Startup Funding Options - From Kickstarter to Venture Capital - Dreamforce 20...Salesforce Partners
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What if you could get the inside scoop on the key drivers that leading venture capital firms look for when funding a cloud startup? Join us to learn the tips and techniques used to attract VC funding for your company, including Force.com ISV success stories. This session is primarily for C-level, business development, and entrepreneurs
The pitch deck outlines an investor pitch for a startup. It introduces the founding team and their experience. It then discusses the problem the startup aims to solve, the size of the market opportunity, and the solution the startup has developed. The deck also covers the traction and user acquisition strategy, business model, competition, and financial needs. The overall goal is to convince the investor that the startup has a strong team, large market need, and solution that can generate revenues and competitive advantage.
This document discusses how to fix follow-up failure by creating an effective lead nurturing and customer retention program. It provides examples of common follow-up mistakes companies make and explains how automating follow-up through a marketing system can help convert more leads into sales, generate repeat business from existing customers, and grow a business without adding staff. A case study is presented of a company that was able to double its sales within months by fixing its follow-up processes and organizing customer data in a centralized system.
Co-Author of the book, Rockstar Entrepreneur, Ben Littlefield and Laura Capes hold a bootcamp style seminar to help entrepreneurs - new and veteran alike - get on track and learn the tools of modern entrepreneurial warfare...
Mass affluent lead gen and web based marketing for financial professionalsLoic Jeanjean
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- The document discusses mass affluent lead generation and web-based marketing strategies presented by Frank Troise and Loic Jeanjean.
- It outlines opportunities to increase client lifetime value by over 600%, lower marketing costs by over 90%, and improve client communications through an online lead generation process.
- The key steps of the proposed process are: 1) providing valuable online content as outreach, 2) including a clear call to action, 3) ensuring prospects can easily find your information, and 4) contacting leads quickly through phone and autoresponders.
Startup Funding Options - From Kickstarter to Venture Capital - Dreamforce 20...Salesforce Partners
Â
What if you could get the inside scoop on the key drivers that leading venture capital firms look for when funding a cloud startup? Join us to learn the tips and techniques used to attract VC funding for your company, including Force.com ISV success stories. This session is primarily for C-level, business development, and entrepreneurs
The pitch deck outlines an investor pitch for a startup. It introduces the founding team and their experience. It then discusses the problem the startup aims to solve, the size of the market opportunity, and the solution the startup has developed. The deck also covers the traction and user acquisition strategy, business model, competition, and financial needs. The overall goal is to convince the investor that the startup has a strong team, large market need, and solution that can generate revenues and competitive advantage.
This document discusses how to fix follow-up failure by creating an effective lead nurturing and customer retention program. It provides examples of common follow-up mistakes companies make and explains how automating follow-up through a marketing system can help convert more leads into sales, generate repeat business from existing customers, and grow a business without adding staff. A case study is presented of a company that was able to double its sales within months by fixing its follow-up processes and organizing customer data in a centralized system.
Co-Author of the book, Rockstar Entrepreneur, Ben Littlefield and Laura Capes hold a bootcamp style seminar to help entrepreneurs - new and veteran alike - get on track and learn the tools of modern entrepreneurial warfare...
Mass affluent lead gen and web based marketing for financial professionalsLoic Jeanjean
Â
- The document discusses mass affluent lead generation and web-based marketing strategies presented by Frank Troise and Loic Jeanjean.
- It outlines opportunities to increase client lifetime value by over 600%, lower marketing costs by over 90%, and improve client communications through an online lead generation process.
- The key steps of the proposed process are: 1) providing valuable online content as outreach, 2) including a clear call to action, 3) ensuring prospects can easily find your information, and 4) contacting leads quickly through phone and autoresponders.
The Lean Startup method focuses on reducing the time between product iterations through validated learning about customers. It defines the unit of progress as validated learning rather than completing stages of production. This allows startups to test hypotheses through experiments and gain customer insights faster to minimize the total time to discover what customers want. Traditional assumptions like knowing customers and the future can destroy startups, so the Lean Startup validates assumptions through measurable results.
Practical Techniques for early use in BA cycleSQALab
Â
This document discusses stakeholder analysis techniques. It defines stakeholders as anyone who can impact or be impacted by a project. Stakeholders may be hidden and come from various groups like sponsors, customers, and experts. The document recommends mapping stakeholders on a grid by their influence and interest. Stakeholders can then be prioritized into categories like "keep satisfied" or "manage closely". It also provides tips for fact-finding about stakeholders through research. Finally, it advises creating a stakeholder map to plan engagement for a case study project.
This document summarizes the YEF Boot Camp 2019 program led by Dr. Vincent Kuo. It discusses common business problems and pitches from the past decade in Taiwan and why history often repeats itself. It also provides tools and frameworks for evaluating business ideas, including the business model canvas, lean canvas, risk evaluation, and product-market fit. The document stresses the importance of solving real problems for target customers and testing solutions before large-scale implementation.
Anatomy of a successful pitch is discussed, including keeping it short and focused on the audience, problem to be solved, and team leading the solution. Key stakeholders for funding are identified along with what motivates their investments. Guidance is provided on crafting an compelling story around the market opportunity and solution, building traction, and ultimately securing funding to take the business to the next level.
The document discusses problems with finding reliable designers and standardized project options, and proposes a solution in the form of a new business. The business would provide trustworthy design options that are easy to select, manage, and scale cost-effectively. It presents market data on freelancers and clients to demonstrate opportunity. The plan outlines a five phase process starting with a closed beta and growing to expand across Latin America and into new markets over multiple years, funded by startup funding and venture capital.
British Library Innovation Commons presentation with Stefan LindergaadBrian McCaul
Â
The document discusses the challenges of commercializing intellectual property (IP) generated at universities. It notes that while some high-value spinouts and license deals are successful, many other lower-growth opportunities and "non-hits" could provide value if optimized properly. It argues that a new approach is needed to help validate early-stage technologies and match them with appropriate funding sources to better commercialize the "long tail" of university IP.
The document provides guidance on developing a marketing plan, including analyzing the business's current position, defining customer segments, and determining growth opportunities. It discusses tools like SWOT analysis, the customer/problem matrix, and the product/market expansion grid. It also covers key marketing concepts such as branding, competitive advantage, pricing strategies, and marketing communications. The overall message is that marketing involves understanding customer needs and problems, defining the business's unique value proposition, and communicating it effectively to the right audiences.
This document discusses key considerations for raising money for a new business through a business plan or pitch. It outlines the essential questions a business plan should address and stresses the importance of a concise executive summary. Additionally, it notes that investors are more interested in executive summaries than full business plans. The document provides advice on determining a fair valuation for a new business and establishing reasonable investor expectations for return on investment. Overall, the document provides guidance on effectively communicating your business idea and needs to potential investors.
