VentureGrade℠

Demographic Inputs (1/6)

Time to Complete: ~15 minutes

Output: PDF VentureGrade℠ report delivered to your email.

Welcome to the VentureGrade℠ analysis, consisting of multiple-choice questions ranging from your experience as a Founder, your idea and product maturity, your market opportunity, the completeness of your management team, and the financial opportunity your startup represents.

This is a self-attested analysis. Be prepared to defend your answers during diligence with an investor. If you haven’t completed a task described, or you’re not sure about an answer, please choose the “very low” option.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email (PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK as we will send your results here) *

Startup Name *

Where is your startup headquartered? *

What is your startup's business model? *

Please Upload your Pitch Deck pdf here *

PDF

Please create and submit a brief video, ideally 3 to 5 minutes long, answering the following questions. Please share the video by providing a link (e.g. YouTube or Vimeo URL). This will help us get acquainted with you and understand the opportunity you're presenting.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Why did you found the company and how did your team come together?

2. What problem do you solve?

3. If you are wildly successful, what is different in the world? What is different in your life?

4. How do you measure your impact on the world?

5. Why does a customer switch to you, and what cost do they experience when switching from a competitor or substitute offering?

Pitch Video (enter a URL link) *

Product/Service Distinctiveness and Maturity (2/6)

Does the product save the customer time relative to alternatives? *

Comparable time

Somewhat faster

Dramatically faster

Does the product save the customer money relative to alternatives? *

Comparable cost

Somewhat cheaper

Dramatically cheaper

Separate from time and money, is the customer's experience superior to alternatives? *

Comparable experience

Somewhat superior

Dramatically superior

How much feedback have you received from potential customers? *

Little-to-no feedback

Some feedback

Lots of robust feedback

Which best describes the stage of your startup? *

I am collecting feedback on the idea

I am currently building a prototype

I am collecting feedback on my completed prototype

I have an MVP with sufficient features to attract beta customers

I have a fully-developed product/service

My product/service is generating revenue

My startup is cashflow positive

Is your solution a critical / urgent necessity for the customer? *

Not a necessity

Necessity for some customers

Necessity for every customer

Do customers have substitutes and alternatives? *

Lots of alternatives

A few alternatives

Almost no alternatives

Is it expensive or time-intensive for your customers to switch to a competitor? *

Easy to switch

Some switching cost

Difficult or costly to switch

Do regulations and licenses inhibit other businesses from competing with you? *

No regulations

Some regulations

Heavy regulations

Will your your offering's IP be legally protected from competitors (patent, copyright, etc.) *

Little legal protection

Some legal protection

Robust legal protection

Outside of regulatory and legal barriers, how difficult would it be for competitors to duplicate your offering? *

Not difficult

Some difficulty/cost

Extreme difficulty/cost

Please comment on your offering's level of distinctiveness, maturity, and validation (optional)

Market Opportunity (3/6)

How large is your total addressable market? *

Very small market opportunity (<$100m)

Small market opportunity ($100m - $500m)

Medium market opportunity ($500m - $1b)

Large market opportunity ($1b - $5b)

Very large market opportunity (>$5b)

Is your total addressable market growing? *

Little-to-no growth

Strong growth

This market is skyrocketing

Will you acquire customers through sales channels and strategic alliances? *

Primarily direct customer acquisition

Primarily sales channels

Almost entirely sales channels

Does your product/service leverage virality through a network effect (the more users, the more value for each user)? *

Little-to-no ability to create virality

Some user-generated content and benchmarking opportunity

Most content is user-generated, and benchmarking can create revenue

Please comment on the market opportunity and go-to-market strategy (optional)

Founder-Idea and Founder-Context Fit (4/6)

Please answer the following questions regarding your previous experience

How long have you been actively developing this startup idea? *

< 1 year

1 - 5 years

5 - 10 years

> 10 years

What experience do you have selling this solution? *

No previous experience

I have sold products/services in a similar context

I have sold products/services solving this problem

How much experience do you have serving, empathizing, and networking with your target customer group? *

< 1 year

1 - 5 years

5 - 10 years

> 10 years

How much experience do you have in the target market and industry? *

< 1 year

1 - 5 years

5 - 10 years

> 10 years

Do you have industry contacts with whom to form alliances and channel partnerships? *

Not yet

Some connections

Well-connected in the industry

Please comment on why you are the best person to build this particular startup (optional)

