This article is a teardown of the pitch deck of startup company CommandBar (CommandBar). The author, Haje Jan Kamps, provides an in-depth analysis of the deck, pointing out both strengths and weaknesses. Here’s a summary:
Analysis
Kamps starts by noting that CommandBar may not have used a traditional pitch deck, as they raised their next round without one. Instead, the company’s founders created a "memo to themselves" on why they should invest in their own company.
The author then proceeds to analyze the sections of the pitch deck:
- Slide 2: Company Overview: Kamps notes that the title is a bit generic and doesn’t give much information about the company.
- Slide 3: Problem Statement: The analysis suggests that the problem statement is not clearly defined, making it difficult for investors to understand the solution.
- Slide 4: Solution Overview: Kamps praises the simplicity of this slide but notes that more details are needed.
- Slide 5: Market Opportunity: The analysis highlights a lack of clarity on the target market and competition.
- Slide 6: Product Demonstration: Kamps notes that the slide is too text-heavy and doesn’t showcase any visualizations or demos.
- Slide 7: Business Model: This section lacks detail, and the author suggests using more charts and graphs to illustrate revenue streams.
- Slide 8: Traction: CommandBar claims to have marquee logos as customers, but Kamps questions whether this is a strong indicator of success.
- Slide 9: Marketing Strategy: The analysis notes that this slide is too vague and doesn’t provide concrete plans for growth.
Conclusion
Kamps concludes that the pitch deck lacks polish and clarity, making it difficult for investors to understand the company’s vision and potential. However, he praises CommandBar’s founders for taking an unconventional approach to fundraising and prioritizing their own confidence in the company over traditional pitching techniques.
Additional Insights
- The article mentions an interview with CommandBar’s CEO, James Evans, who discusses his team’s approach to raising capital and the role of self-confidence in entrepreneurship.
- The author also references a blog post by Evans where he teases apart the company’s fundraising process.
