Operating Plan

• For Founders & Startups
• Program typical cycle and timelines
• For Professionals & Executives
• What we offer
• Systems and How we measure the Data Trusted Circle

For Founders & Startups

We focus on helping technical founders in the data-domain turn into leading companies.

We have deep domain expertise and unique access to worldwide data community superstars and executive professionals. As investors, operators, product leaders, and engineers, we’ve had many years of access and experience with enterprise Data related company-building in a wide array of contexts. We have built and partnered with top leaders in the space of Data-centric and machine-learning solutions that created the category. We bring unique aspects of building a business in this technology area.

Our focus is on startups with clear technical differentiation in AI/ML, data science, deep learning, analytics, and data infrastructure.

We work with early founders from the initial concept on ideation, building a team, building an MVP, demonstrating product market fit, and raising the next round of financing. Some topics we will be helping you with

• Product: Firsthand product and data strategy advice, plus access to a wide network of expert advisors - our Data Trusted Circle
• Engineering & Architecture: You are the expert! We get that. But sometimes, we can guide and help with hard-core, tough engineering challenges and architecture problems and help you brainstorm solutions. We will bring the best superstars to help us.
• Design partners: Introducing potential design partners, the most important relevant ones with a clear understanding of the Data related space that gets the fundamental value proposition of any data-related product and the ability to work with startups.
• Business model: What’s your Go To Market motion? How do you price a data product or a Machine Learning solution? Consumption-based? flat rate? To open source or not? Freemium? Top-down? We have seen it all and can help guide you with our advisors and trusted network.
• Fundraising: When it's appropriate, we'll assist you in determining the appropriate measurements and standards (KPIs) to acquire additional funding, assist you in fine-tuning the story, and deliberately aim for the investors who are the most suitable for you.
• Resources: We are offering two free expert calls (up to $500 each) to each team, along with a two-week trial to the Tegus platform. Portfolio companies have found Tegus' services especially valuable for product development, go-to-market strategies, competitive research, financial analysis, fundraising, corporate development, etc.

In addition, in collaboration with our partners such as Snowflake, Databricks, MongoDB, Google Cloud, AWS Cloud, Microsoft Azure and others, we offer free development credits and resources for multiple data product services.

Program typical cycle and timelines

• Identify the founding team.
• Unless you already have a solid idea (which, in that case, we shorten the cycle to 2 weeks) - we will help you with the ideation process in our office or remotely. A typical timeframe can take between 4 to 12 weeks.
• In some cases where we see exceptional teams and have a conviction, we will offer a term sheet immediately during the early two weeks and continue iterating with you as part of the program. In other cases, we may need more time to evaluate but are still interested in working together, and the 12 weeks timeframe will help close the funding round with you as we are bringing the best partners.
• During the ideation process, we will set up multiple sessions with you every week and will introduce you to our Trusted Data Network or any of our other advisors. We will also research the space with you and provide competitive analysis, open source solutions in the space, potential partners, and intros to potential key team members for hiring. We can also help in hiring interviews if you wish.
• We want you to focus on building! As you will be working on scheduling those meetings with our network, we have automated the entire process for you and our advisors. You don’t need to spend time in time zone coordination and scheduling. Our systems will do that for you. Each meeting is recorded, transcribed, and after each meeting, both sides receive a short survey which will get populated into the entire ideation and validation process. You will have access to all of that. You will save a considerable amount of time - guaranteed.
• We guarantee SLA time with any of our Data Trusted Circle experts for up to 14 days from the request. From our experience, our network provides answers within a very short period in much faster cycles.
• We iterate with you on any aspect, from the product, positioning, technical aspects, GTM, price testing and all the way to securing design partners. In each cycle, we gather the information, synthesize the feedback, and decide if we are ready and have enough information to start the building phase.
• Once you start the official building phase, we will be there with you as you wish and continue our support in each phase.

For Professionals & Executives

We believe in the data echo system and community. Our Data Trusted Circle network is an exclusive by-invitation-only group of top executives and professionals working as a team with our data program companies.

We are looking to join high-caliber individuals across all verticals and company sizes. While our focus is on U.S based companies, we definitely will consider nominations from other geographies.

What we offer

• You will influence the next generation of startups in the data community space.
• Dedicated Private Slack Community Channel
• Exclusive Hetz dedicated Data Events
• Monthly touch-points
• Data Summits & Conferences
• PR on our website, different media channels & public recognition
• Unique compensation model for dedicated individuals based on a blended % carry in our fund!
• Ability to co-invest with us for those who are interested

Systems and How we measure the Data Trusted Circle

• For invited professionals, we will send you a one-pager engagement agreement.
• After signing the agreement and an NDA, we will onboard you.
• We automate everything. We measure everything so that we can learn and provide feedback.
• You will receive an onboarding Wellcome package with all details needed and get access to additional resources, including an internal Slack channel.
• We are using Calendly Team schedule with Routing options for our network. You will be asked to participate and connect your calendar with a few slots for availability every week.
• You will be asked to meet with founders and provide feedback, and engage on multiple topics with advance coordination.
• The system will book the time with an automated video conferencing link. The entire meeting is automatically recorded and transcribed for all parties.
• Following each conversation, you will receive an automated survey tailored to the feedback we would like to receive from you. You will be expected to answer the survey within 24 hours.
• Each Circle member is expected to be available for an active discussion for 1 hour every two weeks or up to 7 working days with advanced notice.
• Actively engage in our private Slack channel for all circle members and founders.
• Participation in our events and dedicated data activities.
• We measure each member by the commitment to participating in active conversations, filling out surveys, and attending in-person meetings and gatherings, as well as Slack engagement.
• We measure a monthly number of meetings per data team member.

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