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sequoia-structured-bp

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Updated 10-16 08:44

About this skill

Sequoia Structured BP

Sequoia Capital-style structured BP framework. Data-driven, investor-grade, modular. Investors only have 3 minutes, so every page must either reduce risk or increase upside.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

  • The user needs a rigorous, investor-grade BP structure
  • The user is raising Series A and later, facing institutional investors
  • The user needs a data-driven pitch deck framework (10-12 pages)
  • The user needs a page-by-page writing guide, examples, and checklists
  • The user's funding round is due-diligence-intensive and requires a well-evidenced deck

Do NOT use this skill if:

  • The user needs a minimalist, insight-led framework (pre-seed to seed) → use yc-insight-driven-bp instead
  • The user needs a story-driven live presentation framework (Demo Day/roadshow competition) → use raskin-narrative-bp instead
  • The user needs an editable PPTX file → use pitch-deck-creator instead
  • The user needs a Chinese funding BP outline → use fundraising-bp-planner instead

Typical triggers:

  • "Sequoia-style BP", "structured business plan", "Series A funding deck", "data-driven pitch deck"
  • "Sequoia pitch deck", "institutional investor deck", "data-driven BP framework"

Workflow

This framework describes the steps for "how to use the Sequoia structured BP framework":

This workflow follows a six-step progression, with 6 steps in total:

  1. Probe: Before starting, read all inputs completely and confirm the goals and constraints.
  2. Constrain: Verify input completeness, set boundaries and non-negotiable delivery standards, and switch channels when blocked.
  3. Evidence: Every number must come from the input, a specific source, or reproducible calculation; collect supporting data.
  4. Execute: Call scripts/APIs/generate content, giving impact and conclusions first, then actions and necessary evidence.
  5. Verify: Verify with actions that "could fail"—read back the output in a way different from the generation path.
  6. Deliver: Return results and clean up temporary files.

Step 1: Probe

Read the user's project information completely, confirm the funding stage (Series A and later preferred), industry, key data, and target investors. Understand the project's core value proposition and evidence base.

Step 2: Constrain

Set framework usage boundaries:

  • Output length 10-12 pages, no more than 15 pages
  • Tone: confident, evidence-based, not hypey
  • Every page must either reduce risk or increase upside; no decoration
  • All numbers must have a source or be defensible
  • Do not use buzzwords (disrupt, synergy, AI-powered, etc.)
  • When blocked, switch channels; do not downgrade the deliverable

Step 3: Evidence

Collect evidence supporting each page's content:

  • Market size data must come from credible sources (not self-calculated TAM)
  • Traction data must have a trend (growth, not static numbers)
  • Team experience must be directly relevant to the business
  • Financial forecasts must be bottom-up ("10 sales reps × 5 deals/quarter × $50k ACV") rather than top-down ("1% market share")
  • Competitive analysis must acknowledge real competitors and must not claim "no competition"

Step 4: Execute

Following the page-by-page guide in the "Framework Content" below, write the BP content page by page. Give the impact and conclusion first, then the actions and necessary evidence. Each page follows this structure: Goal → Structure/Formula → Good/Bad Example → Check.

Step 5: Verify

Use the Self-Review Checklist to verify item by item—read back the output in a different way from the generation path:

  • Can the entire deck be read within 3 minutes?
  • Does every number have a source or is it defensible?
  • Is market tailwind used to explain "why now"?
  • Is the team page about relevant experience rather than educational background?
  • Does the traction page show a trend rather than a snapshot?
  • Is the ask specific and does it have measurable milestones?
  • Is there zero buzzword usage (disrupt, synergy, AI-powered)?
  • Can Mom understand the problem and solution?

Step 6: Deliver

Return the complete 10-12 page BP content (Markdown format, page-by-page guide), including each page's goal, structure, examples, and checklist. Clean up temporary files. If an editable PPTX needs to be generated, use pitch-deck-creator。

Output

Output the complete BP page-by-page guide in Markdown format, including:

  • 10-12 slides, each containing: Goal, Structure/Formula, Good/Bad Example, Check checklist
  • Self-Review Checklist (check item by item before sending)
  • Anti-Patterns to Avoid (5 common anti-patterns)
  • All examples are based on ChainLedger (cross-border B2B payment compliance settlement network) as the unified case

Framework Content

Meta

  • Style: Data-driven, investor-grade, modular
  • Best For: Series A and beyond; institutional investors; due-diligence-heavy rounds
  • Source: Sequoia Capital pitch framework
  • Output Length: 10–12 slides
  • Tone: Confident, evidence-based, no hype

Core Philosophy

The investor has 3 minutes. Every slide must either (a) reduce risk or (b) increase upside. No decoration.

"If you can't explain it with data, you don't understand it well enough." — adapted from Einstein

Slide 1: Company Purpose (1 sentence)

Goal: Make the investor "get it" in 5 seconds.

Formula:

[Company] is a [category] that helps [target customer] [solve problem] by [unique mechanism].

