AI is in every single place, and predictably, gross sales groups are among the many early adopters. So I wasn’t shocked to see Scalestack elevate $1 million to assist make gross sales groups’ lives simpler.
So, as we’ve accomplished each week for the previous 18 months or so (I can’t imagine that is going to be the 75th pitch deck teardown!), we’re going to place the deck Scalestack used to lift its spherical beneath the proverbial microscope and see what it obtained proper and the place it might have accomplished higher.
Let’s go!
We’re searching for extra distinctive pitch decks to tear down, so if you wish to submit your personal, right here’s how you are able to do that.
Slides on this deck
Scalestack closed its $1 million spherical with an 18-slide deck. The corporate left all of the slides in, however redacted some income figures and MongoDB’s ROI from its product:
- Cowl slide
- Workforce slide
- Abstract/traction slide
- Downside slide
- Downside impression slide 1
- Downside impression slide 2
- Downside impression slide 3
- Answer slide
- Traction slide
- Buyer story slide 1
- Buyer story slide 2
- The way it works slide
- Product slide
- Market slide
- Competitors slide
- Positioning slide
- Why now slide
- Closing slide
Three issues to like
Over the previous couple of months, I’ve been experimenting with constructing an AI-powered deck evaluate instrument. It gave this deck solely a 67% probability of elevating cash (you’ll be able to see the full report here). In fact, Scalestack did elevate cash, and it did a bunch of issues extraordinarily nicely, which reveals that AI has an extended technique to go.
Taking a more in-depth take a look at Scalestack’s deck, I’m not shocked the corporate raised cash. It has three massive issues going for it: a killer workforce, spectacular traction, and a buyer testimonial to die for.
An ideal workforce
An organization’s workforce is its coronary heart and soul. Within the early days of a startup, when there may not be a considerable monitor document or in depth monetary knowledge, the workforce’s background and capabilities will be one of the crucial persuasive facets of your pitch.
It’s important to current your workforce successfully and showcase why they’re the fitting individuals to carry the enterprise to success. That’s what Scalestack obtained proper, and it cleverly begins the story with a workforce slide.
[Side 2] It’s superior to see this firm come out the gate unapologetically. Picture Credit: Scalestack
You understand what traders love? Founders with confirmed monitor data. This slide reveals that its workforce is well-connected within the startup world and has operational expertise besides.
I’d have liked to see hyperlinks to the founders’ LinkedIn profiles as nicely, however this works superbly however.
Lengthy-time readers would possibly discover that this slide is lacking one thing I usually argue for on workforce slides: Founder-market match. Nothing in these biographies screams “gross sales” or “AI” to me, so why am I so obsessed with this firm? Properly, that’s as a result of it doesn’t matter if you click on by way of to the subsequent slide:
Traction for dayyyyssss
Your startup’s workforce is necessary, however traction will make up for all of the sins you’ll be able to think about. It is smart, then, that after a workforce slide that good, Scalestack follows up with a traction victory lap. The precise knowledge is redacted, however you get the image.
[Slide 3] Hyper progress reveals the beginnings of product-market match. Picture Credit: Scalestack
Even with redacted numbers, this slide tells a hell of a narrative: Marquee clients, rising ARR and a powerful pipeline. That checks lots of packing containers. The workforce will in all probability have been capable of elevate cash with simply these two slides, which is why I don’t give them that exhausting of a time for lacking some necessary elements. Wouldn’t it have been higher to incorporate all the info traders can be searching for? Positive, however in case you have traction and a stable workforce, you’re 90% of the best way there.
When you’re elevating cash, take a tough take a look at these two slides. That’s what you’re up in opposition to, even for a corporation elevating “solely” $1 million. Does your organization appear like that? If not, are you able to inform a narrative that has an analogous chorus?
And should you can, will you have the ability to finish the story with one thing this highly effective?
A hell of a buyer testimonial
Let’s get one thing straight: Buyer testimonials are, by and enormous, vainness metrics that don’t inform the story by themselves. Nevertheless, they will make for highly effective narrative components.
[Slide 11] This isn’t a testimonial as a lot as a “We made ourselves indispensable” slide. Completely baller. Picture Credit: Scalestack
You’d higher imagine that if I had been main an funding in Scalestack, I’d wish to have a chat with Mr. Underhill. If he’s simply as obsessed with this firm on the reference name as nicely, it’d go an extended technique to convincing me to take a position.
Is all of it good, although? Properly, no. Objectively, this isn’t an excellent pitch deck, as a result of it’s lacking some main elements of the pitch. So in the remainder of this teardown, we’ll take a look at three issues Scalestack might have improved or accomplished in another way, together with its full pitch deck!