Choice N Cheers is a nightlife and hospitality discovery platform that launched its Android app in November 2015. The deck outlines a transition from a local Indian focus to a global service, targeting 10,000 cities. The business model relies on low-cost quarterly advertising from bars and hotels, starting at $150 per quarter. While the deck provides a clear timeline of development and a list of six founders with varying levels of experience, it lacks a specific funding ask or detailed breakdown of how the capital will be deployed. The product strategy is feature-heavy, including social shari…
Key takeaways
- The company soft-launched its web app in August 2015 and its Android mobile app in November 2015, according to slide 2.
- Revenue was reported as nil at the time of the pitch, with a user base of 250 mobile app installs on Android, as stated on slide 6.
- The primary revenue model is B2B advertising, charging bars $150 per quarter in Q1 2016, with plans to increase to $250 per quarter in Q2 2016, per slide 6.
- The initial target market is major Indian cities, with planned expansion into the US and Europe throughout 2016, as noted on slide 7.
- The team consists of six founders, including Ritesh Saxena (CEO) and Jay Pandey (CTO), with professional experience ranging from 4 to 20 years, as shown on slide 8.
- The product roadmap includes ambitious feature releases such as chair reservations, taxi bookings, and a 'win crowns' reward system by June 2016, per slide 2.
- Competitors are explicitly identified as DrinkAdvisor, Zomato, and TripAdvisor, along with several 'dormant' players like DrinkedIn and Drinktini, on slide 7.
- The deck does not include a specific financial ask, valuation, or use of funds slide.
Choice N Cheers Pitch Deck Analysis
Choice N Cheers is a discovery and marketplace platform designed for the nightlife and travel sectors. The deck, produced around December 2015, outlines a transition from a newly launched Android app to a global hospitality service. The following teardown examines the strategic direction, product features, and financial projections presented in the slides.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The title slide introduces Choice N Cheers with the tagline: "Your local guide to the Best places to Hangout globally!" It features the company logo—a bottle cap design with beer mugs and a winding road—and a prominent Google Play badge, indicating an initial focus on the Android ecosystem. A standard confidentiality disclaimer is included at the bottom.
Slide 2: Timelines & Milestones
This slide provides a month-by-month breakdown of the company's history and future goals. 2015 Milestones: The company moved from conceptualization in May to a soft-launched web app in August. By September, they had mapped data for over 80 cities. The Android app launched in November, followed by a funding pitch in December. 2016 Projections: The roadmap is aggressive, planning a US service launch in January, iOS app launch in March, and the introduction of chair reservations and card payments by May. A specific growth metric is stated: "Reach NEW Target Markets - 50,000 App installs in Q1, 2016."
Slide 3: The Solution
The solution is presented as a suite of features within a "matchless marketplace." Key features listed include:
Happy Offers: Deals and events in the user's vicinity. · Club Party: A social feature for groups to choose venues based on ratings, ambiance, and menus. · Chair Reservations: In-app bookings and payments via debit/credit cards. · Click Moments: Social sharing of photos. · Call a Cab: Integrated taxi booking. · Court of Games: Gamification elements like "bottle shooter" and "drink meter" to drive engagement.
The slide concludes with an aim to develop a "complete suite of features" for 10,000 cities, including top ten lists for tourist places and budget hotels.
Slide 4: The App USP's
This slide details the Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) and provides links to the web and mobile platforms. The USPs focus on location-based services, specifically a 10-mile radius for finding nearby places. It reiterates future releases like cashless payments and a reward system called "Choice N Cheers crowns." Visuals include a smartphone mockup and a desktop screen showing the web interface.
Slide 5: The App Screens
Slide 5 displays five high-fidelity screenshots of the Android application. These screens demonstrate the user interface for:
Social Sharing: Integration with Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, and Gmail. · Mark Favorite: A simple UI for saving venues. · Direct Calling: An in-app dialer to contact venues. · Select Route & GPS Navigation: Integration with mapping services to provide directions to the chosen hangout.
Slide 6: The Revenue Model
The revenue model is purely B2B, focusing on advertising fees from bars and hotels. Key figures from slide 6:
Pricing: $150 per quarter for Q1 2016, increasing to $250 per quarter in Q2 2016. · Current Traction: Revenue is "nil" as of the November 2015 launch. The app had 250 users and 1,300 Facebook followers at the time of the pitch. · Projections: The company aims to touch base with 200 bars per month. With a 10% conversion rate (20 ads), they project a monthly ROI of $3,000 (Rs. 1,92,000). · LTV: They project a yearly value of $850 per customer, aiming for 240 bars to generate $204,000 (Rs. 1,32,60,000) annually.
