Roster presents a solution for the 'lonely athlete' problem, aiming to replace fragmented directories with a one-click matching app for sports partners. The deck, likely produced in late 2014, targets a core user base of 1.7 million sport lovers in large cities, with a specific initial focus on Moscow. The startup proposes a multi-faceted revenue model including B2B affiliate links, banner ads, and branded accounts, alongside B2C premium and trainer subscriptions. While the deck provides a clear product walkthrough and a detailed development timeline, it lacks a specific financial 'Ask' and d…
Key takeaways
- The core user demographic is identified as 24-35 year olds with a monthly sporting expenditure of 14,000 Russian Rubles (Slide 6).
- Roster targets a total market of 1,700,000 sport lovers in cities with populations over 1 million, with 50% residing in Moscow (Slide 6).
- The monetization strategy includes a B2B branded account fee of $50 per fitness club (Slide 8).
- B2C revenue projections rely on a 4% expected conversion for $3/month premium accounts and 2% for trainer accounts (Slide 9).
- The competitive landscape is framed as a Venn diagram intersection of dating sites (Badoo), geo apps (Foursquare), and tracking apps (Strava) (Slide 10).
- The development roadmap spans from September 2014 to a planned full release in April 2015 (Slide 11).
- The team includes leadership with experience at iTunes in Russia and Vedomosti, supported by a 10-person development and management staff (Slide 12).
- The deck completely omits a slide detailing the specific investment amount requested or the intended use of funds.
Executive Summary: The Social Network for Amateur Athletes
Roster positions itself as a utility-first social network designed to solve the friction of finding sports partners. The deck is structured as a product-heavy walkthrough, emphasizing the user experience and the technical roadmap. With a clear focus on the Russian urban market, specifically Moscow, the founders leverage their local expertise to build a platform that sits at the intersection of geolocation and fitness.
Slide 1: Title and Tagline
The cover slide introduces the brand with the tagline "sport on the go!" and defines the service as a "new easy way to find partners for your favourite sporting activities!" The visual identity is clean, utilizing a teal color palette that persists throughout the deck.
Slide 2: The Problem and Solution
Slide 2 uses simple iconography to contrast the "currently" vs. "with Roster" experience. It identifies the current pain point as having to "trawl through directories or group pages" to find games. Roster's solution is a "one click" listing of nearby games based on user interests. This is a classic 'before and after' slide that clearly communicates the value proposition.
Slides 3-5: Product Walkthrough (Activate, Connect, Feedback)
These slides detail the three-step user journey. Slide 3 (Activate) explains that the app is freely downloadable and uses social media login (Facebook, Twitter, VKontakte, Google+) to parse data for sporting keywords to create a "basic filter." Slide 4 (Connect) shows the main UI, where matches are ranked by relevancy. It highlights features like event details (time, place, type) and the ability to limit entries to a "friends" group. Slide 5 (Feedback) introduces the trust layer, where users rate and comment on partners after events to ensure plans are "dependable." The inclusion of a review by 'Chuck Norris' is a notable, if dated, attempt at humor in the mockups.
Slide 6: Market Demographics
Roster defines its "User Core" as 1,700,000 sport lovers in cities with populations of 1M+. The slide provides specific data points: an age group of 24-35 , a monthly expenditure of 14,000 Russian Rubles on sporting activities, and the fact that 50% are resident in Moscow . The data is attributed to IHRSA.
Slide 7: User Acquisition Strategy
The "Reaching the Users" slide lists three key advertising channels: Print Publications (specifically mentioning Men's Health and Cosmopolitan), Featuring on app stores, and Sports Event Co-Promotion via banners and media presence at local events. This suggests a heavy reliance on traditional media and partnership-led growth rather than pure digital performance marketing.
Slides 8-9: Multi-Tiered Monetization
Roster presents a comprehensive revenue model split between B2B and B2C. Slide 8 (B2B) lists Affiliate Links ( $0.07 per click, 40% CTR ), Banner Ads ( $0.02 per mile ), and Branded Accounts ( $50 per fitness club ). Slide 9 (B2C) introduces Premium Accounts ( $3 per month, 4% expected conversion ) and Trainer Accounts ( $3 per month, 2% conversion ). The specificity of the CTR and conversion rates suggests these are either early pilot data or aggressive projections.
