Swiss Preseed Marketing Service - Lean Business Canvas v1.1¶

"Professional Marketing + Investor Transparency - Scaling with Client Success"¶

ORGANIC GROWTH MODEL - No External Investment Required¶

1. PROBLEM¶

Swiss Professional Empowerment:¶

Swiss preseed startups need professional marketing to attract investors and early customers, but can't afford traditional agency solutions. Simultaneously, talented Swiss marketing professionals (especially stay-home mothers and flexible workers) have limited opportunities to use their expertise professionally.

Dual Problem: - Startups: Need Swiss-quality marketing but can't afford CHF 8K+/month agencies - Professionals: Underutilized marketing expertise due to life circumstances and flexible scheduling needs - Social Impact: Massive professional capacity waste in Swiss market

Key Pain Points: - Founder Time Drain: Technical founders spending 40%+ time on marketing instead of product - Quality vs. Budget: CHF 40-60/hour freelancers deliver inconsistent results, CHF 8K+/month agencies unaffordable - Investor Transparency Gap: No professional reporting on marketing effectiveness for fundraising conversations - Technical Setup Complexity: CRM, analytics, automation setup beyond founder capabilities - Swiss Market Requirements: Need cultural expertise and quality standards that cheap alternatives can't provide

Market Evidence: - 68% of Swiss preseed startups cannot demonstrate marketing ROI to investors - Average 9-12 months from idea to preseed funding (marketing critical throughout) - Traditional marketing agencies ignore <CHF 5K/month budgets

2. SOLUTION¶

Integrated Marketing Operations for Preseed:¶

"No Dashboard Without Execution" - Professional marketing work generates investor-ready transparency

Core Service Components:

✅ Swiss Marketing Execution
   Professional content, campaigns, lead generation at preseed-affordable rates

✅ Technical Infrastructure Setup  
   CRM implementation, marketing automation, analytics integration

✅ Automatic Investor Reporting
   Real-time metrics generated through professional work, not separate dashboards

✅ AI Coordination System
   Maintains strategic context and quality across distributed talent team

Service Packages (Multi-Tier Model):

PRESEED TIER (60% of client base target) - Validation Package: CHF 2,000/month (20 hours + basic reporting) - Growth Package: CHF 3,500/month (35 hours + advanced automation) - Launch Package: CHF 5,000/month (50 hours + strategic consultation)

SEED TIER (30% of client base target - post-fundraising upgrades) - Scale Package: CHF 8,000/month (80 hours + dedicated strategist) - Acceleration Package: CHF 10,000/month (100+ hours + team coordination)

SERIES A TIER (10% of client base target - marketing team alternative) - Full Marketing Operations: CHF 15,000-20,000/month (full-service marketing department replacement)

3. UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION¶

"Swiss Marketing Quality at Every Stage - From Preseed to Series A"¶

Differentiation: - 60-75% cost reduction vs. traditional agency + tech consultant + dashboard combination at preseed stage - 50-60% cost reduction vs. hiring full marketing team at seed/Series A stage - Professional Swiss talent (CHF 85-100/hour) vs. inconsistent freelancers (CHF 40-60/hour) - Investor-ready reporting automatically generated through execution work - AI-coordinated team approach vs. individual contractor management overhead - Grow with you model: Scale services as your budget and needs expand post-fundraising - Institutional knowledge preservation: We learn your brand deeply and maintain context as you scale

Category Creation: First "Integrated Marketing Operations" service designed to scale with startup lifecycle - from preseed validation through Series A growth.

Client Lifecycle Value: Start with us at CHF 2K/month preseed → Scale to CHF 8K/month after seed funding → Full marketing operations at CHF 15K/month Series A (vs. CHF 35K+/month for internal team)

4. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS¶

PRIMARY: Swiss Preseed B2B SaaS Startups¶

Profile:
• 2-6 months from idea to seeking preseed funding
• Technical founders (limited marketing experience)
• CHF 50K-150K preseed budgets available
• Need investor-ready metrics and storytelling
• Plan to raise CHF 300K-800K preseed rounds

Market Size: ~150-200 startups per year in Switzerland
Budget Authority: CHF 24K-60K annual marketing spend capacity
Decision Maker: Founder/CEO with direct budget control

SECONDARY: Swiss Preseed Hardware/Biotech¶

Profile:
• Longer development cycles (12-18 months to preseed)
• Higher preseed funding targets (CHF 500K-1.5M)
• Complex technical storytelling requirements
• Need sophisticated investor communication

Market Size: ~80-120 startups per year in Switzerland
Budget Authority: CHF 36K-84K annual marketing spend capacity
Decision Maker: Founding team with technical + business expertise

GROWTH TIER: Swiss Seed-Stage Startups (Post-Fundraising Upgrades)¶

Profile:
• Recently raised CHF 300K-1M seed funding
• Existing clients who graduated from preseed tier
• Need to scale marketing with new budget
• Building market presence and customer acquisition

