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Company

lastmod 2022-04-22created 2018-12-267 edits

A company (會社) or enterprise (企業) is an organization whose purpose is to pursue profit. The first study on why companies exist came from Ronald Coase. In his 1937 paper, The Nature of the Firm, Coase pointed out that because transactions between economic agents in the market incur considerable transaction costs, an organization called a company, with a hierarchy and a reward system, is sometimes a more efficient place for transactions than the market, and that this is why companies arose. And so on and so forth

Ingredients for a company introduction deck

Message part: 17 items

The message part is where you directly show the company's philosophy, what you want to say to consumers, and what you think. Since it reveals the foundation from which the product and service were born, it tends to follow an emotional rather than rational flow. People often say it should "resonate," right? Resonating is hard. That's a bit much.. If the reader can simply agree on why you made this and why you founded the company, you can say it has done its job.

1. Slogan
Sum up the deck's short-term goal in one sentence. It is mostly used on the cover, or often appears as a single impactful sentence on the page right after the cover. It stands on its own and needs no other components.
2. Boilerplate
A stock phrase of about 100 characters introducing the company. Introducing the brand or product is fine too, but the head message usually describes the company itself. Write it as if you were writing a Facebook bio. Leave out abstract words here and state very intuitively only what you do and how.
3. Brand introduction
This is a brand introduction of about 500 characters. If you have a lot to say, tell the detailed story here. Tear-jerking storytelling is fine too. If you want, you can replace this part with a greeting from the CEO. (But I'd rather you didn't do the greeting.)
4. Motivation
Stories like deciding to start a company after seeing your younger sibling's atopic dermatitis as a child, or resolving to found a company after losing your beloved Mary, go here.
5. Pain points
Unlike motivation, this defines exactly what problem we are trying to solve. Narrow it down to about three. We are not heroes saving the planet, so pin down concretely only what is achievable. If this part gets too vast, the later parts will be hard to handle.
6. Survey results
Surveys, research, and statistical results that prove the pain points. They need updating, so keep track of them.
7. Status
If surveys are the result of communication, status is the result of observation. It is a graph that reveals trends of change such as rises, falls, increases, and decreases. Usually in bar graph form.
8. Solution points
If item 5 has three, this has three too. Match each pain point 1:1 and lay out how you will solve it. Solving three problems at once is very rare. Usually even one problem needs several solutions.
9. Brand image
A key visual or abstract photo that shows our brand in one shot, or images of the product, building, the whole team, the office, and so on. Usually companies don't have one. Go take one. The brand image is a component you keep reusing. It is often used on the cover, backgrounds, etc. Consistent images give a fairly polished feel.
10. Brand philosophy
Our philosophy is pretty unique. Businesses focused on social impact, problem solving, and the like will have a lot to say in this philosophy section. Our dear Patagonia codifies its philosophy across nine areas. Philosophy here becomes the standard for what we must protect, what we must do, and what we must not do. Writing it in the deck is a kind of bragging, showing pride, stubbornness, and guts. We are this determined. We're freaking awesome. That kind of feel
11. Making-of story
Some startups became brands through funding and the like. If the making-of itself is the foundation of the brand, such as selling a single product, food service, or a service made by an individual, it is good to write up the making-of story separately. It also makes great material for content later.
12. Future plans
Items up to 11 mostly go at the front. From here on are things for the back of the deck. Future plans is a component that lays out growth targets and vision mainly for the next 3–5 years. It usually uses 3–5 dots on a straight line or a rising graph.
13. Expected effects
This component often goes into B2B introduction decks/proposals. Sum up expected effects in about three pieces of text, arranged in a triangle or three lines.
14. Member information
People often list members' universities or careers, but it is better to briefly describe only their role and representative experience for that role. Name and age don't matter.
15. Member images
Take the members to a photo studio sometime and get nice profile shots made. Don't ask for selfies from their phones; aim for consistent resolution, background, and concept. Using team photos that look like totally pixelated business-card photos (sometimes with a desk peeking in) makes people facepalm.. And please throw away images of members who have left, and take new ones of new hires.
16. End message
Don't write "thank you" at the end of the deck; prepare one great closing sentence. Think of it as going along with the slogan: one sentence that lands a shot straight to the reader's heart at the end. It's too much of a waste to spend a whole page on "thank you."
17. Contact points
Gather contact points such as email, phone, social media, website, fax, and QR code, and make them into a single component.

Information part: 35 items

Once the message part has moved hearts, you now need to deliver the evidence and concrete information. The information part depicts the details of our product or service. What matters here is picking out what the other side wants to hear, not what we want to say. Usually you'll be nearly right if you leave out the things you're itching to say and your fingers are twitching to type.