2012.6.26 Morgan Stanley pipeline management presentationHeinz Marketing Inc
Â
Matt Heinz, president of Heinz Marketing Inc, gives a presentation on developing a pipeline with maximum results and minimum effort. The presentation covers understanding customers and objectives, using existing resources, regularly reviewing priorities and execution, engaging prospects through various channels, managing the pipeline actively and openly, and making pipeline discipline habitual. The document provides tips on quantifying goals, creating customer profiles, mapping the sales process, engaging prospects, managing roles and responsibilities, and approaching the pipeline in a customer-centric way.
Getting funded sometimes seems like a career itself (and indeed it is a big part of the CEOâs responsibilities). In order to succeed, need to understand both the rules of the game and the equipment â without these you may squander some of your most valuable resources - time and relationships. Two keys communication tools are the Executive Summary and the PowerPoint Presentation (Pitch Deck). This forum will help you understand how these tools are used to generate a face-to-face meeting, make a persuasive and memorable presentation, and then follow through with the details needed for investors to begin their due diligence process.
This presentation material is copyrighted by MVT Eagles and is meant solely for presentations by officially appointed presenters, who agree to use it to develop global business partners for MVT Eagles in line with its ethics and guidelines. MVT Eagles reserves the right to review and update presentation materials as needed to support business development, industry trends, and partner needs.
David Nault What it Really Takes to Close Your Next RoundDealmaker Media
Â
This document discusses the challenges of raising a Series A round of funding. It notes that while seed funding is relatively easy to obtain, Series A funding is much more difficult due to increased competition and higher investor expectations. Investors are looking for strong metrics, validation, team, and large, sustainable businesses. They invest in areas they are familiar with and look for companies demonstrating exponential growth. While raising a Series A is challenging, companies with great execution, traction, and teams that meet new, higher criteria can still obtain funding.
#FounderHacks by Raj Kapoor - cofounder.coRajil Kapoor
Â
This document discusses lessons learned from the Snapfish story and what investors look for in founders and companies. It provides key takeaways from Snapfish including focusing on passion, hiring strong talent, and being open to change. For investors, they seek experienced internet-focused teams tackling big problems, that can execute quickly and have a recurring revenue model. Investors also look for founders who are product-obsessed, can code, are well-connected, and have a track record of success.
This document discusses raising money from angel investors. It provides an overview of angel investors, including that there are over 260,000 individual angels and 155 angel groups in the US. Angel groups typically invest $19 billion per year in 55,000 deals, with 45% going to seed and early stage companies. The document then provides 7 practical tips for raising money from angels, such as managing the process like a sales campaign, the importance of an experienced attorney, differences between working with individual angels and angel groups, and considerations around convertible notes versus preferred stock.
Inside The Mind Of The Venture Capitalist: An Introduction to Venture CapitalJ. Skyler Fernandes
Â
This document provides an introduction to venture capital from J. Skyler Fernandes, a VC at Centripetal Capital Partners. Fernandes explains that the purpose of the event is to openly answer questions from entrepreneurs and help them better understand the VC world. Fernandes states they will act as a "sherpa" to guide entrepreneurs. The document then discusses factors such as when entrepreneurs should seek VC funding, the different funding options available depending on company valuation, what VCs really invest in such as large market opportunities, and advice for pitching to VCs successfully.
This document outlines key factors to consider when evaluating a potential business opportunity:
- The product idea should address a market need and take advantage of technological or market discontinuities. Execution is more important than being first.
- The market size and growth rate should be sufficiently large. Barriers to entry like intellectual property protection, network effects, and business model innovation must be considered.
- The founding team must have relevant experience and the ability to recruit talent. Sufficient capital is needed but excessive funding can be risky.
- The economic model, risks, and business plan must demonstrate a viable path to profitability and returns for investors. Bootstrapping may work if the market is small with no dominant competitors
How To Pitch - Genesis Partners (Gil Dibner)Omer Perchik
Â
This document provides guidance on pitching innovations to venture capitalists (VCs). It discusses that pitching to VCs is difficult because they are inherently skeptical and investing other people's money. As such, VCs are looking for startups with strong teams, large market opportunities, defensible technology, competitive positioning, solid execution plans, potential for high returns, and reasonable deal terms. The document provides tips for an effective presentation structure and highlights the importance of demonstrating momentum through progress, user traction, or other validation.
Startup Secrets presents a lecture on how to get behind the perfect investor pitch! Learn about what investors are looking for, and how to successfully represent your business.
Nucerity International - The ideal business opportunity!dphome
Â
Check out the October 2009 Nucerity International new powerpoint. Great information on how to obtain your "Why" during the Credit Revolution/Depression
Salesforce Integration for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions A...Jeffrey Haguewood
Â
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on integration of Salesforce with Bonterra Impact Management.
Interested in deploying an integration with Salesforce for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
The Lean Startup method focuses on reducing the time between product iterations through validated learning about customers. It defines the unit of progress as validated learning rather than completing stages of production. This allows startups to test hypotheses through experiments and gain customer insights faster to minimize the total time to discover what customers want. Traditional assumptions like knowing customers and the future can destroy startups, so the Lean Startup validates assumptions through measurable results.
Practical Techniques for early use in BA cycleSQALab
Â
This document discusses stakeholder analysis techniques. It defines stakeholders as anyone who can impact or be impacted by a project. Stakeholders may be hidden and come from various groups like sponsors, customers, and experts. The document recommends mapping stakeholders on a grid by their influence and interest. Stakeholders can then be prioritized into categories like "keep satisfied" or "manage closely". It also provides tips for fact-finding about stakeholders through research. Finally, it advises creating a stakeholder map to plan engagement for a case study project.
This document summarizes the YEF Boot Camp 2019 program led by Dr. Vincent Kuo. It discusses common business problems and pitches from the past decade in Taiwan and why history often repeats itself. It also provides tools and frameworks for evaluating business ideas, including the business model canvas, lean canvas, risk evaluation, and product-market fit. The document stresses the importance of solving real problems for target customers and testing solutions before large-scale implementation.
Anatomy of a successful pitch is discussed, including keeping it short and focused on the audience, problem to be solved, and team leading the solution. Key stakeholders for funding are identified along with what motivates their investments. Guidance is provided on crafting an compelling story around the market opportunity and solution, building traction, and ultimately securing funding to take the business to the next level.
The document discusses problems with finding reliable designers and standardized project options, and proposes a solution in the form of a new business. The business would provide trustworthy design options that are easy to select, manage, and scale cost-effectively. It presents market data on freelancers and clients to demonstrate opportunity. The plan outlines a five phase process starting with a closed beta and growing to expand across Latin America and into new markets over multiple years, funded by startup funding and venture capital.
British Library Innovation Commons presentation with Stefan LindergaadBrian McCaul
Â
The document discusses the challenges of commercializing intellectual property (IP) generated at universities. It notes that while some high-value spinouts and license deals are successful, many other lower-growth opportunities and "non-hits" could provide value if optimized properly. It argues that a new approach is needed to help validate early-stage technologies and match them with appropriate funding sources to better commercialize the "long tail" of university IP.
The document provides guidance on developing a marketing plan, including analyzing the business's current position, defining customer segments, and determining growth opportunities. It discusses tools like SWOT analysis, the customer/problem matrix, and the product/market expansion grid. It also covers key marketing concepts such as branding, competitive advantage, pricing strategies, and marketing communications. The overall message is that marketing involves understanding customer needs and problems, defining the business's unique value proposition, and communicating it effectively to the right audiences.
