Okay, I just got investment from the largest and most reputable VC in my country.
As part of the deal, I will have access to around 1000 large companies. Basically VC can just call these companies and have them try/buy my product. So this really is a golden ticket. The VC money I am getting is also a pretty size-able amount.
This is a pre-seed round, my product is still at ideation phase. What I am looking to develop is basically airtable.com competitor, but much easier to use, more geared toward small/medium enterprises and will have more country specific integrations. Basically I have unlimited access to distribution and sales should come easy, given the respect VC has in my country.
Given that I will have immediate access to about 1000 large b2b customers, is airtable like competitor the best course of action? Or is there a better idea I can develop into an MVP? My main goal is to develop the MVP and get to profitability as fast as possible.
How many of these 1000 large companies use airtable? Would the goal be to convert them to your product?
Are these companies all from the same country/operate in the same market?
What is a “size-able” amount? I imagine VCs are willing to continue throwing even more money at you once you show traction/achieve pmf?
Proof about being able to just walk into a VC and leave with a blank check would be appreciated to understand everything a bit more; please DM me!
There’s no airtable in my country, since they don’t even support my country’s language.
By sizeable amount I mean enough money to develop an MVP and enough for salaries for a team of 5 developers for around 18 months.
5 Devs for 18 months is like 750k ?..that means U gotta be generating 500k sales/ year in 18 months… That’s a good challenge
Good point. And yes that’s what I will be aiming for. Because if we don’t hit that, i will have to raise even more funding.
If your plan is to fully leverage these 1,000 Cos to test/buy your product, then I think you should try to hear what they have to say - what their problems are.
Pick a couple of Execs from each company depending on what the company specializes in, (CEO, CMO/CSO, CTO, CPO), a couple middle managers and 1 low-level employee and interview them.
Take your time in doing so. It will take time. Scheduling talking to them, learning and adapting for the next interviews as your progress… but the insights and feedback will be invaluable. Don’t ask them “would you use this?”, showing them airtable. Understand THEIR problems, THEIR struggles. Build a product that actually solves their problems, not one that you think does.
I am also a previous founder with a successful exit, and I am currently slowly but surely getting back in the game after a year of traveling the world. I’m happy to chat more and more specifically if you’d like. Feel free to DM me!