So I recently joined a startup as an intern for a business developer role. I am the only business developer, and other than that it is the CEO and CTO. We are applying for grants to secure funding as the MVP has been out for a couple of weeks.

So, my question is: Should it fall to me to make them a business plan? It’s fairly difficult to apply for grants as there is no fully written out business plan. Should I try to figure this out on my own, or would you say that they should draw it up since the startup is their idea…or that the three of us make it together? It’s a little frustrating to try to make an extensive business plan since I didn’t come up with the initial idea and haven’t been working with it for very long…

Thanks

  • tony-berg@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    You’re an intern, so the CEO (and CTO) should take the lead.

    You can’t from an intern position be the leader that create the business plan which the CEO and CTO are supposed to follow. It simply wouldn’t be fair to ask that of you, and there’s no way for you to have the authority to have people respect that business plan.

    You could of course be the one that create the documents etc, but then you have to do that with the perspective that you’re only putting together like a draft or suggestion. At the end of the day the CEO (and CTO) need to put their authority into the business plan for it to actually be something that the business adhere to.

    So, yes, or no, it depends, you could do the business plan; but you have to have your CEO give you the right scope and perspective on what that work actually entails. (And I would also add that as a business developer you if needed should advice him on these things.)

  • Leading-Shower9928@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    11 months ago

    “Business Development” stands for creating connections for the business.
    CEO/Founder/COO are the roles that form the strategy of the startup. Your part should be the planning and the execution of your activities.

    You may create your plan for grant application activities, KPIs setting and reporting and follow it. Otherwise you are a “shareless” co-founder with BizDev responsibilities.