Market Size: 40-50% of preseed clients (upgrade conversion)
Budget Authority: CHF 96K-120K annual marketing spend capacity
Decision Maker: CEO/Founder with growth mandate from investors
Advantage: Institutional knowledge from preseed relationship

PREMIUM TIER: Swiss Series A Startups (Marketing Team Alternative)¶

Profile:
• Raised CHF 1M+ Series A funding
• Choosing between hiring team vs. continued service
• Need professional marketing operations at scale
• Value flexibility + expertise over internal hiring complexity

Market Size: 20-30% of seed clients (upgrade conversion)
Budget Authority: CHF 180K-240K annual marketing spend capacity
Decision Maker: CEO/CMO evaluating team structure
Advantage: Deep brand knowledge + cost efficiency vs. CHF 400K+/year team

Profile:
• Stay-home mothers with marketing expertise seeking flexible work
• Recently unemployed professionals maintaining skills while job searching
• Part-time professionals wanting to utilize limited capacity (5-20 hours/week)
• Experienced marketers seeking Swiss-rate compensation for flexible work

Market Size: 50,000+ university-educated professionals with underutilized capacity
Motivation: Professional fulfillment + Swiss-quality compensation + life flexibility
Location: 100% Swiss-based (no international outsourcing - core principle)

5. CHANNELS¶

PRIMARY: VC Portfolio Benefit Model (B2B2B Partnership)¶

VC dashboard subscription: VCs pay CHF 300-500/month per portfolio company for transparency
Portfolio-wide insights: Cross-company benchmarking and operational visibility
Opt-in execution services: Startups choose to adopt (not mandated) - typically 40-70% adoption
Investor value creation: Portfolio operational excellence differentiation for LPs
Mutual benefit: VC gets insights, startups get recommendation + infrastructure, we get distribution

SECONDARY (Equal Priority): Direct Founder Acquisition¶

Founder network referrals: Swiss startup community word-of-mouth
Content marketing: "Preseed Marketing Playbook" thought leadership
Event presence: Swiss startup ecosystem networking and validation
Client success stories: Showcase fundraising results and marketing ROI
Organic growth engine: Essential for bootstrap model, not backup channel

TERTIARY: Accelerator Partnership Integration¶

Cohort-wide services: Marketing partner for preseed accelerator programs
Investor relationship building: Access to VC networks through accelerator connections
Self-use validation: Your startup as proof point for other cohort members
Pilot program development: Beta testing with accelerator participants

6. REVENUE STREAMS¶

Primary: Multi-Tier Service Packages (70% of revenue)¶

PRESEED TIER Pricing:

Hourly Rate: CHF 110-125/hour (includes talent + AI coordination)
Platform Management: CHF 200/month per startup

Package Examples:
• Validation (20h): CHF 2,000-2,500/month + CHF 200 = CHF 2,200-2,700/month
• Growth (35h): CHF 3,500-4,000/month + CHF 200 = CHF 3,700-4,200/month
• Launch (50h): CHF 5,000-5,500/month + CHF 200 = CHF 5,200-5,700/month

SEED TIER Pricing (Post-Fundraising Upgrades):

Hourly Rate: CHF 115-130/hour (includes senior strategist allocation)
Package Examples:
• Scale (80h): CHF 8,000-9,000/month
• Acceleration (100h): CHF 10,000-11,000/month

SERIES A TIER Pricing (Marketing Team Alternative):

Monthly Retainer: CHF 15,000-20,000/month
Includes: 120-160 hours + dedicated team + strategic oversight
Value: 50-60% cost reduction vs. hiring 3-person marketing team (CHF 35K+/month)

Secondary: VC Portfolio Dashboard Subscriptions (20% of revenue)¶

VC Partnership Model:

VC Pays: CHF 300-500/month per portfolio company
VC Gets:
• Portfolio-wide marketing transparency dashboard
• Cross-company performance benchmarking
• Operational excellence signal to LPs
• Value-add differentiation for fundraising

Typical VC (15 portfolio companies):
• VC subscription revenue: 15 × CHF 500 = CHF 7,500/month
• Startup execution (50% adoption): 7-8 × CHF 3,500 = CHF 24,500-28,000/month
• Total per VC partnership: CHF 32,000-35,500/month

Tertiary: Project-Based Services (10% of revenue)¶

One-time projects billed at standard hourly rates:

Investor Deck Design: 8-15 hours (CHF 920-1,875)
Website Development: 15-30 hours (CHF 1,725-3,750)
Pitch Event Preparation: 5-10 hours (CHF 575-1,250)
Market Research Projects: 10-20 hours (CHF 1,150-2,500)