Slide 7: Competition
The competition slide acknowledges both global and local players. DrinkAdvisor is named as the main competitor, noted for having "proper funding." Other major competitors include Zomato and TripAdvisor . The slide also lists several "dormant" or country-specific players such as WineSearcher, BarChick, Beerspot, and Drinktini. The company claims its advantages lie in its "unique features" and "strong technology platform."
Slide 8: Choice N Cheers Team
Ritesh Saxena (Founder & CEO): 13 years in Strategic Marketing & Business Planning. · Jay Pandey (Founder & CTO): 12 years in Architecture & Product Development. · Fergus Day (Founder & Chief Content Strategist): 20 years in Publishing & Project Management. · Karan Mishra (Founder & VP Content): 4 years in Communications & Legal. · Varun Dubey (Founder & VP User Acquisitions): 4 years in ASO & Sales. · Indrajeet Prajapati (Founder & VP Digital Marketing): 4 years in Digital Marketing.
The slide includes social media links and a contact email for further communication.
What Choice N Cheers Does Well
The deck is transparent about its current stage. By admitting that revenue is "nil" and the user base is small (250 users), the founders establish a baseline of honesty that is often missing in early-stage pitches. The revenue model is simple and easy to understand, using a direct B2B advertising approach with clear quarterly pricing tiers.
Furthermore, the inclusion of a detailed roadmap (Slide 2) shows that the team has thought through the sequence of product development, moving from a web app to Android, and then to iOS and international markets. The competitive analysis is also thorough, identifying not just the giants (Zomato) but also niche players that have failed or remained dormant, which shows a deep understanding of the market's history.
What is Missing from the Choice N Cheers Deck
The most significant omission is a clear Financial Ask . While the deck mentions a "Funding Pitch" in the December 2015 timeline, the slides provided do not state how much capital is being raised, the valuation, or how the funds will be allocated (e.g., marketing vs. engineering).
Additionally, the deck lacks Unit Economics beyond a simple LTV calculation. There is no mention of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) for the 50,000 users they aim to acquire in Q1 2016. Without a CAC vs. LTV comparison, the projected ROI on Slide 6 is incomplete. The deck also suffers from a lack of a clear Problem Slide ; it jumps straight into the solution without articulating the specific pain point for travelers that existing apps like TripAdvisor or Zomato aren't already solving.
What Other Founders Should Copy
Founders should look at Slide 6 as a good example of how to break down a Bottom-Up Revenue Projection . Instead of claiming they will capture 1% of a multi-billion dollar market, Choice N Cheers calculates revenue based on the number of bars they can realistically "touch base" with per month and a conservative 10% conversion rate. This makes the $204,000 annual projection feel grounded in sales activity rather than market theory.
The Team Slide (Slide 8) is also a strong model for early-stage companies. It lists not just titles, but specific years of "Domain Expertise." This helps investors quickly quantify the professional weight of the leadership team. Finally, the use of actual app screenshots (Slide 5) rather than just conceptual mockups provides proof of execution, showing that the product is live and functional.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the core value proposition of Choice N Cheers?
- Choice N Cheers positions itself as a 'matchless marketplace' connecting the travel and hospitality industries. According to slide 3, it aims to help local and international travelers locate the best hangout spots, stay options, and tourist places across 10,000 cities. The app includes features like 'Happy Offers' for deals, 'Club Party' for social sharing, and 'Call a Cab' for logistics, attempting to be an all-in-one nightlife companion.
- How does the company plan to generate revenue?
- The revenue model is strictly B2B advertising. Slide 6 explains that the primary customers are the bars and hotels listed on the app. The company sells quarterly advertising slots, highlighting these venues in the 'Happy Offers' section. They projected a conversion rate of 10% from a monthly touch-base of 200 bars, aiming for an annual ROI of $204,000 based on 240 paying bars.
- What is the current traction of the platform?
- At the time this deck was produced in late 2015, traction was in the early stages. Slide 6 states that revenue was nil and the Android app had 250 users. Social media presence included 1,300 followers on Facebook and 200 on Twitter. The company set a growth goal to reach 50,000 app installs by the end of Q1 2016, as mentioned on slide 2.
- Who are the key members of the leadership team?
- The team is led by six founders. Ritesh Saxena (CEO) brings 13 years of experience in strategic marketing, and Jay Pandey (CTO) has 12 years in product development. Fergus Day serves as Chief Content Strategist with 20 years of experience. The leadership is rounded out by VPs of Content, User Acquisitions, and Digital Marketing, each with 4 years of experience, as detailed on slide 8.
- What are the main risks identified in the deck's competitive analysis?
- Slide 7 identifies established global players like Zomato and TripAdvisor as major competitors. The founders specifically point to DrinkAdvisor as a primary threat due to its superior funding and user acquisition strategies. They also list several smaller or dormant players, suggesting a crowded market where many previous attempts at this specific niche have failed to maintain momentum.