This document discusses key considerations for raising money for a new business through a business plan or pitch. It outlines the essential questions a business plan should address and stresses the importance of a concise executive summary. Additionally, it notes that investors are more interested in executive summaries than full business plans. The document provides advice on determining a fair valuation for a new business and establishing reasonable investor expectations for return on investment. Overall, the document provides guidance on effectively communicating your business idea and needs to potential investors.
2012.6.26 Morgan Stanley pipeline management presentationHeinz Marketing Inc
Â
Matt Heinz, president of Heinz Marketing Inc, gives a presentation on developing a pipeline with maximum results and minimum effort. The presentation covers understanding customers and objectives, using existing resources, regularly reviewing priorities and execution, engaging prospects through various channels, managing the pipeline actively and openly, and making pipeline discipline habitual. The document provides tips on quantifying goals, creating customer profiles, mapping the sales process, engaging prospects, managing roles and responsibilities, and approaching the pipeline in a customer-centric way.
Getting funded sometimes seems like a career itself (and indeed it is a big part of the CEOâs responsibilities). In order to succeed, need to understand both the rules of the game and the equipment â without these you may squander some of your most valuable resources - time and relationships. Two keys communication tools are the Executive Summary and the PowerPoint Presentation (Pitch Deck). This forum will help you understand how these tools are used to generate a face-to-face meeting, make a persuasive and memorable presentation, and then follow through with the details needed for investors to begin their due diligence process.
This presentation material is copyrighted by MVT Eagles and is meant solely for presentations by officially appointed presenters, who agree to use it to develop global business partners for MVT Eagles in line with its ethics and guidelines. MVT Eagles reserves the right to review and update presentation materials as needed to support business development, industry trends, and partner needs.
David Nault What it Really Takes to Close Your Next RoundDealmaker Media
Â
This document discusses the challenges of raising a Series A round of funding. It notes that while seed funding is relatively easy to obtain, Series A funding is much more difficult due to increased competition and higher investor expectations. Investors are looking for strong metrics, validation, team, and large, sustainable businesses. They invest in areas they are familiar with and look for companies demonstrating exponential growth. While raising a Series A is challenging, companies with great execution, traction, and teams that meet new, higher criteria can still obtain funding.
#FounderHacks by Raj Kapoor - cofounder.coRajil Kapoor
Â
This document discusses lessons learned from the Snapfish story and what investors look for in founders and companies. It provides key takeaways from Snapfish including focusing on passion, hiring strong talent, and being open to change. For investors, they seek experienced internet-focused teams tackling big problems, that can execute quickly and have a recurring revenue model. Investors also look for founders who are product-obsessed, can code, are well-connected, and have a track record of success.
This document discusses raising money from angel investors. It provides an overview of angel investors, including that there are over 260,000 individual angels and 155 angel groups in the US. Angel groups typically invest $19 billion per year in 55,000 deals, with 45% going to seed and early stage companies. The document then provides 7 practical tips for raising money from angels, such as managing the process like a sales campaign, the importance of an experienced attorney, differences between working with individual angels and angel groups, and considerations around convertible notes versus preferred stock.
Inside The Mind Of The Venture Capitalist: An Introduction to Venture CapitalJ. Skyler Fernandes
Â
This document provides an introduction to venture capital from J. Skyler Fernandes, a VC at Centripetal Capital Partners. Fernandes explains that the purpose of the event is to openly answer questions from entrepreneurs and help them better understand the VC world. Fernandes states they will act as a "sherpa" to guide entrepreneurs. The document then discusses factors such as when entrepreneurs should seek VC funding, the different funding options available depending on company valuation, what VCs really invest in such as large market opportunities, and advice for pitching to VCs successfully.
This document outlines key factors to consider when evaluating a potential business opportunity:
- The product idea should address a market need and take advantage of technological or market discontinuities. Execution is more important than being first.
- The market size and growth rate should be sufficiently large. Barriers to entry like intellectual property protection, network effects, and business model innovation must be considered.
- The founding team must have relevant experience and the ability to recruit talent. Sufficient capital is needed but excessive funding can be risky.
- The economic model, risks, and business plan must demonstrate a viable path to profitability and returns for investors. Bootstrapping may work if the market is small with no dominant competitors
How To Pitch - Genesis Partners (Gil Dibner)Omer Perchik
Â
This document provides guidance on pitching innovations to venture capitalists (VCs). It discusses that pitching to VCs is difficult because they are inherently skeptical and investing other people's money. As such, VCs are looking for startups with strong teams, large market opportunities, defensible technology, competitive positioning, solid execution plans, potential for high returns, and reasonable deal terms. The document provides tips for an effective presentation structure and highlights the importance of demonstrating momentum through progress, user traction, or other validation.
Startup Secrets presents a lecture on how to get behind the perfect investor pitch! Learn about what investors are looking for, and how to successfully represent your business.
Nucerity International - The ideal business opportunity!dphome
Â
Check out the October 2009 Nucerity International new powerpoint. Great information on how to obtain your "Why" during the Credit Revolution/Depression
Salesforce Integration for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions A...Jeffrey Haguewood
Â
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on integration of Salesforce with Bonterra Impact Management.
Interested in deploying an integration with Salesforce for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Dive into the realm of operating systems (OS) with Pravash Chandra Das, a seasoned Digital Forensic Analyst, as your guide. đ This comprehensive presentation illuminates the core concepts, types, and evolution of OS, essential for understanding modern computing landscapes.
Beginning with the foundational definition, Das clarifies the pivotal role of OS as system software orchestrating hardware resources, software applications, and user interactions. Through succinct descriptions, he delineates the diverse types of OS, from single-user, single-task environments like early MS-DOS iterations, to multi-user, multi-tasking systems exemplified by modern Linux distributions.
Crucial components like the kernel and shell are dissected, highlighting their indispensable functions in resource management and user interface interaction. Das elucidates how the kernel acts as the central nervous system, orchestrating process scheduling, memory allocation, and device management. Meanwhile, the shell serves as the gateway for user commands, bridging the gap between human input and machine execution. đť
The narrative then shifts to a captivating exploration of prominent desktop OSs, Windows, macOS, and Linux. Windows, with its globally ubiquitous presence and user-friendly interface, emerges as a cornerstone in personal computing history. macOS, lauded for its sleek design and seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem, stands as a beacon of stability and creativity. Linux, an open-source marvel, offers unparalleled flexibility and security, revolutionizing the computing landscape. đĽď¸
Moving to the realm of mobile devices, Das unravels the dominance of Android and iOS. Android's open-source ethos fosters a vibrant ecosystem of customization and innovation, while iOS boasts a seamless user experience and robust security infrastructure. Meanwhile, discontinued platforms like Symbian and Palm OS evoke nostalgia for their pioneering roles in the smartphone revolution.