Good Example:

"ChainLedger is a compliance settlement network that helps cross-border B2B traders reduce settlement time from 7 days to 4 hours through real-time sanction screening."

Bad Example:

"ChainLedger is a blockchain-based fintech platform leveraging AI and machine learning to disrupt the payments industry."

Check:

  • Can a non-expert understand it?
  • No buzzwords (AI, blockchain, disruptive, synergy)
  • Contains: who, what problem, how

Slide 2: Problem

Goal: Prove the problem is real, urgent, and valuable.

Structure:

  1. Scene-setting (1 sentence): What world do your customers live in?
  2. Pain quantification: Use a number. $18B/yr in fines. 3–5 intermediaries. 4–7 day delay.
  3. Who feels it most: Define your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) narrowly.

Good Example:

"Cross-border B2B payments involve 3–5 intermediaries, 4–7 day settlement, and compliance gaps that cost enterprises $18B/yr in fines globally. The pain is most acute for mid-market manufacturers importing from Asia — they have 2-person finance teams and zero compliance expertise."

Bad Example:

"Cross-border payments are broken. They're slow, expensive, and non-compliant."

Check:

  • The problem is quantified with a specific number
  • The ICP is defined narrowly (not "all businesses")
  • The investor can feel the pain (emotional hook)

Slide 3: Solution

Goal: Show your solution is inevitable once the problem is understood.

Structure:

  1. The insight (1 sentence): What did you see that others missed?
  2. How it works (2–3 sentences): Mechanism, not architecture.
  3. Before/After: One sentence contrasting old way vs. your way.

Good Example:

"We built an end-to-end compliance settlement network using real-time sanction screening, automated KYC/KYB, and instant settlement rails. Instead of routing through 3 correspondent banks over 7 days, we settle directly in 4 hours with full audit trails."

Bad Example:

"Our platform uses a microservices architecture with PostgreSQL, Redis, and Kubernetes on AWS."

Check:

  • Describes outcome, not technology stack
  • Contains a before/after contrast
  • Can be explained to a 10-year-old

Slide 4: Why Now?

Goal: Convince the investor the timing is non-negotiable.

Structure: List 2–3 market tailwinds that make this business possible now but not 5 years ago.

Examples:

  • Regulatory: "PSD2 + open banking APIs made real-time settlement legally possible in EU"
  • Technology: "Cloud compliance tools dropped KYC cost from $50 to $5 per check"
  • Behavior: "Post-COVID, 73% of CFOs now prioritize cash flow visibility over relationship banking"

Check:

  • At least one tailwind is verifiable (cite source if possible)
  • The tailwinds are accelerating, not static
  • Without these tailwinds, the business doesn't work

Slide 5: Market Size

Goal: Show the prize is worth the investor's time.

Structure:

TAM: $X billion (top-down, industry report)
SAM: $Y billion (bottom-up, reachable in 5–7 years)
SOM: $Z million (what you can capture in 2–3 years)

Good Example:

"TAM: $180B cross-border B2B payments SAM: $12B mid-market Asia-Europe trade corridor SOM: $840M Chinese manufacturers with <500 employees"

Bad Example:

"The fintech market is $300T. If we capture 0.01%..."

Check:

  • TAM is from a credible source (not self-calculated)
  • SAM is defensible (geography + segment + use case)
  • SOM is achievable (implies realistic market share)

Slide 6: Competition

Goal: Show you understand the landscape and have a differentiated position.

Structure:

  1. 2x2 matrix: X-axis = speed, Y-axis = compliance depth (pick axes relevant to your market)
  2. Where you sit: Explain why you're in the top-right.
  3. Moat preview: Hint at what's hard to replicate (don't fully reveal yet).

Good Example:

"Legacy banks (bottom-left): 7 days, high compliance but manual. Fintechs (top-left): 1 day, low compliance. We're the only player in top-right: 4 hours + full automated compliance."

Check:

  • You acknowledge real competitors (not "we have no competition")
  • The axes are meaningful to customers, not just to you
  • You explain why others can't easily move to your position

Slide 7: Product

Goal: Show the product is real and differentiated.

Structure:

  1. Screenshot/demo: One image or 30-sec Loom.
  2. Key differentiator: One feature no one else has.
  3. Integration: How customers adopt (API, dashboard, Slack bot, etc.).

Check:

  • There's visual evidence (screenshot, not wireframe)
  • The differentiator is defensible (not "better UI")
  • Adoption path is low-friction

Slide 8: Business Model

Goal: Show how you make money and that the economics work.

Structure:

  1. Pricing: Simple, transparent. One primary model.
  2. Unit economics: CAC, LTV, gross margin if available.
  3. Expansion revenue: How customers grow over time.

Good Example:

"SaaS: 0.15% per transaction + $2k/mo platform fee. Enterprise: custom pricing. Unit economics: CAC $4,200 (inside sales), LTV $48,000, gross margin 82%."

