The Letsdoiter pitch deck is a relic of the early 2010s social networking boom, focusing on the problem of goal abandonment. The company proposed a mobile-first social platform where users could track 'Let's doits' and follow others for accountability. While the deck provides a clear look at the prototype's UI and a comprehensive list of potential revenue streams—ranging from context ads to taking a cut of mentor business—it suffers from a lack of concrete data. The 'Ask' is particularly vague, stating that the exact funding amount was 'to be defined' for a Q4 2012 raise. With no team bios, m…
Key takeaways
- The platform targets the psychological problem of people abandoning goals due to fear, health, or bad choices (Slide 2).
- The prototype features social login integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Google (Slide 3).
- Revenue streams are highly diversified, including context ads, premium access for event organizers, and a commission on mentor services (Slide 4).
- The roadmap for 2012 was split into three phases: Current (bootstrapping), Beta (pivoting), and Release (scaling) (Slide 5).
- The team at the time of the deck consisted of 2 developers, 1 product manager, 1 sys admin, and 1 marketing person (Slide 5).
- The funding request was deferred to Q4 2012 with no specific dollar amount requested in the deck (Slide 6).
- The deck prioritizes 'Mentorship ASAP' over immediate capital (Slide 6).
Letsdoiter Pitch Deck Analysis
The Letsdoiter pitch deck is a brief, 11-slide presentation (of which 6 are available for review) that captures the essence of early 2012 startup culture. It focuses heavily on the 'social' aspect of productivity, attempting to solve the human tendency to give up on personal goals. While the deck is visually dated and lacks the rigorous financial modeling expected today, it provides a clear window into the founder's vision for a mentor-driven social marketplace.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The cover slide is minimalist, featuring the company name 'Letsdoiter' and the tagline 'Helping people reach goals.' It includes a URL (Poliventures.com) and a personal Gmail address for Anton Naumenko. The use of a generic email provider and a parent company URL suggests a very early-stage, perhaps even pre-incorporation, project. The branding is simple, using a standard sans-serif font without a formal logo.
Slide 2: The Problem
Slide 2 identifies the pain point: the frequency with which people 'abandon their goals, change plans, give up, settle, and then regret.' The slide lists reasons for this failure, including security, health, family responsibilities, bad choices, and fear. By framing the problem around emotional and situational triggers, the company positions itself as a behavioral solution rather than just a utility. However, the slide lacks data or citations to quantify how large this problem is or how many people are affected by 'goal regret.'
Slide 3: The Prototype
This slide provides the most substantive look at the product. It lists a staging URL (letsdoiter.poliventures.com) and displays five mobile UI screenshots. The interface is characteristic of the early iOS/Android era, featuring glossy buttons and list-view navigation. Key features visible include:
Social login via Facebook, Twitter, and Google. · A 'People' directory to find and follow other users. · A 'Let's doits' feed showing goals like 'Go to the cinema' or 'move it move it.' · The ability to create, edit, and delete goals. · A 'Following' system to track the progress of others.
The prototype suggests a 'Twitter for goals' model, where social pressure and visibility serve as the primary drivers for user retention.
Slide 4: Sales and Monetization
Slide 4 is ambitious, listing six potential revenue streams. The primary customers are identified as 'Advertisers and Marketers.' The strategy involves:
Context ads: Showing products or services that help a user reach a specific goal. · Event Organizers: Selling targeted access and premium features to those hosting events. · Premium Support: A B2C play for users who want extra help. · Mentors: Taking a commission or 'cut' from professional mentors using the platform to find clients.
While comprehensive, this list feels like a 'shotgun approach' to monetization. It is rare for a seed-stage startup to successfully execute five different business models simultaneously, and the deck does not specify which stream is the primary focus.
Slide 5: Milestones QII-QIV 2012
The roadmap is divided into three stages: Current, Beta, and Release. Current status is defined by bootstrapping and a 5-person team. The Beta phase focuses on validating product-market fit and potentially 'pivoting the business model,' which is an unusually honest admission for a pitch deck. The Release phase targets scaling, SEO, and raising capital. This slide is helpful for understanding the team's operational structure, noting the presence of a product manager and a sys admin, which suggests a focus on technical stability early on.