The journey concludes with a reflection on the ever-evolving landscape of OS, underscored by the emergence of real-time operating systems (RTOS) and the persistent quest for innovation and efficiency. As technology continues to shape our world, understanding the foundations and evolution of operating systems remains paramount. Join Pravash Chandra Das on this illuminating journey through the heart of computing. đ
Trusted Execution Environment for Decentralized Process MiningLucaBarbaro3
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Presentation of the paper "Trusted Execution Environment for Decentralized Process Mining" given during the CAiSE 2024 Conference in Cyprus on June 7, 2024.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technologies, XML continues to play a vital role in structuring, storing, and transporting data across diverse systems. The recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) present new methodologies for enhancing XML development workflows, introducing efficiency, automation, and intelligent capabilities. This presentation will outline the scope and perspective of utilizing AI in XML development. The potential benefits and the possible pitfalls will be highlighted, providing a balanced view of the subject.
We will explore the capabilities of AI in understanding XML markup languages and autonomously creating structured XML content. Additionally, we will examine the capacity of AI to enrich plain text with appropriate XML markup. Practical examples and methodological guidelines will be provided to elucidate how AI can be effectively prompted to interpret and generate accurate XML markup.
Further emphasis will be placed on the role of AI in developing XSLT, or schemas such as XSD and Schematron. We will address the techniques and strategies adopted to create prompts for generating code, explaining code, or refactoring the code, and the results achieved.
The discussion will extend to how AI can be used to transform XML content. In particular, the focus will be on the use of AI XPath extension functions in XSLT, Schematron, Schematron Quick Fixes, or for XML content refactoring.
The presentation aims to deliver a comprehensive overview of AI usage in XML development, providing attendees with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions. Whether youâre at the early stages of adopting AI or considering integrating it in advanced XML development, this presentation will cover all levels of expertise.
By highlighting the potential advantages and challenges of integrating AI with XML development tools and languages, the presentation seeks to inspire thoughtful conversation around the future of XML development. Weâll not only delve into the technical aspects of AI-powered XML development but also discuss practical implications and possible future directions.
Ocean lotus Threat actors project by John Sitima 2024 (1).pptxSitimaJohn
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Ocean Lotus cyber threat actors represent a sophisticated, persistent, and politically motivated group that poses a significant risk to organizations and individuals in the Southeast Asian region. Their continuous evolution and adaptability underscore the need for robust cybersecurity measures and international cooperation to identify and mitigate the threats posed by such advanced persistent threat groups.
Driving Business Innovation: Latest Generative AI Advancements & Success StorySafe Software
Â
Are you ready to revolutionize how you handle data? Join us for a webinar where weâll bring you up to speed with the latest advancements in Generative AI technology and discover how leveraging FME with tools from giants like Google Gemini, Amazon, and Microsoft OpenAI can supercharge your workflow efficiency.
During the hour, weâll take you through:
Guest Speaker Segment with Hannah Barrington: Dive into the world of dynamic real estate marketing with Hannah, the Marketing Manager at Workspace Group. Hear firsthand how their team generates engaging descriptions for thousands of office units by integrating diverse data sourcesâfrom PDF floorplans to web pagesâusing FME transformers, like OpenAIVisionConnector and AnthropicVisionConnector. This use case will show you how GenAI can streamline content creation for marketing across the board.
Ollama Use Case: Learn how Scenario Specialist Dmitri Bagh has utilized Ollama within FME to input data, create custom models, and enhance security protocols. This segment will include demos to illustrate the full capabilities of FME in AI-driven processes.
Custom AI Models: Discover how to leverage FME to build personalized AI models using your data. Whether itâs populating a model with local data for added security or integrating public AI tools, find out how FME facilitates a versatile and secure approach to AI.
Weâll wrap up with a live Q&A session where you can engage with our experts on your specific use cases, and learn more about optimizing your data workflows with AI.
This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to harness the power of AI within their data management systems while ensuring high levels of customization and security. Whether you're a novice or an expert, gain actionable insights and strategies to elevate your data processes. Join us to see how FME and AI can revolutionize how you work with data!
How to Interpret Trends in the Kalyan Rajdhani Mix Chart.pdfChart Kalyan
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A Mix Chart displays historical data of numbers in a graphical or tabular form. The Kalyan Rajdhani Mix Chart specifically shows the results of a sequence of numbers over different periods.
Have you ever been confused by the myriad of choices offered by AWS for hosting a website or an API?
Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, Lightsail, Amplify, S3 (and more!) can each host websites + APIs. But which one should we choose?
Which one is cheapest? Which one is fastest? Which one will scale to meet our needs?
Join me in this session as we dive into each AWS hosting service to determine which one is best for your scenario and explain why!
Main news related to the CCS TSI 2023 (2023/1695)Jakub Marek
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An English đŹđ§ translation of a presentation to the speech I gave about the main changes brought by CCS TSI 2023 at the biggest Czech conference on Communications and signalling systems on Railways, which was held in Clarion Hotel Olomouc from 7th to 9th November 2023 (konferenceszt.cz). Attended by around 500 participants and 200 on-line followers.
The original Czech đ¨đż version of the presentation can be found here: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/hlavni-novinky-souvisejici-s-ccs-tsi-2023-2023-1695/269688092 .
The videorecording (in Czech) from the presentation is available here: https://youtu.be/WzjJWm4IyPk?si=SImb06tuXGb30BEH .
TrustArc Webinar - 2024 Global Privacy SurveyTrustArc
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How does your privacy program stack up against your peers? What challenges are privacy teams tackling and prioritizing in 2024?
In the fifth annual Global Privacy Benchmarks Survey, we asked over 1,800 global privacy professionals and business executives to share their perspectives on the current state of privacy inside and outside of their organizations. This yearâs report focused on emerging areas of importance for privacy and compliance professionals, including considerations and implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, building brand trust, and different approaches for achieving higher privacy competence scores.
See how organizational priorities and strategic approaches to data security and privacy are evolving around the globe.
This webinar will review:
- The top 10 privacy insights from the fifth annual Global Privacy Benchmarks Survey
- The top challenges for privacy leaders, practitioners, and organizations in 2024
- Key themes to consider in developing and maintaining your privacy program
Unlock the Future of Search with MongoDB Atlas_ Vector Search Unleashed.pdfMalak Abu Hammad
Â
Discover how MongoDB Atlas and vector search technology can revolutionize your application's search capabilities. This comprehensive presentation covers:
* What is Vector Search?
* Importance and benefits of vector search
* Practical use cases across various industries
* Step-by-step implementation guide
* Live demos with code snippets
* Enhancing LLM capabilities with vector search
* Best practices and optimization strategies
Perfect for developers, AI enthusiasts, and tech leaders. Learn how to leverage MongoDB Atlas to deliver highly relevant, context-aware search results, transforming your data retrieval process. Stay ahead in tech innovation and maximize the potential of your applications.
#MongoDB #VectorSearch #AI #SemanticSearch #TechInnovation #DataScience #LLM #MachineLearning #SearchTechnology
Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift.pdfTosin Akinosho
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Monitoring and Managing Anomaly Detection on OpenShift
Overview
Dive into the world of anomaly detection on edge devices with our comprehensive hands-on tutorial. This SlideShare presentation will guide you through the entire process, from data collection and model training to edge deployment and real-time monitoring. Perfect for those looking to implement robust anomaly detection systems on resource-constrained IoT/edge devices.