Slide 10: Competitive Landscape
The competition is visualized via a Venn diagram. Roster places itself at the center of Geo Apps (Foursquare, Swarm), Dating Websites (Badoo, Match.com), and Tracking Apps (Runkeeper, Strava). The slide claims there are "no direct competitors" and that Roster brings "clubs and interest groups to mobile."
Slide 11: The Roadmap
The "Main Stages" slide provides a monthly breakdown from September 2014 to April 2015 . It tracks the progress from pre-production and alpha (testing ranking algorithms in December 2014) to beta (monetization enabled in January 2015) and finally a full launch in April 2015. This gives investors a clear timeline for product maturity.
Slide 12: The Team
The leadership team consists of Pavel Liskin (CEO) , with experience at iTunes in Russia ; Sergey Podshivalin (CTO) , with experience at Vedomosti and Media Markt ; and Artem Lazurenko (COO) , with a background at Control Risks and LSE . The slide also notes a development team of 10 people, including 5 developers (iOS and Android), 2 management, 1 design, 1 QA, and 1 system administrator.
Slide 13: Conclusion
The final slide is a simple "Thank you for your attention!" with the company logo. It lacks contact information or a call to action.
What Works in This Deck
Clear Product Logic: The three-step walkthrough (Activate, Connect, Feedback) makes the app's utility immediately understandable. · Specific Market Sizing: Instead of vague 'billions,' the founders identify a specific number of users (1.7M) and a specific geography (Moscow), which makes the plan feel grounded. · Granular Monetization: Breaking down revenue into five distinct streams with specific price points shows that the founders have thought through the unit economics, even if the conversion rates are speculative.
What Is Missing
The Ask: The most critical omission is the lack of a funding request. There is no mention of how much money is being raised or what the valuation is. · Unit Economics: While they provide revenue per user/club, they do not provide the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) or Lifetime Value (LTV) projections, making it hard to judge the sustainability of the model. · Traction Data: The roadmap suggests the deck was written during the development phase. There is no mention of beta user numbers, waitlist size, or early partnership agreements. · Exit Strategy: There is no discussion of the long-term vision or potential acquirers in the fitness or social space.
Founder's Playbook: What to Copy
The Competitive Venn Diagram: This is an excellent way to show how a new product borrows successful elements from different categories to create a new niche. · The Detailed Roadmap: Providing a month-by-month breakdown of technical milestones (e.g., "ranking and matching algorithms tested") builds confidence in the team's execution capability. · Demographic Specificity: Citing the monthly expenditure of the target user (14,000P) helps investors understand the 'wallet share' the startup is competing for.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary problem Roster aims to solve?
- Roster addresses the difficulty of finding sports partners or venues through traditional methods like directories or group pages. Slide 2 illustrates this 'lonely athlete' scenario, proposing a one-click solution that provides a listing of nearby games based on user interests, effectively digitizing the process of organizing amateur sports matches.
- How does Roster plan to acquire users?
- The 'Reaching the Users' slide (Slide 7) outlines three main channels: print publications (lifestyle and sporting magazines like Men's Health and Cosmopolitan), app store featuring (Apple and Google), and sports event co-promotion through banners and media presence at local professional and amateur events.
- What are the specific B2B revenue streams?
- Roster identifies three B2B streams on Slide 8: Affiliate Links ($0.07 per click with a 40% CTR), Banner Ads ($0.02 per mile/impression), and Branded Accounts ($50 per fitness club). This suggests a strategy to monetize both the user's attention and the service providers' desire for visibility.
- What is the geographic focus of the startup?
- While the deck mentions cities with populations over 1 million, Slide 6 explicitly states that 50% of their core user base resides in Moscow. The team slide also highlights experience in the Russian market (iTunes in Russia, Vedomosti), indicating a regional launch strategy.
- Is there a clear investment 'Ask' in the deck?
- No. The deck concludes with a team slide and a 'Thank You' slide without ever specifying the amount of capital they are seeking, the valuation, or how the investment will be allocated across their development phases. This is a significant omission for a document labeled as an 'Investment Pitch Deck'.