Transparent Billing: Clients pay exact hours worked, receive detailed timesheets
Optional: Success bonuses for fundraising achievements (1-2% of capital raised)

7. COST STRUCTURE¶

Variable Costs: Talent (63% of revenue at scale)¶

Swiss Marketing Professionals: CHF 60-85/hour (average CHF 72.50/hour)
Senior Strategy Oversight: CHF 100-120/hour for client management
Contribution Margin per Hour: CHF 42.50 (37% gross margin on billable hours)

Fixed Monthly Costs (Target: CHF 33K/month)¶

Operations (CHF 24K/month): - Founder Salaries: 2 × CHF 8K = CHF 16K/month (lean bootstrap mode) - Client Success Management: CHF 5K/month (part-time initially) - Sales and Marketing: CHF 3K/month for client acquisition

Technology (CHF 9K/month): - AI Platform: CHF 5K/month (development complete, maintenance only) - Marketing Tool Stack: CHF 2K/month (CRM, automation, analytics) - Infrastructure/Admin: CHF 2K/month (office, legal, accounting)

Unit Economics at Scale (30 mixed-tier clients, CHF 159K MRR)¶

Revenue: CHF 159,000/month
Talent Costs (63%): CHF 100,050/month
Gross Profit (37%): CHF 58,950/month
Fixed Costs: CHF 33,000/month
Net Profit (16%): CHF 25,950/month ✅

Break-even Point: 25 preseed-tier clients or 15 mixed-tier clients

Financial Sustainability Model¶

Months 1-9: Founders on savings/part-time income (bootstrap phase)
Months 10-12: CHF 75K+ MRR, founders pay themselves CHF 8K each
Month 18+: CHF 130K+ MRR, hire first employee, sustainable business
Month 24: CHF 160K+ MRR, profitable with 15%+ net margins

8. KEY METRICS¶

Organic Growth Metrics (Bootstrap Model):¶

Month 6: CHF 15K MRR (5 beta clients)
Month 12: CHF 75-90K MRR (15-20 mixed-tier clients)
Month 18: CHF 130K MRR (25+ clients, founders sustainable)
Month 24: CHF 160K+ MRR (30+ clients, profitable, first employee)

Client Lifecycle Metrics:¶

Preseed → Seed Upgrade Rate: >40% of clients upgrade after fundraising
Seed → Series A Upgrade Rate: >25% of seed clients continue to Series A tier
Average Client Lifetime Value: CHF 150K+ (vs. CHF 21K preseed-only)
Client Retention: >80% retention through funding stages
Churn Rate: <5% monthly (excluding successful exits where startups choose internal teams)

Client Success Metrics:¶

Fundraising Success Rate: >70% of clients raise preseed/seed within 12 months
Time to Funding: 3-6 month average reduction in fundraising timeline
Investor Engagement: >80% improvement in investor meeting conversion rates
Marketing ROI: 3:1 return on marketing investment within 6 months

Business Performance:¶

Gross Margin: 37% on billable hours (talent contribution margin)
Net Margin: 15-16% at scale (CHF 159K+ MRR with 30 clients)
Customer Acquisition Cost: <CHF 800 through referrals and VC partnerships
Break-Even Point: 15 mixed-tier clients or 25 preseed-only clients

Channel Performance:¶

VC Partnership Revenue: 20% of total revenue from dashboard subscriptions
VC-Referred Client Conversion: 50-70% of portfolio companies adopt execution services
Direct Acquisition: 2-3 new clients per month through founder network and content
Referral Rate: >30% of new clients from existing client referrals

Year 1: 25+ Swiss marketing professionals earning flexible income
Year 2: 50+ professionals with sustainable, well-paid part-time work
Year 3: 100+ professionals in network, CHF 2M+ annual professional fees paid
Economic Impact: Track professional capacity utilization and family economic improvement

9. UNFAIR ADVANTAGES¶

1. Client Lifecycle Lock-In (Not Contractual - Value-Based)¶

Institutional Knowledge Advantage: Deep brand understanding from preseed makes switching costly for clients
Context Preservation Through AI: Strategic knowledge accumulates over time, hard to replicate
Upgrade Economics: 14.7x higher LTV from clients who grow with us (CHF 296K vs CHF 20K)
No Competition at Lifecycle: Agencies target one stage; we serve preseed → Series A continuum
Graceful Exit Option: Clients stay by choice, not obligation, making retention genuine

2. Bootstrap Sustainability = Values Preservation¶

No Investor Pressure: Can maintain Swiss-first principle indefinitely without dilution pressure
Organic Growth Timeline: Values-aligned pace vs. forced scaling to meet VC expectations
Profitable from Year 2: Self-sustaining business model, not dependent on continuous fundraising
Founder Control: Make decisions based on client success and social impact, not investor returns
Defensive Moat: Competitors needing VC funding must compromise on quality/values to scale

