Smell is a mobile application designed for geolocated, anonymous messaging, primarily targeting the 14-19 age demographic. The 9-slide deck positions the product as a 'fun' alternative to incumbents like Yik Yak, emphasizing a hyper-local constraint: users can only read messages if they are physically present at the location where the message was written. Despite reaching 3,000 users in its first three months in Italy and planning an expansion into Germany, the deck is remarkably candid about its lack of a traditional value proposition, stating on slide 3, 'We don't solve any problem but lets…
Key takeaways
- The product requires physical proximity to both write and read messages, creating a hyper-local digital 'graffiti' effect (Slide 2).
- The founders explicitly state that the application does not solve a specific problem, focusing entirely on the 'fun' aspect of anonymous local chat (Slide 3).
- The primary target audience is defined as young people between 14 and 19 years old with smartphones and GPS (Slide 5).
- Smell claims to be 'more easy to use than Yik Yak,' which is cited as a competitor that raised over $10 million (Slide 6).
- The company achieved 3,000 users in Italy within three months of its June 2014 launch (Slide 7).
- The roadmap projected reaching 4,000 users by September 2014 and expanding into the German market (Slide 7).
- The two-person team consists of a 'Hacker/Designer' advising startups in Berlin and a 'Hacker' serving as a Vice CTO at an Italian IT company (Slide 8).
- The deck contains no mention of revenue generation, unit economics, or a specific capital requirement (Omission).
Executive Summary
The Smell pitch deck is a 9-slide presentation for a geolocated anonymous messaging app. It is a product of the mid-2010s anonymous social media craze, specifically targeting the Italian and German markets. The deck is characterized by its extreme simplicity and a surprising level of honesty regarding its lack of a traditional problem-solving value proposition. While it demonstrates early traction (3,000 users in three months), it fails to address the fundamental requirements of a venture capital pitch, such as a business model or a clear funding ask.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The cover slide introduces the brand name "Smell" with the tagline "Geolocated anonymous messages." The background image features a sunset view of Rome, specifically the St. Peter's Basilica, which aligns with the company's Italian origins. A call-out bubble displays a sample use case: "Our first kiss, Giulia don't forget! with love Marco." The slide includes badges for both the Google Play and Apple App Store, indicating the product is live and cross-platform.
Slide 2: The "What" - Core Concept
This slide defines the basic mechanics of the app. It states: "Stick a message where you are and only people around you can read it." It emphasizes the ephemeral and location-locked nature of the content: "When you leave you won't see the message anymore." A mockup of an iPhone 5 shows a very basic interface with a text entry box and a feed of messages like "Anonymous mess on Smell around me! Yeah!" and "Here I left my mind." The slide claims a "Simple, intuitive interface."
Slide 3: The "What" - Use Case and Honesty
Slide 3 provides a concrete example of the app in a school setting. It explains that to see a message written in a school, the user must be physically present in that school and have the app open. The most striking part of this slide is the text: "We don't solve any problem but lets you have a lot of fun." This is a rare admission in a pitch deck. It concludes with the phrase "Read ad Write anonymous messages in places," which contains a typo ("ad" instead of "and").
Slide 4: How it Works
This slide uses four icons to break down the user journey: 1. Download Smell and choose a username. 2. Turn on GPS and write a geolocated anonymous message. 3. Read what messages have been written where you are. 4. Do it again and change position. The text reinforces the proximity requirement: "Only if you are where message has been written you can read it."
Slide 5: Target Audience
The target demographic is explicitly defined as "Young boys and girls between 14 an 19 yo with a smartphone and internet/gps connection, tech lovers in general." The slide suggests the primary environment for the app is schools, asking the reader to "Imagine how many people in school can use Smell to chat with others friend there anonymously."
Slide 6: Competitors
The competition slide compares Smell to Yik Yak (represented by its yak logo). The slide notes that Yik Yak "raised more than 10 mln $ in US." It contrasts this with Smell, which has "3000 users with no money because is more easy to use than Yik Yak." The slide uses two photos of equestrians; the one representing Yik Yak shows a rider falling, while the one for Smell shows a rider in control, a blunt metaphorical critique of the competitor's user experience.
Slide 7: Roadmap
The roadmap covers a six-month period in 2014. 6/2014: Idea and product done. 7/2014: 3,000 users in 3 months in Italy (Note: the math here is slightly inconsistent if the product was finished in June). 8/2014: Smell on many important papers in Italy. 9/2014: 4,000 users (projected). 10/2014: Smell 2 Version and expansion to Germany. The timeline indicates the company was in a very early growth phase at the time of the deck's creation.