Key Topics Covered
1. Introduction to Anomaly Detection
- Understand the fundamentals of anomaly detection and its importance in identifying unusual behavior or failures in systems.
2. Understanding Edge (IoT)
- Learn about edge computing and IoT, and how they enable real-time data processing and decision-making at the source.
3. What is ArgoCD?
- Discover ArgoCD, a declarative, GitOps continuous delivery tool for Kubernetes, and its role in deploying applications on edge devices.
4. Deployment Using ArgoCD for Edge Devices
- Step-by-step guide on deploying anomaly detection models on edge devices using ArgoCD.
5. Introduction to Apache Kafka and S3
- Explore Apache Kafka for real-time data streaming and Amazon S3 for scalable storage solutions.
6. Viewing Kafka Messages in the Data Lake
- Learn how to view and analyze Kafka messages stored in a data lake for better insights.
7. What is Prometheus?
- Get to know Prometheus, an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit, and its application in monitoring edge devices.
8. Monitoring Application Metrics with Prometheus
- Detailed instructions on setting up Prometheus to monitor the performance and health of your anomaly detection system.
9. What is Camel K?
- Introduction to Camel K, a lightweight integration framework built on Apache Camel, designed for Kubernetes.
10. Configuring Camel K Integrations for Data Pipelines
- Learn how to configure Camel K for seamless data pipeline integrations in your anomaly detection workflow.
11. What is a Jupyter Notebook?
- Overview of Jupyter Notebooks, an open-source web application for creating and sharing documents with live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text.
12. Jupyter Notebooks with Code Examples
- Hands-on examples and code snippets in Jupyter Notebooks to help you implement and test anomaly detection models.
Introduction of Cybersecurity with OSS at Code Europe 2024Hiroshi SHIBATA
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I develop the Ruby programming language, RubyGems, and Bundler, which are package managers for Ruby. Today, I will introduce how to enhance the security of your application using open-source software (OSS) examples from Ruby and RubyGems.
The first topic is CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). I have published CVEs many times. But what exactly is a CVE? I'll provide a basic understanding of CVEs and explain how to detect and handle vulnerabilities in OSS.
Next, let's discuss package managers. Package managers play a critical role in the OSS ecosystem. I'll explain how to manage library dependencies in your application.
I'll share insights into how the Ruby and RubyGems core team works to keep our ecosystem safe. By the end of this talk, you'll have a better understanding of how to safeguard your code.
Nunit vs XUnit vs MSTest Differences Between These Unit Testing Frameworks.pdfflufftailshop
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When it comes to unit testing in the .NET ecosystem, developers have a wide range of options available. Among the most popular choices are NUnit, XUnit, and MSTest. These unit testing frameworks provide essential tools and features to help ensure the quality and reliability of code. However, understanding the differences between these frameworks is crucial for selecting the most suitable one for your projects.
4. 4
Agenda
1. Know Your Audience
2. Build Substance
⢠The 5 Tâs
3. Package Style
⢠The Pitch Pyramid
Source: Pennstatelive
WOW !!!
5. 5
Tune your pitch for your audience
⢠Co-founders
⢠Employees
Source: KaffeeTrauma
⢠Professionals
⢠Partners
⢠Customers
⢠Investors
⢠Media
⢠Your mother
6. 6
Know Your Audience
PLEASE. Before you prepare a pitch or a presentation
or a web site.
1.Understand who youâre talking to;
2.What questions they want answered; and
3.What you want to get out of the meeting.
7. People buy in to a Great Story.
7
Source: Rapid City Public Library
8. 8
Source: Rapid City Public Library
Storytelling is an Art, not a Science.
9. 9
Source: Rapid City Public Library
Telling a Great Story: Substance, Style.
12. 12
Creating Substance: The 5 T âs
T rouble
⢠What problem are you solving for
T echnology
your customer?
⢠How big of a pain is it for them?
⢠Whatâs the cost to switch from
T eam
their current solution?
T raction
T reasure
Risk vs. WOW
13. 13
Creating Substance: The 5 T âs
T rouble
⢠Whatâs your secret sauce?
T echnology
⢠Why do I care?
⢠Whatâs new, original and different
about your product?
T eam
⢠First/Best/Only
⢠How easy is it for a competitor to
replicate?
T raction
⢠Know-how or Patents
T reasure
Risk vs. WOW
14. 14
Creating Substance: The 5 T âs
T rouble
T echnology
⢠What domain expertise does the
management team have?
⢠Where are the experience and
T eam
expertise gaps?
⢠Who are the advisors & board of
T
directors?
raction
T reasure
Risk vs. WOW
15. 15
Creating Substance: The 5 T âs
T rouble
⢠How well do you understand your
customer?
⢠How many customers do you
T echnology
have and whatâs your growth
rate?
⢠What do customers say about
T eam
you/your product?
⢠What is your customer acquisition
strategy and cost to acquire
T raction
customers?
⢠Whatâs the customerâs
cost/benefit?
T reasure Risk vs. WOW
16. 16
Creating Substance: The 5 T âs
T rouble
⢠How big is the market?
T echnology ⢠How much money do you need to
raise?
T eam
⢠How fast are you going to get to
revenue & profitability?
T raction
⢠Whatâs your pricing strategy like?
T reasure
Risk vs. WOW
21. 21
Putting it all together: A Great Story
Concept ⢠3 - 5 words
Stand-up ⢠100 seconds
âGet a Meetingâ ⢠100 words
Investor ⢠10 slide deck
22. Concept ⢠3 - 5 words
Stand-up ⢠100 seconds
âGet a Meetingâ ⢠100 words
Investor ⢠10 slide deck
The Concept Pitch
Say it in 3-5 wordsâŚ
25. 25
The Concept Pitch
Simple, memorable description
of your business, using
analogies to paint a metaphor.
âFlickr for videoâ
âAmazon for rare, collectable, out-of-print booksâ
âAT&T for the Internetâ
âClassified Ads for the Internetâ
âEncyclopaedia Britannica for the Internetâ
26. Concept ⢠3 - 5 words
Stand-up ⢠100 seconds
âGet a Meetingâ ⢠100 words
Investor ⢠10 slide deck
The Stand Up Pitch
Your elevator pitch.
Cocktail party conversation.
The 100 second story.
28. 28
The Stand Up Pitch
âTell me about
your company!â
Source: n.macca
Make it a short,
engaging description of
your business.
29. 29
What you need to cover:
a Trouble
ďą
a Technology
ďą
a Team
ďą
a Traction
ďą
a Treasure
ďą
30. 30
Sample Stand Up Pitch
PetPlay is introducing a line of gourmet canned cat foods with the brand name Petite
Cuisine. These products look good, smell great, and taste great because they are people
food for cats! You may not want to, but you could eat it!