3. AI + Human Excellence (Technology Already Built)¶

AI prototype complete: Eliminates development risk, ready for immediate deployment
Technology amplifies Swiss talent: AI coordination enables quality at preseed budgets
Context preservation across talent: Maintains strategic knowledge during professional transitions
Operational efficiency: AI handles coordination, humans focus on creative/strategic value
Social impact enabler: Technology makes flexible work arrangements professionally viable

4. Swiss-First + Measurement Excellence¶

100% Swiss talent network: No international outsourcing regardless of cost pressure (core principle)
Cultural expertise premium: Swiss market understanding and multilingual capability
Transparent value delivery: Complete measurement of activities and impact against business goals
Professional capacity utilization: Transform underutilized Swiss expertise into economic value
Quality consistency: Swiss professional standards maintained through AI coordination

5. Founder-Market Fit + Self-Use Validation¶

Internal proof point: Your own startup validates the model before selling to others
Swiss ecosystem knowledge: Deep understanding of preseed fundraising challenges
AI + Marketing expertise: Rare combination of technical and marketing domain knowledge
Network position: Connected to Swiss startup, investor, and professional communities
Credible storytelling: "We use it ourselves" eliminates adoption risk for early clients

6. Multi-Channel Revenue Resilience¶

VC partnerships (20% revenue): Dashboard subscriptions provide predictable base revenue
Direct acquisition: Not dependent on VC mandates, diversified channel risk
Referral engine: High client satisfaction creates organic word-of-mouth growth
Upgrade revenue: Existing client expansion drives growth without new CAC
Project revenue: Additional monetization from one-time engagements

KEY ASSUMPTIONS TO VALIDATE¶

Critical Hypotheses (Bootstrap Model - Next 12 months):¶

Phase 1: Foundation (Months 1-3) 1. AI System Validation: Prototype maintains Swiss quality with distributed talent coordination 2. Self-Use Proof: Your startup benefits measurably from integrated execution + transparency 3. Problem Urgency: Swiss founders confirm preseed marketing challenge is urgent and valuable

Phase 2: Market Demand (Months 4-6) 4. Willingness to Pay: 5+ beta clients pay CHF 2K-4K/month for integrated service 5. Quality at Scale: AI coordination works reliably with 3-5 concurrent clients 6. Supply Availability: 10-15 qualified Swiss professionals available for part-time work

Phase 3: Business Model (Months 7-9) 7. VC Partnership Model: 1+ VC pays for portfolio dashboard and refers clients 8. Unit Economics: Gross margins of 37% achievable, path to 15% net margins clear 9. Client Acquisition Rate: 2-3 new clients/month achievable through founder network + VC channel

Phase 4: Lifecycle Validation (Months 10-12) 10. Upgrade Conversion: 40%+ of clients who raise funding choose to upgrade service tier 11. Client Retention: <5% monthly churn, clients stay by choice not contract 12. Sustainable Operations: CHF 75K+ MRR achieved, founders can pay themselves CHF 8K/month

Success Criteria for Organic Sustainability (No External Funding):¶

Month 12 Targets: - ✅ Revenue: CHF 75-90K MRR from 15-20 mixed-tier clients - ✅ Client Mix: 60% preseed, 30% seed, 10% Series A (proving upgrade model) - ✅ Channels: 1-2 VC partnerships + strong direct acquisition capability - ✅ Talent Network: 25+ Swiss professionals actively delivering client work - ✅ Quality: >90% client satisfaction, <5% monthly churn - ✅ Founder Sustainability: Paying CHF 8K/month each, business is default alive

Month 24 Targets: - ✅ Revenue: CHF 160K+ MRR from 30+ clients - ✅ Profitability: 15%+ net margins (CHF 25K+/month net profit) - ✅ Team: Hired first employee, proven scaling model - ✅ Market Position: Recognized leader in Swiss preseed marketing services

Decision Point: Raise Growth Capital or Continue Organic?¶

Option A: Continue Bootstrap (if satisfied with pace and control) - Scale to 60-80 clients organically over 3-5 years - Maintain 100% ownership and values alignment - Build profitable, sustainable lifestyle business

Option B: Raise Series A (if ready to accelerate) - Proven model: CHF 160K+ MRR, profitable, 30+ happy clients - Strong position: Raise from strength, not desperation - Use case: DACH expansion, team scaling, technology enhancement - Better terms: 15-25% dilution vs 40%+ preseed dilution

Canvas Status: v1.1 - Organic Growth Model with Client Lifecycle Strategy Business Model: Bootstrap to profitability, optional growth capital from position of strength Validation Timeline: 12-month systematic validation → 24-month sustainability target Key Innovation: Multi-tier service model that scales with client success (preseed → seed → Series A) Next Update: Post-beta client validation (Month 6) with refined unit economics and upgrade conversion data