AdWallet Deal Memo (Closing Date: 2021-07-18)
Deal Abstract
Get paid for your time watching advertisements. Cut out the Facebook/Google middlemen.
Financials (VRB)
Question | Notes |
---|---|
1. Fundraising Target? | $1070000 |
2. Fundraised So Far? | $112500 |
3. Pre-Money Valuation? | $15000000 |
4. Previous Year's Annual Revenue | $432911 |
5. Previous Year's Annual Net Income (+ Profitable, - Burning Cash) | ~$-2531221 |
The 6 Calacanis Characteristics ("Sow Passion, Not easy mediocrity", or S2 P6 N18)
Criteria | Yes/No |
---|---|
1. A startup that is based in SV? | False: Albequerque, NM |
2. Has at least 2 founders? | False: Two |
3. Has product in the market? | True: Revenue generating |
4. 6 months of continuous user growth or 6 months of revenue? | True: Revenue meaningfully increased in last year |
5. Notable investors? | False: No one I recognize |
6. Post-funding, will have 18 months of runway? | False: Very high burn |
The 7 Thiel Questions (Every Time Man Profits, Don't Dismiss Serendipity)
Question | Score | Notes |
---|---|---|
1. Engineering? | 2 | Technology is fine, essentially a hosted ad watching service |
2. Timing? | 2 | Ads are being exhausted, but you see Big Tech going paid subscription model instead |
3. Monopoly? | 3 | $1.5m paid out and $432k earned is not bad |
4. People? | 3 | Founder good but where's rest of team? |
5. Distribution? | 3 | Good sales and good getting product (users) |
6. Durability? | 2 | What if people watching ads are not people who ultimately turn into customers? |
7. Secret? | 2 | In response to the adpocalypse, companies started paying customers money for the opportunity to pitch them |
What has to go right for the startup to return money on investment:
1. Increase revenue to watcher pay out ratio; 2. Convinced more advertisers that this model is more effective; 3. Grow customer base and give segmenting more depth
What the Risks Are
1. Businesses are solving the ad problem by just paying people cash through referrals; 2. People watching ads and selling attn are least likely to be valuable customers; 3. Really high burn
Bonus Muhan's Notes
Super slick pitch video.
Updates
This is where I’ll post updates about the company. This way all my notes from offering to post-offering updates will be on one page.
Review these deal memos every time the startup raises a new round
Test if original thesis still applies
Notice trends in how you think
So, did I invest?
Click here to find out.Other thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns? Write me at mail@muhanzhang.com and let me know.