Research shows consumers love the products for their refreshing look and pleasant
smellâand cats devour them. Petite Cuisine is 100% nutritionally complete for cats and
is made from products you would buy at the meat and fish counter. The line currently
has eight items including whole tuna, red snapper filets, baby shrimp, and rock crab.
I launched and ran Fancy Feast, the largest competitor in this space nationally and ran
one of Nestle's international pet food divisions. I know this market well.
Orders are in from Ralph's grocery chain with additional distribution commitments
totalling 500 stores.
Capital is being raised in two stagesâ$500,000 in initial launch capital for 500 stores
and then a round of expansion capital of $3 to $5 million for 3,000+ stores.
Tech Coast Angels, 2007
31. 31
Breaking down the Pitch
Problem
PetPlay is introducing a line of gourmet canned cat T youâre solving
foods with the brand name Petite Cuisine. These
products look good, smell great, and taste great because
Catchy concept
they are people food for cats! You may not want to, but pitch
you could eat it!
Research shows consumers love the products for their
refreshing look and pleasant smellâand cats devour
Understands
them. industry and
consumers
Petite Cuisine is 100% nutritionally complete for cats
and is made from products you would buy at the meat
and fish counter. The line currently has eight items
Differentiated
including whole tuna, red snapper filets, baby shrimp, T product
and rock crab.
32. 32
Breaking down the Pitch
I launched and ran Fancy Feast, the largest competitor in BIG experience
this space nationally and ran one T
of Nestle's international pet food divisions. I know this
market well.
Good traction
Orders are in from Ralphâs grocery chain with additional T
distribution commitments totalling 500 stores.
Capital is being raised in two stagesâ$500,000 in initial
launch capital for 500 stores and then a round of Understands
what it will
expansion capital of $3 to $5 million for 3,000+ stores T take
33. Concept ⢠3 - 5 words
Stand-up ⢠100 seconds
âGet a Meetingâ ⢠100 words
Investor ⢠10 slide deck
The âGet a Meetingâ Pitch
34. 34
The âGet a Meetingâ Pitch
⢠NOT an executive summary
⢠NOT a product description
⢠High level concept description + team + traction
⢠Can be formatted as an email
⢠Target 100 words or less
⢠Delivery measured in seconds, not minutes
35. 35
Subject: Introducing Ning to Blue Shirt Capital
Hi Nivi,
Thanks for offering to introduce us to Blue Shirt Capital. I've attached a short presentation about
our company, Ning.
Briefly, Ning lets you create your own social network for anything. For free. In 2 minutes. It's as
easy as starting a blog. Try it at http://ning.com
Ning unlocks the great ideas from people all over the world who want to use this amazing medium
in their lives.
We have over 115,000 user-created networks and our page views are growing 10% per week. We
previously raised $44M from Legg Mason and others, including myself.
Before Ning, I started Netscape (acquired by AOL for $4.2B) and Opsware (acquired by HP for
$1.6B).
I've admired Blue Shirt's investments from afar. We're starting meetings with investors next week
and I would love to show Blue Shirt what we're building at Ning.
Best,
Marc Andreessen
xyz@ning.com
415.555.1212 Source: Pitching Hacks, 2009
36. 36
Subject: Introducing Ning to Blue Shirt Capital
Simple & concise
Hi Nivi, email
Thanks for offering to introduce us to Blue Shirt Capital. I've
attached a short presentation about our company, Ning.
Problem youâre
Briefly, Ning lets you create your own social network for anything. solving
For free. In 2 minutes. It's as easy as starting a blog. Try it at
http://ning.com
Good metaphor
Ning unlocks the great ideas from people all over the world who pitch phrase
want to use this amazing medium in their lives.
We have over 115,000 user-created networks and our page views Good customer
are growing 10% per week. We previously raised $44M from Legg engagement
Mason and others, including myself.
Before Ning, I started Netscape (acquired by AOL for $4.2B) and
Opsware (acquired by HP for $1.6B).
Good experience
I've admired Blue Shirt's investments from afar. We're starting
meetings with investors next week and I would love to show Blue
Shirt what we're building at Ning. Call to action
Best,
Marc Andreessen
xyz@ning.com
415.555.1212 Pitching Hacks, 2009
37. Concept ⢠3 - 5 words
Stand-up ⢠100 seconds
âGet a Meetingâ ⢠100 words
Investor ⢠10 slide deck
The Investor Pitch
38. 38
The Investor Pitch
⢠NOT a description
⢠NOT a business plan in PowerPoint
⢠NOT about explaining, it's about SELLING
An illustrated
story about the
opportunity.
39. 39
Guy Kawasaki's 10/20/30 Rule
10 20 30
Slides Minutes Point Font
Target: 3 bullets, 20 words per slide. Lots of graphics.
41. 41
The sequence of slides tells a story:
We have a mission and a team that is taking us there. Why?
We discovered this large problem and solved it with a
product that has this amazing technology inside. Weâre
going to market and sell it to these customers, with these
advantages that competitors simply cannot match. In
particular, weâre working towards these milestones over the
next few quarters. In conclusion, this financing is a great
investment opportunity.
42. 42
Contents of an Investor Pitch
1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Status and timeline
9. Projections and milestones
10. Summary and call to action
43. 43
The Problem
⢠Describe the customer,
market, and problem
you address, without
getting into your
product.
⢠Current state and
seriousness of the
problem.
⢠E.g. How you came up
with the idea.
44. 44
Solution
⢠Introduce your product
and its benefits and
describe how it
addresses the problem
you just described.
⢠Include a demo such as a
screencast, a link to
working software, or
pictures.
⢠Make it visual. Make it
real for your audience.
45. 45
Business Model
⢠Explain how you are going
to make money.
⢠If you have sales, describe
the value to customers.
⢠Describe the economics that
turn the business into $X
kajillion per year.
⢠Use microeconomics (each
user is worth $1/year)
rather than
macroeconomics (i.e. if we
can get 1% of a $10B
marketâŚ).
46. 46
Underlying Magic or Technology
⢠Describe the technology
behind your solution.
⢠Focus on how the
technology enables the
differentiated aspects of
your solution.
⢠If applicable, mention
patent status.
47. 47
Marketing and Sales
⢠Who are the customers?
How big is the market?
⢠You summarized this in
your Problem slide and
this is your opportunity
to elaborate.
⢠How are you going to
acquire customers?
⢠What customers have
you already acquired?
48. 48
Competition
⢠Describe why customers
use your product instead
of the competitionâs.
⢠Describe any competitive
advantages that remain
after the competition
decides to copy
⢠Never deny that you have
competitors â it's okay
to compete. Against
anyone.
49. 49
Team
⢠Highlight the past
accomplishments of the
team.
⢠Include directors or
advisors who bring
something special to
the company.
⢠Donât include positions
you intend to fill â
save that for the
milestones slide.
50. 50
Status and Timeline
⢠Looking back, what
have you done so far.
⢠Dates, amounts, and
sources of money
raised.
⢠Include hires,
customers, revenues,
technical milestones.
51. 51
Projections and Milestones
⢠A timeline chart that
overlays significant
milestone dates -
funding, product
development,
customer delivery,
markets and revenue,
expense profit/loss
projections.
