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AI is everywhere , and predictably , sales team are among the former adopters . So I was n’t surprised to seeScalestackraise $ 1 million to aid make sales teams ’ lives easier .
So , as we ’ve done every week for the retiring 18 months or so ( I ca n’t believe this is going to bethe 75th sales talk pack of cards teardown ! ) , we ’re go to put the deck Scalestack used to erect its round under the proverbial microscope and see what it got right and where it could have done better .
get ’s go !
We ’re looking for more unparalleled pitch decks to tear down , so if you want to defer your own , here ’s how you may do that .
Slides in this deck
Scalestack closed its $ 1 million round of golf with an 18 - slide deck . The company left all the slides in , but redact some revenue figures and MongoDB ’s ROI from its product :
Three things to love
Over the preceding couple of months , I ’ve been try out with building an AI - powered deck of cards review tool . It gave this deck only a 67 % fortune of raising money ( you cansee the full report here ) . Of of course , Scalestackdidraise money , and it did a crew of matter extremely well , which record that AI has a long way to go .
Taking a closer tone at Scalestack ’s deck , I ’m not storm the troupe raised money . It has three big things going for it : a killer whale team , impressive grip , and a client tribute to die for .
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A great team
A companionship ’s squad is its affectionateness and mortal . In the early days of a inauguration , when there might not be a substantial course record or extensive financial data point , the team ’s ground and potentiality can be one of the most persuasive aspects of your pitch .
It ’s all-important to stage your squad in effect and showcase why they are the right-hand citizenry to bring the line to success . That ’s what Scalestack got ripe , and it cleverly initiate the story with a squad chute .
You know what investor love ? founding father with leaven running record . This sliding board shows that its team is well - connected in the startup world and has operable experience to the boot .
I ’d have have it away to see links to the founder ’ LinkedIn profile as well , but this work attractively nevertheless .
foresightful - time readers might note that this sloping trough is miss something I often contend for on team slides : laminitis - market fit . Nothing in these biographies screams “ sales agreement ” or “ AI ” to me , so why am I so enthusiastic about this party ? Well , that ’s because it does n’t count when you get through through to the next slide :
Traction for dayyyyssss
Your startup ’s team is important , but grip will make up for all the sins you could imagine . It make sense , then , that after a squad slide that good , Scalestack follows up with a grip victory lap . The existent datum is redacted , but you get the pic .
Even with redacted Book of Numbers , this sliding board tell a hell of a taradiddle : Marquee customers , growing ARR and a solid pipeline . That agree a lot of box . The squad will probably have been capable to lift money with just these two swoop , which is why I do n’t give themthathard of a clip for missing some important parts . Would it have been better to include all the data investors would be looking for ? Sure , but if you have traction and a square team , you ’re 90 % of the way there .
If you ’re raising money , take a operose look at these two slides . That ’s what you ’re up against , even for a society raising “ only ” $ 1 million . Does your troupe calculate like that ? If not , can you distinguish a news report that has a similar refrain ?
And if you may , will you be able to end the taradiddle with something this brawny ?
A hell of a customer testimonial
Let ’s get something straight : Customer testimonials are , by and large , conceitedness metric unit that do n’t evidence the story by themselves . However , they can make for potent narrative component .
You ’d well trust that if I were leading an investment in Scalestack , I ’d want to have a chat with Mr. Underhill . If he ’s just as enthusiastic about this party on the reference call as well , it ’d go a long way to convincing me to invest .
Is it all perfect , though ? Well , no . Objectively , this is not a very good pitch deck of cards , because it ’s missing some major contribution of the pitch . So in the rest of this teardown , we ’ll bet at three things Scalestack could have improved or done differently , along with its full pitch deck !
Three things that could be improved
Scalestack missed out some major parting of the pitch .
No ask or use of funds slides
The big , most puzzling part of this pitch deck is that there ’s no Mary Leontyne Price shred or product verbal description , which is unforgivable considering this is a sales tech company . I ’m not verbalize about the product the company is building , but the product it is selling to the VCs .
The damage tag is the amount of money the company is hoping to raise . The product is the roadmap for what the company will do with the money to further de - peril and weighing machine . Scalestack does n’t do abadjob — it does n’t even essay to paint a motion picture of the future .
It ’s totally bizarre , but it plump to show that the founders understand something crucial about this fundraising around : The investors take to intrust them to know what they are doing . This is a bold move that I ’d never advocate to any of my pitch coach guest , but here we are : It worked !
Missing business basics
The company is reporting ARR , which is great , but it did n’t verbalise at all about its pricing model or go - to - market strategy . Again , it ’s reasonably weird for a sales - focused tool . investor are go to want to understand all of those levers and how the team is plan to evolve . It speaks to the inauguration ’s marketplace sentience , line of work acumen and potential drop for success .
A pricing model answer as a clear signal of your startup ’s intellect of its economic value proffer and target mart . It demonstrates that you have deep perceptivity into the economics of your product or service , especially its value in the market . This is all important for investors , as it shows that you are pragmatic about the troupe ’s financial viability . A well - structured pricing model ascertain investors that you have a strategical feeler to revenue generation — a critical aspect of business growth and scalability .
The want of a go - to - market scheme also baffles me . This strategy is a roadmap that discover the step your inauguration will take to engage with customers and achieve mart penetration . It ought to include details on marketing channels , client attainment strategies and sales maneuver . investor are keen to understand how you plan to reach and retain your customers , as this directly impacts the inauguration ’s ability to generate sustainable receipts .
A strong go - to - marketplace strategy evidence your squad ’s usable competence and power to perform your line architectural plan effectively . neglect it is a bit of a foul-up , in my opinion .
So who are the customers?
Closely tied to the go - to - market mistake above , the squad does n’t appear to have a clear customer profile . In other words : It does n’t commune who its customers are .
A well - defined client visibility demonstrates that you have a deep intellect of your target market . client profile ( or part , target demographic , whatever you choose to call the slide ) can include demographic , psychographic and behavioral characteristics of your ideal client , illustrating that your inauguration is not just building a mathematical product , but clear a real problem for a specific radical of people .
Narrowly define who your customer are , what they need , and how they make buying decisions unlocks your cut-rate sale process and shows investors that you know where to get face for your client .
The full pitch deck
If you want your own pitch deck teardown feature on TC+,here ’s more information . Also , check outall our Pitch Deck Teardowns and other lurch advice , all collected in one handy place for you !
