Lessons over trophies: CustomerScore’s takeaway from V4 Startup Force

Tell us a bit about your startup journey –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ what's your story, who are you and what do you do? What is your mission?

During my previous work, I noticed gaps in how companies address the issue of customer churn. Companies lack visibility into their user base and struggle to identify which customers are likely to leave. At the same time, sales teams are often blind to the effectiveness of their activities. I came up with a solution in the form of a scoring model, which I validated with other SaaS companies in the market. It became clear that many companies face this challenge, which led me to the decision to build my own startup to solve it.

With all the experience you've built up, what inspired you to join the V4 Startup Force? What were you hoping to get out of it?

I found it interesting that there was an opportunity to connect with the V4 region, where we wanted to start acquiring our first customers and focus our efforts. I was expecting to establish connections with sales contacts, which would open up business opportunities for us. Another reason was to get acquainted with potential investors.

What did you find most valuable in the program? And to be honest, were there any areas where it didn't quite hit the mark?

The program lasted three days, starting with intensive sessions on creating a pitch deck, business model canvas, and analyzing the competition. This theoretical part wasn't entirely new to us, as we were already familiar with it from before. However, it was still nice to refresh our knowledge.

In the second half of the program, there were representatives from various countries' startup communities, which was incredibly valuable. I learned how the entire ecosystem operates in those countries, how the startup market functions, and how to connect with incubation centers. Additionally, I had the opportunity to present our pitch deck to an investor panel. We're still in contact with one of the investors, and we're currently negotiating their potential involvement in our company.

A major benefit was the opportunity to consult with the program's mentors about various challenges and issues. I had the chance to get feedback on our pitch deck and discuss our global marketing strategy.

In the end, is it worth it to take part in the V4 Startup Force?

I would definitely recommend the program for very early-stage startups. It provides founders with the opportunity to validate whether their idea has a chance of succeeding in the market.