Airbnb and Sequoia

• Airbnb's founders had air mattresses, passion, and a vision -- but no idea how to approach VCs.
• They found Sequoia's business plan guide. The rest is history.
• What impressed Sequoia was not slide design, but the power of the idea, clarity of thought, and scale of ambition.

The Guide: 10 Steps

1. Company Purpose: Define your reason for existing in one sentence.
2. Problem: Describe the customer's pain and why current solutions fall short.
3. Solution: Your eureka moment -- why it's unique, lasting, and scalable.
4. Why Now?: Why this timing? Why didn't this exist before?
5. Market Potential: Who are your customers? How big is the market?
6. Competition: Direct competitors and indirect alternatives. How will you win?
7. Business Model: How you'll make money sustainably.
8. Team: Why this team is uniquely suited to solve this problem.
9. Financials: Share what you have -- numbers show business reality.
10. Vision: What does the world look like in 5 years if everything goes right?

"If you believe your idea can change the world, show that belief in one sentence, one slide, one pitch."