Slide 8: Team
The team consists of two members. Lorenzo Sinisi is labeled as a "Hacker/Designer" and is noted for advising 11 startups at Startupbootcamp in Berlin. Vincenzo Masciullo is labeled as a "Hacker" and is described as a Vice CTO in a "big IT Company" and a Senior Developer in PHP, Java, and Ruby on Rails (RoR) based in Italy. The team appears to have the technical skills necessary to build the MVP but lacks a business or operations lead.
Slide 9: Contact
The final slide provides a generic info email address, the company website (smell-app.com), and a German phone number (+49 prefix). The presence of a German number suggests the team was operating out of Berlin during the expansion phase mentioned in the roadmap.
What Smell Does Well
The deck is remarkably clear about what the product does. There is no "fluff" or complex jargon regarding the technology. By using a simple school-based example, the founders make the hyper-local constraint easy to understand. The admission that they "don't solve any problem" is refreshing, even if it is a strategic risk; it signals that the founders are focused on the "entertainment" and "social" categories rather than trying to manufacture a false utility. The traction slide, while modest, shows that the team was able to acquire thousands of users without a marketing budget, which is a positive signal for a consumer social app.
What is Missing from the Smell Deck
The deck is missing almost every critical component required for a professional investment round. There is no Business Model ; there is no explanation of how the app will ever make money. There is no Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM) analysis to show how large the opportunity for anonymous local messaging could be. There is no Financial Projections or Unit Economics (CAC/LTV) data. Most importantly, there is no Ask . A pitch deck should clearly state how much money is being raised and what that capital will be used to achieve. Finally, the deck lacks a Safety/Moderation plan, which is the single most important factor for anonymous apps targeting teenagers, as evidenced by the eventual downfall of competitors like Yik Yak and Secret due to bullying and harassment issues.
Founder Takeaways: What to Copy and What to Avoid
Copy the simplicity: The way Smell explains its core mechanic in four icons on Slide 4 is excellent. Many founders over-complicate their "How it Works" slides. Smell makes it clear that the app is a simple loop of: arrive, check-in, read/write, move. This clarity is worth emulating.
Avoid the lack of a business case: While honesty is good, telling an investor you "don't solve any problem" without immediately following up with a massive market opportunity or a viral growth engine is a mistake. Investors fund solutions to problems or massive entertainment platforms. If you aren't solving a problem, you must prove you are building an addictive, scalable habit.
Avoid the lack of an 'Ask': Never end a deck without a clear call to action. If this was intended for fundraising, the omission of a dollar amount and a set of milestones makes the deck feel like a student project rather than a business proposal. Always tell the investor exactly what you need and what you will do with it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the core functionality of the Smell app?
- Smell allows users to 'stick' a message at their current GPS location. The unique constraint is that these messages are only visible to other users who are physically present in that same location. Once a user leaves the area, the messages disappear from their feed. It is essentially a digital version of leaving a note in a specific physical spot for others to find later.
- Who are the founders and what is their background?
- The team consists of Lorenzo Sinisi and Vincenzo Masciullo. Sinisi is described as a 'Hacker/Designer' who was advising 11 startups at Startupbootcamp in Berlin at the time of the deck. Masciullo is described as a 'Hacker' and Vice CTO at a 'big IT Company' in Italy, with expertise in PHP, Java, and Ruby on Rails.
- How does Smell differentiate itself from Yik Yak?
- While Yik Yak was a major player in anonymous local messaging at the time, Smell claims to be easier to use. The deck uses a visual metaphor of a rider falling off a horse for Yik Yak versus a stable rider for Smell. It also highlights that Smell achieved 3,000 users 'with no money,' contrasting itself with Yik Yak's $10 million+ funding.
- What traction did the company have at the time of this deck?
- According to the roadmap on slide 7, the idea and product were completed in June 2014. By July 2014, the app had reached 3,000 users in Italy. By August 2014, it claimed to have been featured in 'many important papers in Italy.' The deck projected reaching 4,000 users by September 2014.
- Is there a clear path to monetization in the deck?
- No. The deck is entirely focused on product mechanics, target demographics, and user growth. There is no mention of advertising, premium features, data licensing, or any other revenue stream. The founders lean into the 'fun' aspect of the app rather than its commercial viability, which is a significant omission for a professional pitch.