18. Governance structure (governance)
Usually shown as an org chart. Recently it also appears as each team's role classified as R&R. With ESG issues rising lately, companies seem to care a lot about innovation and fairness in governance.
19. Shareholder status
Essential when making IR materials. Rather than scrambling to make it later, it is better to keep it neatly organized as a component as you go. Shareholder status doesn't change much anyway and ownership stakes are nearly fixed, so once made, it can be used in many places.
20. Capital/dividend status
It will need updating. It is needed when making IR materials, so organize it neatly as a chart.
21. Operating status
A component needed for IR materials. It is a must, especially for manufacturing or distribution businesses. When writing up operating status, include the raw material supply rate and utilization rate, and it's good to know the industry-average operating rate as well. It will be in chart form.
22. Affiliate network
Not just people you grab lunch with now and then, but list places that can be our resources, such as MOU partners, partner companies, subcontractors, and collaboration targets. For global business, also list overseas branches and overseas affiliates. It will usually be several connected circles.
23. Main processes
Used a lot in manufacturing. It lays out what process goods go through to be made..., and it is used a lot in IR. Usually summarized in 3–5 steps and made into a component. Product manufacturing processes rarely change, so it can be used for a long time.
24. Sales channels (pipeline)
Also lay out where the things you make can be sold. Especially important for distributors. Besides splitting online and offline, also categorize by domestic/overseas, capital area/regions, and type of business. Lay out the volume handled by each sales outlet and what % of total sales size it takes, and put it in one diagram.
25. Market size
You have to show whether the market we're taking on is tiny or one that people totally acknowledge with both hands and feet up. This is especially important in investment proposals. The size of the market itself matters, but the market share we can capture and our point of capture matter more. That connects to expected future revenue. Mainly expressed as concentric circles.
26. Market scalability
Many people like paper notebooks, but that market is unlikely to keep growing. You also need to show whether there is potential to pivot and expand into other areas. Will you just make and sell notebooks, expand into professional stationery, or move online... This is mainly expressed as a pie chart or orbit shape and made into a component.
27. Market conditions
Is the market on the rise, or dying.. you can't tell just by showing size. You have to show the trend too. This needs updating every quarter, half, or year. Make it into a component as a bar or line graph.
28. Market issues
A component that mainly goes into IR. What issues exist in the market right now. Lay out whether it's about to skyrocket, whether it'll be blocked or freed up by legislation, what's being developed in which country, and so on. Make it a list and update it newest first.
29. Market characteristics
The target market and customers will have characteristics. If the service targets anime otaku, you can't ignore that market's peculiarities. Sometimes formulas from the general market don't work. Summarizing the market's own characteristics to help people understand that also becomes a component.
30. Service/product details
Lay out details such as the product's size, weight, ingredients, and country of origin, or the service's capacity, difficulty of use, and optimized devices. Even if it doesn't go in the deck, having it organized internally helps quite a bit with 'responding' to inquiries. Organize this as a chart, a neat component!
31. Main features
A service or product rarely has only one feature. Even a fly swatter gets used to fish out AirPods that fell under the fridge. Sum up about three main features and put them in boxes.
32. Additional features
List the remaining additional features. The chronic problem with decks is that our service is so great there's too much to brag about... Separating main and additional features and assigning priorities is very, very important.
32. Key characteristics
Also called strengths. Or competitiveness. There are probably lots of similar products. Among them, what characteristics do we have? That's the question. Sum up only the 2 or 3 that are truly distinctive and pop them into circles.
33. Additional characteristics
There's probably a lot more to brag about, so list the rest that got pushed down in priority.
34. Limitations
There are cases where the service or product can't be used. Not for children under 5, doesn't work below 0 degrees.. that damn Sony noise-canceling IU headset said not to use it in winter. Geez...
35. Advantages
Write who our proud features and characteristics help. Especially when there are multiple beneficiaries. For platforms or distribution businesses, show what they give and receive. It is the format where you use triangles, circles, or squares and mark the benefits each target exchanges with arrows.
36. Underlying technology
Blockchain-based, IT industry, or engineering-related businesses often wrote what technology they are built on. Explaining technology turns into something as long as the Tripitaka Koreana once you get going, so set aside a day sometime and make it into a component with a few clean lines + images.
37. How it works
With many companies in trouble over data issues... investors also wonder how the system moves and runs. Explain here where the data comes from, whether there are personal information leak issues, whether it takes too much effort to run, and so on. Lay out the 3 or 4 parts people will be most curious about.
38. Risk management
Content that often goes into IR or proposals. It goes into B2B proposals a lot too. Set up a plan to supervise each issue so problems don't occur. Usually made in scenario form or charted by item.
39. Competitor analysis
Competitors only need occasional updates and don't change much, so organize them once in a table and use it as a component.
40. Positioning
Usually uses a quadrant graph made of x and y axes. Our position is mostly the top right. Meaning we're the best. The others tend to look like they're each missing something. This graph only changes slightly in size and the graph itself never changes, so it's a perfect component.
41. Weaknesses and improvements
In IR you need to be able to analyze your business's weaknesses honestly. And you need to have a plan for how to address them at the same time. Weaknesses and solutions move as a set, so bundle 3 weaknesses with 3 solutions into one component.
42. Mockup images
For a service, keep app screen images neatly organized. No need to put them in mockups. For a product, collect top views, side views, and concept shots well by folder, and if you're making a prototype, be sure to make mockup images. Service/product images going into the deck cleanly and sharply is the basics, of course.
43. How to use
You can write brief usage instructions. You know how when you buy electronics there's a thick manual and a quick guide? This component is like the quick guide.
44. Ingredient analysis
If you sell food, health functional foods, baby products, or pet products, ingredient labeling is essential. Organize it neatly as a list and make it a component. It will often be placed next to how to use.
45. Price table
Sometimes you write prices directly in the deck, and sometimes you use them later in brochures or leaflets. Especially when running a web service, benefits can differ by price, and organizing that well reduces effort later.
46. Operating process
When a B2B contract goes ahead, you need to write the process of how this product is ordered, shipped, paid for, and supported after sale. Working with clients, I've also had really many cases where they wondered 'how do you work?'. Standardize this process and make it a component.
47. Awards
From here on, components are purely for bragging. ... Honestly, having many patents doesn't seem to win people over. It feels more like proof of credibility.
48. Certifications or patents
Personally, I'm not sure it's good to show patent registration certificates as images. They're too small to read anyway... and nobody will look at that image and think 'wow, impressive.' Just listing the patent names and registration dates seems good enough.
49. Marketing metrics achieved
Figures from a marketing perspective such as total users, MAU, downloads, and ratings can also be bragging points. Since the usual message is "lots of people are using it! And the ratings are good," the base count and rating are often used together. Update it often. Make it a component with an eye-catching design.
50. History
It shows our history. The latest records should be at the top. And just because the company was founded in 2010 doesn't mean you have to list every event since 2010. List only the major bragging points. Keep the history to no more than 10 lines and make it a component.
51. Press releases
For press releases, archive screenshots, article links, article titles, etc. in one place. So you can pull out a few as needed for the deck.

