Imported from zhugez/OrbitSmith (kit/.agent/skills/startup-business-analyst-business-case/SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add zhugez/OrbitSmith --skill startup-business-analyst-business-case. Copyright stays with the author.

Business Case Generator

Generate a comprehensive, investor-ready business case document covering market opportunity, solution, competitive landscape, financial projections, team, risks, and funding ask for startup fundraising and strategic planning.

Use this skill when

Working on business case generator tasks or workflows
Needing guidance, best practices, or checklists for business case generator

Do not use this skill when

The task is unrelated to business case generator
You need a different domain or tool outside this scope

Instructions

Clarify goals, constraints, and required inputs.
Apply relevant best practices and validate outcomes.
Provide actionable steps and verification.
If detailed examples are required, open resources/implementation-playbook.md.

What This Command Does

Create a complete business case including:

Executive summary
Problem and market opportunity
Solution and product
Competitive analysis and differentiation
Financial projections
Go-to-market strategy
Team and organization
Risks and mitigation
Funding ask and use of proceeds

Instructions for Claude

When this command is invoked, follow these steps:

Step 1: Gather Context

Ask the user for key information:

Company Basics:

Company name and elevator pitch
Stage (pre-seed, seed, Series A)
Problem being solved
Target customers

Audience:

Who will read this? (VCs, angels, strategic partners)
What's the primary goal? (fundraising, partnership, internal planning)

Available Materials:

Existing pitch deck or docs?
Market sizing data?
Financial model?
Competitive analysis?

Step 2: Activate Relevant Skills

Reference skills for comprehensive analysis:

market-sizing-analysis - TAM/SAM/SOM calculations
startup-financial-modeling - Financial projections
competitive-landscape - Competitive analysis frameworks
team-composition-analysis - Organization planning
startup-metrics-framework - Key metrics and benchmarks

Step 3: Structure the Business Case

Create a comprehensive document with these sections:

Business Case Document Structure

Section 1: Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

Company Overview:

One-sentence description
Founded, location, stage
Team highlights

Problem Statement:

Core problem being solved (2-3 sentences)
Market pain quantified

Solution:

How the product solves it (2-3 sentences)
Key differentiation

Market Opportunity:

TAM: $X.XB
SAM: $X.XM
SOM (Year 5): $X.XM

Traction:

Current metrics (MRR, customers, growth rate)
Key milestones achieved

Financial Snapshot:

| Metric | Current | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|--------|---------|--------|--------|--------|
| ARR | $X | $Y | $Z | $W |
| Customers | X | Y | Z | W |
| Team Size | X | Y | Z | W |

Funding Ask:

Amount seeking
Use of proceeds (top 3-4)
Expected milestones

Section 2: Problem & Market Opportunity (2-3 pages)

The Problem:

Detailed problem description
Who experiences this problem
Current solutions and their limitations
Cost of the problem (quantified)

Market Landscape:

Industry overview
Key trends driving opportunity
Market growth rate and drivers

Market Sizing:

TAM calculation and methodology
SAM with filters applied
SOM with assumptions
Validation and data sources
Comparison to public companies

Target Customer Profile:

Primary segments
Customer characteristics
Decision-makers and buying process

Section 3: Solution & Product (2-3 pages)

Product Overview:

What it does (features and capabilities)
How it works (architecture/approach)
Key differentiators
Technology advantages

Value Proposition:

Benefits by customer segment
ROI or value delivered
Time to value

Product Roadmap:

Current state
Near-term (6 months)
Medium-term (12-18 months)
Vision (2-3 years)

Intellectual Property:

Patents (filed, pending)
Proprietary technology
Data advantages
Defensibility

Section 4: Competitive Analysis (2 pages)

Competitive Landscape:

Direct competitors
Indirect competitors (alternatives)
Adjacent players (potential entrants)

Competitive Matrix:

| Feature/Factor | Us | Comp A | Comp B | Comp C |
|----------------|----|---------| -------|--------|
| Feature 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Feature 2 | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pricing | $X | $Y | $Z | $W |

Differentiation:

3-5 key differentiators
Why these matter to customers
Defensibility of advantages

Competitive Positioning:

Positioning map (2-3 dimensions)
Market positioning statement

Barriers to Entry:

What protects against competition
Network effects, switching costs, etc.

Section 5: Business Model & Go-to-Market (2 pages)

Business Model:

Revenue model (subscriptions, transactions, etc.)
Pricing strategy and tiers
Customer acquisition approach
Expansion revenue strategy

Go-to-Market Strategy:

Customer acquisition channels
Sales model (self-serve, sales-led, hybrid)
Customer acquisition cost (CAC)
Sales cycle and conversion rates

Marketing Strategy:

Positioning and messaging
Channel strategy
Content and demand generation
Partnerships and integrations

Customer Success:

Onboarding approach
Support model
Retention strategy
Net dollar retention target

Section 6: Financial Projections (2-3 pages)

Revenue Model:

Cohort-based projections
Key assumptions
Revenue breakdown by segment

3-Year Financial Summary:

| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| Revenue | $X.XM | $Y.YM | $Z.ZM |
| Gross Margin | XX% | XX% | XX% |
| Operating Expenses | $X.XM | $Y.YM | $Z.ZM |
| Net Income | ($X.XM) | ($Y.YM) | $Z.ZM |
| EBITDA Margin | (XX%) | (XX%) | XX% |

