Readiness Audit

SERIES A READINESS AUDIT

Find Out What Investors Will See Before They See It

VCs have pattern recognition for marketing red flags. Vanity metrics presented as KPIs. Brand spend with no connection to business outcomes. No clear story on pricing power or customer economics. A marketing function that looks like cost center rather than growth engine.

Most founders discover these gaps during due diligence. By then it’s too late.

What I Evaluate:

Pricing Power Position. Do you have it, or are you competing on price? I assess your ability to raise prices without losing demand—the single metric Warren Buffett uses to evaluate brand strength. You get a clear red/orange/green scorecard and a roadmap to improve before your pitch.

Marketing-Finance Alignment. Can your marketing leader present to a board and be understood? I evaluate whether your metrics, frameworks, and narrative translate into the language of growth, profit, and risk that investors actually speak.

Competitive Brand Position. How does your brand equity compare to competitors and category benchmarks? I assess your mental availability, positioning clarity, and differentiation through the lens of what drives willingness to pay.

Marketing Economics. Is your spend level appropriate? Is your allocation between brand building and activation optimized? I benchmark against the 6-12% of revenue standard and the 60/40 long-term/short-term framework to identify underinvestment or misallocation.

Measurement Infrastructure. Do you have the systems to prove marketing ROI under scrutiny? I audit your tracking, attribution, and reporting against what Series A investors expect to see in due diligence.

The Narrative. Can you articulate how marketing creates enterprise value? I assess whether your story connects brand investment to intangible asset creation, pricing power, and valuation—or whether it sounds like every other deck investors ignore.

What You Get:

• A comprehensive scorecard across all six dimensions
• Specific gaps that will surface in due diligence
• Prioritized recommendations with implementation timeline
• Investor-ready language for your marketing narrative
• Optional presentation to leadership or board

Format:

• 2-3 week engagement
• Review of existing materials, metrics, and strategy documentation
• Interviews with marketing leadership and cross-functional stakeholders
• Final readout with written report and strategic roadmap

Who This Is For:

• Companies 6-18 months from Series A who want to surface issues early
• Founders who sense their marketing story isn’t landing with investors
• CEOs preparing for due diligence who need an outside perspective
• Boards requesting an independent marketing assessment before a raise

The Outcome:

You walk into investor conversations knowing exactly where your marketing stands—and with a clear plan to address weaknesses before they cost you the round.