101 Questions to Answer Before Talking to an Investor

You want money? They want answers! Venture capitalists and investors have some commonly asked questions when evaluating a startup. These questions cover various aspects of a startup’s business, operations, strategy, and risks. Depending on your industry, here are 101 short and to-the-point questions you might consider answering ‌to yourself before talking to an investor:

1. What problem does your product/service solve?
2. Who is your target market?
3. What is your unique value proposition?
4. How big is the market opportunity?
5. What is your business model?
6. How do you acquire customers?
7. What is your revenue model?
8. How do you plan to scale your business?
9. What are your key metrics for success?
10. Who are your competitors?
11. What differentiates you from your competitors?
12. How do you protect your intellectual property?
13. What is your pricing strategy?
14. How do you plan to achieve customer retention?
15. What is your customer acquisition cost (CAC)?
16. How do you plan to monetize your user base?
17. What is your customer lifetime value (CLTV)?
18. How do you plan to reach profitability?
19. What is your go-to-market strategy?
20. What is your sales and marketing strategy?
21. How do you plan to expand into new markets?
22. How do you plan to address customer feedback?
23. What is your product development roadmap?
24. What is your customer churn rate?
25. How do you plan to attract and retain talent?
26. What is your burn rate and runway?
27. How do you plan to optimize your cost structure?
28. What is your cash flow projection?
29. What is your funding history and current cap table?
30. What is the total addressable market (TAM)?
31. How do you measure and track customer satisfaction?
32. What are the key risks and challenges you face?
33. How do you plan to mitigate those risks?
34. What is your current monthly/annual revenue?
35. What is your gross margin?
36. How do you plan to allocate the investment funds?
37. What is your team’s background and experience?
38. What is your team’s track record of success?
39. How do you plan to incentivize and retain employees?
40. What is your company’s culture and values?
41. What milestones have you achieved so far?
42. How do you plan to use data and analytics to drive growth?
43. What is your customer acquisition strategy?
44. What is your go-to-market timeline?
45. What partnerships or collaborations do you have in
46. How do you plan to stay ahead of technological advancements in your industry?
47. What is your plan for international expansion?
48. How do you manage and protect user data?
49. What is your customer support and service strategy?
50. How do you plan to adapt to changing market trends?
51. What is your plan for regulatory compliance?
52. How do you measure and track your social impact?
53. What is your plan for sustainable and responsible business practices?
54. How do you plan to manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks?
55. What is your plan for disaster recovery and business continuity?
56. How do you plan to handle potential legal challenges?
57. What is your plan for managing cash flow during seasonal fluctuations?
58. How do you plan to attract and retain strategic partnerships?
59. What is your plan for managing inventory and supply chain?
60. How do you plan to navigate potential industry disruptions?
61. What is your plan for talent acquisition and retention in a competitive market?
62. How do you approach diversity and inclusion within your team?
63. What is your plan for continuous innovation and product development?
64. How do you plan to adapt to changing customer preferences?
65. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your online presence?
66. How do you plan to adapt to evolving marketing channels and strategies?
67. What is your plan for managing and leveraging customer data?
68. How do you plan to manage and protect your brand reputation?
69. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your supply chain?
70. How do you plan to manage currency exchange rate fluctuations?
71. What is your plan for managing and minimizing operational risks?
72. How do you plan to ensure a positive user experience across platforms?
73. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your distribution channels?
74. How do you plan to maintain a competitive pricing strategy?
75. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your production processes?
76. How do you plan to stay ahead of changing regulatory requirements?
77. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your customer relationship management?
78. How do you plan to manage and optimize your logistics and transportation?
79. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your manufacturing processes?
80. How do you plan to adapt to changing consumer behavior and preferences?
81. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your research and development efforts?
82. How do you plan to manage and optimize your quality control processes?
83. What is your plan for managing and minimizing product returns and refunds?
84. How do you plan to manage and optimize your customer feedback and reviews?
85. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your inventory and stock levels?
86. How do you plan to manage and minimize product defects and recalls?
87. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your customer loyalty and retention programs?
88. How do you plan to manage and optimize your customer feedback and support systems?
89. What is your plan for managing and minimizing customer complaints and escalations?
90. How do you plan to manage and optimize your product packaging and labeling?
91. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your product warranties and guarantees?
92. How do you plan to manage and minimize product obsolescence and inventory write-offs?
93. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your customer onboarding and training processes?
94. How do you plan to manage and optimize your customer referral and advocacy programs?
95. What is your plan for managing and minimizing product counterfeiting and intellectual property infringement?
96. How do you plan to manage and optimize your customer segmentation and targeting strategies?
97. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your customer engagement and communication channels?
98. How do you plan to manage and minimize product liability and legal disputes?
99. What is your plan for managing and optimizing your customer satisfaction surveys and feedback loops?
100. How do you plan to manage and minimize product price erosion and margin pressure?
101. Do you have any questions for investors?