Should I bother to write a Business Plan? If so, (1) what should I focus on and (2) how long should it be?

A business plan for me is a living document that changes significantly throughout the life of a tech business. Unless you’ve put enough thought into your complete plan you’re probably not ready to pitch your business to investors. So in short, it’s not the document that investors are looking for specifically it’s the thorough analysis of your markets, competitors, go-to-market strategy, financing req’s, etc that’s behind your business that you need to be able to present confidently.

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Do I need to bring a business plan when I meet with investors or is a slide deck okay?

Answered by David Hornik – Partner, August Capital Posted in Money

I think that business plans are a waste of time. You need to know everything that you would put in a business plan. And if it is helpful to you to put it in writing to so... (more)

When is it ok NOT to write a business plan?

Answered by Raymond Luk – Partner, Year One Labs

It's always ok NOT to have a business plan. But it's not ok to ignore thinking, testing and planning. Instead of writing the standard format business plan, figure out and v... (more)

should I write a business plan for a potential company even though its only source of revenue will be advertising?

Answered by Benjamin Yoskovitz – Partner, Year One Labs

Two questions here: (Q) Should I write a business plan? (Short A) No. (Long A) Unlikely that you need a business plan as we know it (long, boring, irrelevant document.) Y... (more)

What is the best resource for writing a business plan?

Answered by Dan Martell – Founder & Investor.

Google writing a business plan and buy the software - I think it's business plan pro? I used it 7 years ago when I started my last company. It was a big waste of time - h... (more)

I'm told that investors don't want to see full business plans anymore, so is just a one page summary and power point presentation adequate in 2010 and beyond?

Answered by Raymond Luk – Partner, Year One Labs

I can't speak for other investors but we don't require business plans at Year One Labs. We hardly look at pitch decks either, come to think of it. I like to spend time wi... (more)

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