Voice and scenario part: 9 items

Once you've given enough information, it's time to tell people's stories. Suppose the listener felt 'ah, that's attractive.' What's their next action? That's right... they want to check whether what they thought is right. So they want to know whether other people agree with them too. Typical examples are reading reviews or comments.

52. User scenario
Laying out in advance what you'll experience when you use this service is also a good approach. Nothing is clearer than explaining with an episode. It's not a scenario for building strategy, so keep it brief and make it a component.
53. Persona definition
Show who our service fits best. Not an internal persona definition, but a summary of who really needs it. For example, 'as a drinking snack for dad, as a snack for the kids.. like Ojingeojip (a squid snack)..' that kind of feel.
54. FAQ
Frequently asked questions and answers are also one of the components that go in as a whole page. Make it in a bulletin board format or line by line in a Q&A feel, with about 6 or 7 question-answer sets. Unless internal policies change, keep it fixed and copy-paste it everywhere.
55. CS procedures
Refunds, exchanges, contract termination, dissatisfaction.. from the customer's point of view, these may be the biggest worries when buying a product from a brand they're trying for the first time. Same goes for B2B. Organize this by case, such as refunds/exchanges, in FAQ format.
56. Cases
A kind of testimonial. From the company's point of view, such heartfelt cases are very precious. Actually, for components like these you must get the interviewee's consent and agree on the scope of use in advance, so it's not easy to grow the count. So manage each case you secure well.
57. Interviews/reviews
Obviously important. For reviews you can just screenshot the review section, but interviews need consent for use. It's precious content, so organize it well and excerpt/componentize only the parts you need.
58. Usage images
It's good to have images of the service or product actually in use. Especially for products. But I'd like them to be somewhat pretty photos. Not something like a botched cat photo taken in a rush... take clean concept shots and keep them.
59. Before-and-after ima
Important. Collect this material well too.
60. Before-and-after graphs
Changes in figures matter too. Organize all the bragging points mentioned above by folder. Name the top-level folder Voice+Scenario and create two subfolders: process and bragging points. Then make a folder for each component and keep each piece of material neatly organized. So you can pull it out and use it right away when needed.

Numbers part: 20 items

It's the numbers' turn. You won't use these much in ordinary introduction decks; they'll be used a lot in IR, proposals, and the like. If you're preparing IR related to investment or an IPO, take a look.