52. 52
Summary
⢠Summarize the key,
compelling facts of the
company. Make sure
you cover all the topics
that are in your
elevator pitch.
⢠Finish with a call to
action.
⢠Include your complete
contact information.
53. 53
Concept
The Art of the Pitch Stand-up
âGet a Meetingâ
Technology
Investor
Treasure
Traction SUBSTAN STYLE
Team CE
Trouble
AUDIENC
E
Who They You
$ WOW! $
58. 58
Contacts, References and
Acknowledgements
⢠BCTIA alorant@bctia.org and swear@bctia.org
⢠www.centre4growth.com;http://twitter.com/centre4growth
⢠http://venturehacks.com/pitching
⢠http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#
axzz1DWuDlhhM
⢠http://www.startupblender.com/posts/004-your-pitch-sucks
⢠â30 seconds to pitch your companyâ, Steve Bayle
⢠http://www.pitchtheangels.com/
⢠http://www.flickr.com/
Editor's Notes
In this presentation, Iâd like to share with you some of the lessons I learned about telling a compelling story. I hope youâll learn the formula for giving a strong pitch, but more importantly, I hope this presentation helps you think long and hard about how to refine your business strategy.
PolarBlue Systems is the executive management teamâs third startup together. Abatis Systems Corporation, a telecommunications company, was acquired by Redback Networks in 2000; and OctigaBay Systems Corporation, a supercomputer company, was acquired by Cray Inc. in 2004.PolarBlue is an evolutionary progression for us, building on our expertise in networking and supercomputing and applying this knowledge to storage. OctigaBay/CrayAffordable supercomputer. Number 1 supercomputer in Japan. Used by Toyota. Used for forest fire prediction, drug discovery, golf club design.Founded Dec 2001Funded Dec 2002 with $25M CDN (largest seed financing in Canada)Launched Nov 2003Acquired April 2004 for $155 million CDN by Cray Inc.15 Months from funding to acquisitionGenerated over $0.5M for every business day of the companyâs life66 employeesAbatis/RedBackValue-add internet servicesFounded Feb 1998Launched Apr 1999Acquired Sept 2000 for CDN$1.3 Billion by Redback Networks (largest price paid for a private high-tech Canadian Company)31 Months from start to acquisitionGenerated over $2M of value for every business day of the companyâs life138 employees
Today, Iâd like to share with you the magical art of crafting a great pitch. Itâs a repeatable recipe â a formula to tell a story that makes your audience go WOW!Weâll bounce back and forth between presentation and workshop so youâll have a chance to apply some of the concepts weâre talking about while itâs still fresh in your mind. I have to emphasize that this is a complicated process that looks deceptively easy. To get the WOW, itâll take many iterations of build, test, critique, adjust, test, critique, and repeat. Like anything, youâll get out of it what you put into it.
Step zero in the process is to understand who youâre pitching to and what you want them to get out of your presentation. For example:maybe youâre pitching to a VC because you want them to invest. They care about risk/return (weâll talk about that later in the presentation); maybe youâre pitching to a star candidate you want to hire â he/she wants to hear about the cool technology youâre working on, the benefits plan, the compensation;Maybe youâre pitching to a good looking woman (or man) in a bar and you want to impress her (or him) with your business. A personal pet peeve of mine is when I go to an established companyâs web site or sales literature and I read the company proudly proclaim that they are addressing a multibillion dollar market. Who is this company talking to? Do customerâs care that the company is addressing a billion dollar market? NO. The customer cares about how well the product solves his/her problem and whether you do it better, faster, cheaper or lower risk that the other guy.
PLEASE. Before you prepare a pitch or a presentation or a web site. Understand who youâre talking to; What questions they want answered and What you want to get out of the meeting.Okay. So now that Iâve gotten that off my chest, letâs talk about the pitch.
Telling a great story is incredibly powerful. People buy a great story. Iâve sold over $1 billion on the basis of great technology and a great story.
Storytelling is an Art, not a Science. BUT there are some guidelines and structure that Iâm going to talk about today that make the âartâ more likely to achieve your objectives.
Weâll break today down into 2 sections: Substance and Style. Substance â meaning your strategy or your product. The core content that is full of juicy meat that gets your audience salivating.Style â meaning the way you package your content in bite size morsels and feed your audience. (Today Iâm not going to talk about eye contact, gestures and intonation although these are also important parts of your pitch.)
Iâm sure youâve heard of the 4 Pâs of marketing: Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Well today, Iâd like to talk about the 5 Tâs of a pitch. Trouble, Technology, Team, Traction and Treasure. This is the steak of your pitch and weâll talk about each of these on the next four slides. If the steak isnât thick and juicy, youâre not going to get the audience salivating, so this is absolutely critical. Properly addressing these four points in your pitch is critical to good storytelling and essential to capture the interest of any investor. But other audiences are also going to want to hear these 5 Tâs to varying degrees. For example, a customer will obviously want to know about why your product is the best solution for them. Theyâll also want to know that you understand their business and their challenges; that you have other customers who have also bought your product and that youâre a financially sound business.In the early days, you may not have all 5 Tâs nailed down. Thatâs okay.If you have incredible traction in what seems to be a large market, you can raise money no matter what the product and team look like.If you have some traction and the market seems large, your product and team are both critical to raising money.If you have NO traction, a great demo or a previously successful team are essential.
Technology really speaks to your product. Specifically, investors want to know what your secret sauce is. Whatâs your core intellectual property that you invented and how does it solve a real and burning problem for your customers. They also want to know how easy it is for others to copy you. Patents are a valuable part of the discussion, but they shouldnât be the core of your argument.Modern internet companies tend to have little core intellectual property. They focus more on problem/solution and customer acquisition strategies. Still, technology speaks to scalability, security, feature content and agility in responding to customer requirements.The whole time youâre up there talking, investors are doing a mental calculation, trying to assess where the risks are and offset that with the WOW-factor of the presenter and his/her content.
Technology really speaks to your product. Specifically, investors want to know what your secret sauce is. Whatâs your core intellectual property that you invented and how does it solve a real and burning problem for your customers. They also want to know how easy it is for others to copy you. Patents are a valuable part of the discussion, but they shouldnât be the core of your argument.Modern internet companies tend to have little core intellectual property. They focus more on problem/solution and customer acquisition strategies. Still, technology speaks to scalability, security, feature content and agility in responding to customer requirements.The whole time youâre up there talking, investors are doing a mental calculation, trying to assess where the risks are and offset that with the WOW-factor of the presenter and his/her content.
Team speaks to the expertise of the senior members of the company. How did you come up with the idea for this business? Have you started a business before? (Note that itâs okay to have failed as long as you took away some strong learning points.) What gaps are there in the management team? (Itâs okay to have gaps as long as you identify them and explain when/how/who to fill them.) A good Board of Directors and advisers adds lots of credibility.
