This list is what a VC might think about beyond the founders. Treat it as a menu, not a checklist. Most of it won't apply to you yet. Pick what does, and use it to sharpen your own thinking before you sharpen your pitch.

Storytelling

The biggest lever you have is storytelling. Articulate the problem so the pain lands, and your story explains why it has to be you.

1. Problem

A. Core Problem Definition

  • Problem Statement (): What specific problem are you solving?
  • Who Has This Problem: Define your target customer segments
  • Problem Frequency: How often do customers experience this problem?
  • Current Cost of Problem: What does this problem cost customers (time/money/efficiency)?

B. Problem Evidence

  • Recent Data Points: List 3-5 statistics showing problem severity (with sources)
  • Market Trends: What trends are making this problem worse?
  • Personal Experience: Describe your personal experience with this problem
  • Customer Pain Examples: 3-5 specific examples of how customers currently struggle

C. Why Now?

  • Recent Changes: What has changed in the last 2-3 years that makes this solvable now?
  • Technology Enablers: What new technologies make your solution possible?
  • Market Shifts: What behavioral/economic changes create urgency?

2. Founder & Team

A. Your Background

  • Relevant Experience: Years working in this problem space
  • Previous Roles: Job titles/companies that gave you domain expertise
  • Personal Problem Experience: How long have you personally dealt with this problem?
  • Failed Attempts: What existing solutions have you tried and why did they fail?

B. Unfair Advantages

  • Domain Expertise: What do you know that others don't?
  • Network Access: What unique access do you have to customers/distribution?
  • Technical Insight: What technical advantages do you possess?
  • Market Timing: What do you understand about timing that others miss?
  • Anything else?

C. Team Composition

  • Co-founder Background: Technical/business experience of key team members
  • Previous Collaborations: Have you worked together before?
  • Complementary Skills: How do your skills complement each other?
  • Advisory Support: List relevant advisors and their backgrounds

3. Customer Discovery

A. Interview Summary

  • Total Interviews Conducted: Number of potential customers interviewed
  • Interview Duration: Average length of customer conversations
  • Customer Segments Interviewed: Breakdown by company size/role/industry

B. Key Customer Quotes

  • Willingness to Pay: "I'd pay $X to solve this" quotes
  • Problem Urgency: Quotes about problem priority/impact
  • Solution Interest: Customer reactions to your proposed approach
  • Current Workarounds: How customers currently handle this problem

C. Customer Validation Metrics

  • Problem Confirmation: % of potential customers confirmed this is a real problem
  • Payment Intent: % who expressed willingness to pay for a solution
  • Urgency Level: % who called this a top 3 business priority

4. Market & Competition Analysis

A. Market Sizing

  • Total Addressable Market (TAM): Overall market size with calculation method
  • Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM): Your realistic market segment
  • Target Customer Count: Number of potential customers in your initial market (bottom-up analysis)
  • Average Customer Value: Estimated annual value per customer

B. Competitive Landscape

  • Direct Competitors: Companies solving the exact same problem
  • Indirect Competitors: Alternative solutions customers use today
  • Competitive Advantages/Disadvantages: Why you'll win vs. existing solutions

C. Market Validation

  • Recent Funding: VC investments in adjacent/similar companies
  • Industry Growth Rate: How fast is your market growing?

5. Product

A. Product Vision

  • Key Features: Essential features for MVP
  • User Experience: Describe the customer journey through your solution
  • Success Metrics: How will you measure product success?

B. Technical Execution

  • Development Timeline: Months to MVP, beta, and full product

C. Development Milestones

  • Short-Term Goal: What will you build in first 3-6 months?

6. Go-to-Market Strategy

A. Customer Acquisition

  • Initial Customer Pipeline: Names/companies of potential first customers
  • Sales Cycle: Estimated time from first contact to closed sale

B. Distribution Channels

  • Primary Channel: Main way customers will discover you
  • Secondary Channels: Additional customer acquisition methods
  • Partnership Opportunities: Potential integration/distribution partners
  • Marketing Strategy: How will you build awareness?

C. Pricing Strategy

  • Pricing Model: How will you charge (subscription, one-time, usage-based)?
  • Price Point: Expected price range with justification
  • Value Proposition: Why customers will pay your price
  • Payment Timeline: When/how customers will pay

7. Financial Planning

A. Funding

  • Why are you raising?: What will the capital unlock?
  • Runway Timeline: How long will this funding last?
  • Next Milestone: What milestone justifies the next round?

B. Team & Hiring

  • Required Team Size: FTE's
  • Planned Hires: Specific people + roles you'll hire in next months