61. 3-year revenue trend
A revenue graph for last year and the year before, relative to this year. Past graphs don't change, so make it a component and copy-paste it everywhere. If less than half of this year has passed, use last year as the final one. It doesn't have to be 3 years, but there's this odd feeling... like it has to be 3... My father said life is made of odd numbe...
62. Revenue trend by product
Not needed if the company sells only one product. But if it sells a variety of products, you need to show which product is carrying the team.
63. Revenue trend by segment
Same when the business areas are diverse. If you run education, commerce, and consulting, show the revenue trend for each sector.
64. Revenue trend by region
If you provide a location-based service or run a global business, revenue by region matters. The previous 3 graphs all use the same format. And since they often go together, make all their designs identical. Make them components with only the titles different.
65. Business performance
An essential element in IR. It includes group/affiliate profit and loss, quarterly results, analysis of each result, Key takeaways, asset soundness, and so on. Summarize it in short form. Business performance is originally dozens of pages, so componentizing it is actually a bit of a headache. Summarize only the key content into 1 page. Update it every quarter.
66. Business model
That thing we keep calling "BM, BM"... to be precise, it's closer to visualizing the revenue structure. An answer to "where, how, and how much money are you making?" Make it into a diagram.
67. Experiment results
If your company needs experiments of some kind... you should organize the experiment results.
68. R&D plan
Lay out the current R&D status as well as what you will focus on later (after investment). One of the elements that must go into IR. Actually this is more a page than a component. ...Or should I call it a page-sized component.
69. Workforce plan
Also lay out HRD-related plans. Similar to R&D, but there are slight differences such as man-months and per-department operating strategies. Likewise, try to fit it on one page.
70. Investment fund usage plan
Yes, they gave you money, so you have to tell them how you'll spend it. Break down how much you'll spend here and how much there if you receive 3 billion won. It'll have a pie chart and a usage plan for each element. Make it a component first and update the content. Such forms have a nearly fixed format, so it's good to make a pretty one in advance and just change the numbers. Saves time, saves effort...
71. Funding plan
When writing a funding plan, the debt ratio is often included as well. You can bring in money from various sources such as government support, loans, stock, collateral, and bonds, right? For startups, private/institutional investment and government support programs all fall under this too. Organize it by channel in a pipe shape.
72. Expected rate of return
Consider about 7 things when calculating the rate of return. Break it down into expected revenue (a clean estimate.. without wishful thinking), company valuation, investment size, recoverability, cost ratio, payback period, after-tax profit, and so on.
73. Investment exit plan
It follows the same line as the above but focuses more on the payback period and cash flow. The main message is showing that the investment can be recovered by when and at what rate of return, but as evidence you have to show systematically that our money will flow here and there and this much will remain. Fitting it on one page is a bit tough. Roughly, you treat cost of goods/sales/administration/facility costs as expenses, calculate operating profit, corporate tax, and net income in order, then add net working capital and subtract facility investment. Put it on one page.
74. Growth strategy (domestic)
This is showing "we're going to grow like this and this!".. not as a message but from a business strategy perspective. Like how you'll invest in which areas and how you'll expand... Set roughly a 3–5 year plan. One way is to draw boxes on a graph, and another is to just write detailed plans in a table under each year.
75. Growth strategy (global)
A global strategy may reflect country-specific considerations. A table is more convenient. You could also write things here and there on a map, but it can easily look messy. Of course, if designed nicely it's no problem. If you really want to write on a map... blur out all other countries, float only the target countries (Floating), and write the details.
76. Execution schedule
This means the investment-related schedule. It's a way of laying out in a timetable how work will proceed until you receive investment, or after you receive it. Hmm.. this mainly uses a table divided by month. Weekly division is too detailed, so it's usually split by month or quarter.
77. Marketing strategy and results
Write the marketing strategy as well. Not detailed per-channel plans, but mainly the cost per medium and performance management. It's good to include the results of marketing done so far. The aim is to give the feeling of "we did this much even without money, so with money it'll be a huge hit."
78. Summary financial statements
Hmm.. financial statements will be attached separately as attachments anyway. Financial statements in IR can be written in summary form. What to include is really up to you, but it will roughly be the following.
  • Assets (current assets, non-current assets) - totals only
  • Liabilities (current liabilities, non-current liabilities) - totals only
  • Equity (capital stock, share premium, retained earnings) - totals only
  • Total liabilities and equity - totals only

Other: 2 items

79. Index template
There's an index page after the cover.. making it every time is work too..hehehe

Make a template in advance and use it.

80. Cover template
By now we'll have our own proposal/introduction deck template too. Make just 2 versions of the cover (black, white) and share them. Making a different cover every time is work too.

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