Traction is all about the customer. Who is your poster-child customer? How many customers do you have? Are they paying? How much?What problem are you solving for your customer? How burning a problem are you solving and how are they solving it today? Why is your solution better and what are the cost/effort/benefit of adopting your solution?One of the biggest factors to discuss is your customer acquisition strategy and cost of acquiring customers.
I roll my eyes when I hear someone tell me theyâre addressing a billion dollar market. Yah YahâŚitâs a big market, but...Do you understand its make-up? Contrary to popular belief, you donât want to address a billion dollar market. Your challenge is to narrow your addressable market down to a small, easy to reach customer set. As a startup, focus is critical to your success. You need to out-run, out-maneuver, out-smart big incumbent players and the only way to do that is with a laser focus on a homogeneous customer base with common feature requirements. Pick a market segment, listen to your customers and dominate the narrow segment. Then (and only then) expand. This strategy is particularly essential in the current funding environment!
Okay, so now that you have your âSubstanceâ - the meat (or the steak) of a good pitch, letâs turn to the âstyleâ - the bite-size chunks youâre going to serve your audience.Crafting a good story depends on who youâre talking to and also, the context in which youâre telling the story. For example, if youâre in a bar and youâre introduced to a potential investor, you probably donât want to whip out your PowerPoint slides right away. You want to whet his/her appetite with a high level teaser and then get an invitation to a follow-on meeting where you can drill down into a PowerPoint presentation.So really, we shouldnât be talking about âA Great Storyâ. We should be talking about âA few Great Storiesâ Plural.The Concept Pitch is a simple catchy metaphor that explains what youâre doing, what space youâre in and why youâre different from others. If done well, itâs a powerful handle for people to grasp and remember. âWe are the Encyclopaedia Britannica of the Internet.âThe Stand-Up Pitch is your elevator pitch. Your 100 seconds to let me smell that thick juicy steak and get my saliva flowing.The âGet a Meetingâ pitch is what you use to open doors with potential investors you donât know first hand.And finally, the Investor Pitch is your slide deck that tells the whole story in a concise, complete and compelling way.Weâll go through each of these through the rest of the presentation.
Taglines are for big companies with big budgets. Donât spend the time/effort on this. Stick to the meat of your business.
I think a vision for your business is critical. If you can articulate why you started the business and you can make it a personal, compelling message explaining why/how you want to change the world, it can be a very effective tool for rallying and guiding employees, the Board and investors. BUT, if you donât spend the time and effort and if itâs not coming from the heart, itâs a pointless exercise. For example, if you can substitute the word âGrocery Storeâ for âBankâ and it still makes sense, then itâs probably not a good Vision Statement. Whereâs the vision or innovation in that? Whereâs the WOW? I canât even figure out what ARK does?I certainly wouldnât invest in these businesses. Would you?
A Concept Pitch is a simple memorable description of your business using a memorable metaphor to paint a picture for your audience.
You walk into a room and a reporter walks up to you and sticks a microphone in your face and asks you âSoâŚtell our viewers about your company.â Youâve got maximum 100 seconds before the audience reaches for the remote to change the channel. Youâve got to make it count. Your stand-up pitch has to be short and engaging with enough of a tease that your audience wants to know more. Youâve got to sell your credibility and your thought leadership. Donât pack too much into the pitch. Your objective is to be invited back for a full in-depth interview. Letâs review the formula for a successful stand-up pitch.
Hereâs what you need to get across in 100 seconds or less. No cheating â youâre not allowed to speak fast â if you do, your audience wonât be able to follow you, so choose your words carefully. Script it, rehearse it and make it sound natural, casual and sincere.
Hereâs an example of a good pitch.
Letâs dissect the pitch. Notice how substance and style fit together: The metaphor comes out up front along with the problem youâre trying to solve. You then move into the 5 Tâs.ď I was thinking of making it even easier to see âat a glanceâ what each part of the pitch is. See small eg of it color coded above.
Note how the 5 Tâs are covered.-> Same comment/example as in slide 28.
Chances are, youâre going to need to raise money. How do you get an appointment with a potential investor? Perhaps youâre looking to attract a potential Board member or advisor. How do you catch their interest? If you donât know the individual, itâs hard to get in the door. With the âGet a Meetingâ Pitch, itâs about using your network to get in front of the right people. People who:Previously funded and successful entrepreneursOther investors (co-investors, existing investors)Market or industry luminaries and recognized expertsSelf-proclaimed experts (like bloggers and startup advisors)Lawyers, accountants, board members, investment bankers, professional groups.
The âGet a Meetingâ pitch is typically an email introduction thatâs forwarded from you to an intermediary to the person you want to get in front of. Itâs got to be short, punchy and factual. Somehow, youâve got to get the âWOWâ out of a flat email. Letâs dig into the formula.
Hereâs an example introductory email pitch.
Just as before, notice the use of a metaphor and the 5 Tâs in a simple, concise email.
Now that youâve passed the first hurdle (either the stand-up pitch or the âget a meetingâ pitch), youâve been invited to present to a team of potential investors or customers. Youâve got 30 minutes to impress your audience â to âWOWâ them. Hereâs the formula (with an investor slant).
Hereâs where you tell your story. Hereâs the moment youâve been working up to. Donât bore them with 30 PowerPoint slides in 30 minutes. Donât fill the screen with slide after slide of text. Illustrate, demonstrate and paint a picture in their mind. Make it as real as possible for your audience.
Probably one of the best pieces of advice I can give you I learned from a VC named Guy Kawasaki. He coined the 10/20/30 Rule. These are words to live by. http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#axzz1LbNZZ0aa
One of the masters of the 10/20/30 Rule is Steve Jobs. If youâve ever seen his product announcements, theyâre strikingly visual, simple and compelling. He tells a visual story and makes it real for his audience. Every gesture, every word is carefully scripted and rehearsed so that it sounds and feels natural. If you havenât seen his announcements, itâs worth taking the time to study them and learn from a master.
Contrast this, text-heavy slide with the previous one. Which is more memorable? Which is more powerful?Use speaker notes and voice-over to deliver the content. Use the visuals to leave a lasting memory.But read the content of this slide. This is the story you need to tell in 20 minutes and 10 slides. Hereâs the formula. (And yes, ironically the next few slides are very text-heavy.)
The sequence of slides tells a story:We have a mission and a team that is taking us there. Why? We discovered this large problem and solved it with a product that has this amazing technology inside. Weâre going to market and sell it to these customers, with these advantages that competitors simply cannot match. In particular, weâre working towards these milestones over the next few quarters. In conclusion, this financing is a great investment opportunity.
Weâve covered a lot today. In summary, to get the WOW from your audience, you first need to understand your audience: What they want out of the meeting, what you want out of the meeting. Tune your message appropriately.You need to tell a story with both substance and style. Substance being the 5 Tâs and style being the formulae unique to the type of pitch.
It takes a lot of hard work and refinement to get a âWOWâ from your audience. Take the time to analyze whatâs not working and fix it. It could be a problem with your substance (strategy), it could be a problem with your style (presentation) or it could be that youâre talking to the wrong person (the subject of another day). It can take many months to get the perfect pitch and thatâs okay. Itâs time well spent that can help you make a billion dollars for your investors.