Slide 6: The Ask
The final slide, titled 'We are looking for!', is surprisingly vague regarding capital. It prioritizes 'Mentorship ASAP' over money. For the funding round planned for Q4 2012, the slide explicitly states, 'The exact amount is to be defined.' The funds were intended to 'build up sales' and 'accelerate on users acquisition.' In a professional fundraising context, not having a specific 'Ask' is generally a red flag, as it suggests the founders have not yet calculated their burn rate or runway requirements.
What Works in This Deck
Clarity of Vision: The problem and the proposed social solution are easy to understand. The term 'Let's doits' is a catchy, action-oriented name for a user-generated post.
Prototype Transparency: Showing the actual app screens (Slide 3) proves that the team has moved beyond the 'idea phase' and has the technical capability to build a functional MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
Team Composition: Slide 5 clearly outlines the current headcount and the specific roles they intend to hire next (UX specialist, SEO, Sales). This gives investors a sense of how the organization is built.
What Is Missing
Market Size: There is no mention of the Total Addressable Market (TAM). Investors need to know if the 'goal-setting' market is a billion-dollar opportunity or a niche hobbyist space.
Competitive Analysis: By 2012, apps like Lift (now Coach.me) and various task managers were already in the market. This deck fails to explain how Letsdoiter differs from existing social networks or productivity tools.
Founder Pedigree: There is no 'Team' slide featuring bios, past successes, or relevant experience. Investors at the seed stage typically invest in the people as much as the product.
Financials and Traction: The deck mentions 'validating hypotheses' but provides no actual user numbers, engagement metrics, or growth rates from the prototype phase.
Founder's Teardown Lessons
1. Never leave the 'Ask' undefined: Even if you are in the early stages, you should provide a range or a target amount based on a 12-18 month roadmap. Stating the amount is 'to be defined' makes the founder look unprepared.
2. Focus your business model: Listing six different ways to make money suggests a lack of focus. It is better to highlight one primary revenue driver and list the others as 'future opportunities.'
3. Use data to back up the 'Problem': Instead of just saying people 'regret' giving up on goals, use statistics about New Year's resolutions or the success rates of accountability groups to prove there is a massive, underserved demand.
4. Include a Team slide: Even if you are a small team of five, your individual backgrounds are your strongest asset. Highlight your technical expertise or previous startup experience to build credibility.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the core product of Letsdoiter?
- Based on Slide 3, Letsdoiter is a social goal-tracking application. It allows users to create 'Let's doits' (tasks or goals), follow other users, and filter activities. The prototype shows features like 'Go to the cinema' or 'move it move it,' suggesting a mix of social activities and personal productivity goals within a community-driven interface.
- How did the company plan to make money?
- Slide 4 outlines six distinct revenue streams. These include context-based advertising to 'ignite intention,' targeted sales and premium access for event organizers, premium support for users, premium ad campaigns, and a 'cut on MENTORS' business,' implying a marketplace model where professional coaches or mentors could find clients.
- What was the status of the team in 2012?
- According to the 'Milestones' on Slide 5, the company was bootstrapping with a five-person team: two developers, one product manager, one system administrator, and one marketing professional. They planned to add a UX specialist during the Beta phase and SEO and sales staff during the Release phase.
- What is missing from this pitch deck?
- The deck is missing several critical components required for a modern venture raise. There is no 'Team' slide with names or backgrounds, no 'Market Size' (TAM/SAM/SOM) analysis, no 'Competition' slide, and no financial projections. Most notably, Slide 6 fails to name a specific funding target, leaving the 'Ask' open-ended.
- What was the timeline for their capital raise?
- Slide 6 indicates that the company was looking for mentorship immediately ('ASAP') but intended to wait until after their product release in Q4 (QIV) of 2012 to seek funding. They explicitly stated the exact amount was still to be defined at the time the deck was circulated.