Check:

  • Pricing is simple enough to explain in one breath
  • Unit economics are directionally correct (don't need perfection)
  • There's a path to expansion revenue

Slide 9: Traction

Goal: Prove momentum. This is the most important slide for early-stage.

Structure:

  1. The one metric that matters: Pick the metric that best shows product-market fit.
  2. Trend line: Show growth over time (6–12 months).
  3. Logo wall: 3–5 customer logos (with permission).

Metric Selection Guide:

Stage Best Metric
Pre-launch Waitlist size + engagement rate
Post-launch MAU/DAU + retention curve
Revenue MRR + MoM growth rate
Scale Net revenue retention + expansion rate

Good Example:

"120+ enterprise customers, $50k MRR, 12% MoM growth last 6 months. Core vertical renewal 90%+."

Check:

  • The metric is a leading indicator (not vanity)
  • There's a trend (growth, not a static number)
  • The metric is specific ("120 customers" not "rapidly growing")

Slide 10: Team

Goal: Answer "Why you?" — why this team will win.

Structure:

  1. Founders: Relevant experience, not credentials.
  2. Key hires: Who you've recruited that validates the vision.
  3. Advisors: 1–2 credible names if available.

Good Example:

"CEO — ex-Ant Group payments lead (8 yrs, built $2B settlement product). CTO — ex-infrastructure architect at Stripe. COO — ex-HSBC compliance director."

Bad Example:

"Team has degrees from MIT, Stanford, and Harvard."

Check:

  • Each team member's experience directly maps to the business
  • Credentials are secondary to relevant achievements
  • There's no "MBA from HBS" without context

Slide 11: Financials

Goal: Show you understand the financial trajectory.

Structure:

  1. Historical (if any): Revenue, burn, runway.
  2. Projections: 3-year forecast. Conservative, base, optimistic.
  3. Use of funds: Where the new money goes.

Rule: Never show a hockey stick without explaining what changes to make it happen.

Check:

  • Projections are bottom-up ("10 sales reps x 5 deals/quarter x $50k ACV") not top-down ("1% market share")
  • Burn rate and runway are disclosed
  • Use of funds is specific ("hire 3 engineers" not "growth")

Slide 12: The Ask

Goal: Make it easy to say yes.

Structure:

We're raising $X on a $Y pre-money valuation.
Use of funds: [specific allocation]
Milestones with this round: [3 measurable goals]

Good Example:

"Raising $1.1M on $8.3M pre-money. Use: 40% engineering (compliance automation), 30% sales (2 senior AEs), 30% operations. Milestones: $200k MRR, 3 enterprise pilots, EU regulatory approval."

Check:

  • The amount is specific (not "$1–2M")
  • Valuation is stated (or "open to discussion")
  • Milestones are measurable and time-bound

Self-Review Checklist

Before sending, run through this:

  • Can I read the entire deck in 3 minutes?
  • Is every number sourced or defensible?
  • Do I explain "why now" with market tailwinds?
  • Is the team slide about relevant experience, not credentials?
  • Does the traction slide show a trend, not a snapshot?
  • Is the ask specific with measurable milestones?
  • Are there zero buzzwords (disrupt, synergy, AI-powered)?
  • Would my mom understand the problem and solution?

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  1. The "Everything Deck": >15 slides. Cut to 10.
  2. The "TAM Fantasy": Top-down market size without SAM/SOM.
  3. The "No Competition" Claim: Every market has competition. Acknowledge it.
  4. The "Team of Geniuses": Credentials without relevant experience.
  5. The "Hockey Stick": Exponential growth projections without mechanism.

Guardrails

Anti-patterns

  • NEVER exceed 15 pages—streamline to 10-12 pages
  • Do NOT use top-down market sizing without SAM/SOM breakdown
  • NEVER claim "no competition"—every market has competition, acknowledge it
  • Do NOT substitute educational background for relevant experience—the team page is about experience, not credentials
  • NEVER show hockey-stick growth projections without a mechanism explanation
  • Do NOT use buzzwords (disrupt, synergy, AI-powered, blockchain, etc.)
  • NEVER fabricate data—every number must have a source or be defensible

Constraints

  • Output length 10-12 pages, no more than 15 pages
  • Tone: confident, evidence-based, not hype-driven
  • Every page must either reduce risk or increase upside
  • TAM must come from a credible source (not self-calculated)
  • Financial projections must be bottom-up rather than top-down
  • Traction must show a trend rather than a static snapshot
  • The ask must be specific and have measurable milestones

Related Skills

  • yc-insight-driven-bp — A YC-style minimalist insight-first framework, suitable for pre-seed to seed, accelerators, and angel investors
  • raskin-narrative-bp — An Andy Raskin-style story-driven narrative framework, suitable for live presentations, Demo Day, and pitch competitions
  • pitch-deck-creator — After the framework content is complete, generate an editable 10-page PPTX file from the structured JSON

About UniqueClub

Part of the UniqueClub toolkit. 🌐 https://uniqueclub.ai