How much experience do you have in the business model you are pursuing, e.g. SaaS app business with recurring revenue? *

No previous experience

< 1 year

1 - 5 years

5 - 10 years

> 10 years

How much experience do you have working in a VC-backed startup environment? *

No previous experience

Non-founder, non-C-level at previous startup

Founder or C-level at previous startup that raised <$1m of capital

Founder or C-level at previous startup that raised $1m+ of capital

Founder or C-level at previous startup that raised $1m+ of capital and had an exit of 2x or more for investors

How much experience do you have as a CEO, general manager, military commander, or similar role where you have had the sole responsibility for successfully leading an organization? *

No previous experience

< 1 year

1 - 5 years

5 - 10 years

> 10 years

Please comment on why you will thrive as a startup leader (optional)

Founder-Culture Fit (5/6)

Please check any of the following that apply to you:

I hold a graduate degree from an accredited program

I was a National Merit Scholar, National Latin Scholar, National AP Scholar, or equivalent

I hold a professional certification or license such as FINRA, CPA, insurance, etc.

I hold a technical certification such as AWS, Agile, or Scrum

I've led or been a key contributor to a multi-year research project

I’ve published a work, academic or professional, such as an article, book, or white paper

In the past year, I’ve maintained a journal or regularly documented my goals, thoughts, and reflections

In the past year, I’ve attended a workshop or conference focused on personal or professional development

I spend an average of 30 minutes daily reading or listening to books to expand my knowledge

I'm actively consuming industry-related journals, blogs, or podcasts on a weekly basis

In the past year, I’ve completed a class, course, or certification program, either in-person or online

I’m conversant in two or more languages or am actively studying a new language

I’ve participated in an entrepreneurial development program such as Y-Combinator, Techstars, or Gener8tor

I regularly meet with a mentor and seek feedback

I’ve held a commission-only sales role

I’ve managed a sales territory and carried a sales quota for at least one year

I’ve sold products door-to-door

I’ve held a cold-calling, canvassing, or missionary role

I’m actively involved in alumni or professional networks

I’ve raised funds for a charity

I’ve planned and led events or conferences

I’ve been a collegiate speech and debate team member

I’m an active public speaker or a conference presenter

I’ve invested in startups as an angel investor

I hold a finance-focused certification or advanced degree (CFA, CPA, accredited MS or MBA in Finance/Accounting, or equivalent)

I’ve led an organization/division with full P&L responsibility for at least one year

I’ve helped turn around a failing business

I’ve traded options or cryptocurrency

I’ve raised capital from investors

I’ve negotiated the acquisition or sale of a business

I’ve performed in the arts on stage as an adult

I’ve written or composed original works of art, music, or literature

I’ve developed and published a patent

I’ve developed and published a unique software product

I’m a social media content creator with a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel

I’ve participated in a hack-a-thon

I graduated from a private boarding school

I graduated from a military academy

I was a varsity collegiate athlete

I hold a black belt in martial arts

I served in the military in a special operations role or as an aviator

I’ve experienced a major career pivot or lost a job and successfully took a new direction at higher compensation

I engage in high-intensity exercise at least 4 times per week for 30+ minutes

I completed a marathon, triathlon, or similar endurance competition

I wake up at a consistent time even on the weekends

I trained consistently for 5+ years in a competitive sport (baseball, martial arts, etc.) or fine art (dance, music, etc.)

I competed in an event at the national or international level (debate, spelling bee, 4H, pageant, music, sports, etc.)

I attained the highest level rank in a national youth organization (Eagle Scout or equivalent)

I’ve experienced a startup failure and applied the lessons learned to new endeavors

I grew up working in my family's business

I grew up working on my family's farm or ranch

I’m a 1st or 2nd generation immigrant

I ran a paper route, ran lemonade stands, mowed lawns, shoveled snow, walked dogs or babysat on a regular basis as a student

I have had a profitable side hustle selling goods or services

I've started or revitalized a club, movement, community group, or charity

Please comment on why you thrive in an entrepreneurial environment (optional)

Management Team Experience (6/6)

For each of the following roles, please answer whether or not someone on your team (founder, co-founder, employee, advisor, consultant or outsourced services provider) held a formal leadership position in their professional career and excelled in the role?

BUSINESS STRATEGY: Market and competitive analysis, SWOT analysis, market positioning analysis, crafting unique value propositions, creating new business models, and go-to-market strategy development *