply Tasks
Teambay
SingDeutsch
MaBelleEcole
adam@amoalla.com
twitter: amdmala