Unit Economics:

CAC: $X,XXX
LTV: $X,XXX
LTV:CAC ratio: X.X
CAC Payback: XX months
Gross margin: XX%

Key Metrics Trajectory:

| Metric | Current | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|--------|---------|--------|--------|--------|
| MRR/ARR | $X | $Y | $Z | $W |
| Customers | X | Y | Z | W |
| Net Dollar Retention | XX% | XX% | XX% | XX% |
| Burn Multiple | X.X | X.X | X.X | X.X |

Scenario Analysis:

Conservative, base, optimistic
Key drivers and sensitivities

Path to Profitability:

Break-even timeline
Key milestones
Unit economics at scale

Section 7: Team & Organization (1-2 pages)

Leadership Team: For each founder/executive:

Name, title, photo (if available)
Relevant background (2-3 sentences)
Key accomplishments
Why they're uniquely qualified

Current Team:

Headcount by department
Key hires and their backgrounds
Advisory board

Hiring Plan:

Year 1-3 headcount growth
Key roles to fill
Recruiting strategy

Organization Evolution:

Current (5 people) → Year 1 (15) → Year 2 (35) → Year 3 (60)
Engineering: 3 → 7 → 15 → 25
Sales & Marketing: 1 → 4 → 12 → 20
Other: 1 → 4 → 8 → 15

Equity & Compensation:

Option pool sizing
Compensation philosophy
Retention strategy

Section 8: Traction & Milestones (1 page)

Current Traction:

Revenue or user metrics
Growth rate
Key customer wins
Product development progress

Milestones Achieved:

Product launches
Funding rounds
Team hires
Customer acquisition
Partnerships

Upcoming Milestones (12-18 months):

Product milestones
Revenue targets
Customer goals
Team goals
Partnership goals

Section 9: Risks & Mitigation (1 page)

Market Risks:

Market size assumptions
Competitive intensity
Substitute adoption
Mitigation strategies

Execution Risks:

Product development
Go-to-market effectiveness
Hiring and retention
Mitigation strategies

Financial Risks:

Burn rate management
Fundraising market
Unit economics
Mitigation strategies

Regulatory/External Risks:

Compliance requirements
Data privacy
Economic conditions
Mitigation strategies

Section 10: Funding Request & Use of Proceeds (1 page)

Funding Ask:

Amount seeking: $X.XM
Structure: Equity, SAFE, convertible note
Target valuation: $X.XM (if applicable)

Use of Proceeds:

Total Raise: $5.0M
- Product Development: $2.0M (40%)
  • Engineering team expansion
  • Infrastructure and tools
  • Product roadmap execution

- Sales & Marketing: $2.0M (40%)
  • Sales team hiring (5 AEs)
  • Marketing programs
  • Demand generation

- Operations & G&A: $0.5M (10%)
  • Finance/legal/HR
  • Office and facilities

- Working Capital: $0.5M (10%)
  • 6-month buffer

Milestones to Achieve:

Revenue: $X.XM ARR (X% growth)
Customer: XXX customers
Product: Key features launched
Team: XX employees
Metric: Key metric targets

Expected Timeline:

18-24 month runway
Achieve milestones in 15-18 months
6-month buffer for next raise

Next Round:

Series A in 18-24 months
Expected metrics at that time
Target raise amount

Step 4: Enhance with Visuals

Suggest including:

Charts for market sizing (TAM funnel)
Product screenshots or mockups
Positioning maps
Financial trend charts (revenue, customers, burn)
Organization chart
Timeline/roadmap
Use of proceeds pie chart

Step 5: Provide Additional Sections (Optional)

If Relevant, Add:

Regulatory/Compliance section (for regulated industries)
Technology Architecture (for deep tech)
Clinical/Scientific Data (for biotech/health tech)
Unit Economics Deep Dive (for complex business models)
Strategic Partnerships (if material to strategy)

Step 6: Create Executive Summary Slide

Provide one-page summary for quick review:

Problem & Solution (3 bullets each)
Market: TAM/SAM/SOM
Traction: Key metrics
Team: Founders
Ask: Amount and use
Contact information

Step 7: Save Business Case

Offer to save as markdown:

Filename: business-case-[company-name]-YYYY-MM-DD.md
Suggest converting to PDF for sharing
Provide tips for presentation format

Best Practices

Do:

Lead with customer problem
Quantify everything
Show, don't just tell (use data)
Be realistic on projections
Acknowledge risks honestly
Cite all data sources
Keep executive summary concise
Focus on differentiation

Don't:

Use jargon without explanation
Make unsupported claims
Ignore competition
Be overly optimistic
Skip the "why now"
Forget to proofread
Use generic templates without customization

Integration with Other Commands

This command synthesizes outputs from:

/market-opportunity - Include TAM/SAM/SOM analysis
/financial-projections - Include full financial model

Example Usage

User: /business-case

Claude: I'll create a comprehensive business case document. Let me gather the key information first.

Company name and description?
→ "AcmeCorp - AI-powered email marketing for e-commerce"

Who is the audience?
→ "Series A investors"

What materials do you have?
→ "We have market sizing and financial model done"

[Claude creates comprehensive 15-20 page business case with all sections]

Notes

Business case creation takes 1-2 hours
Result is investor-grade document
Can be used for pitch deck development
Update quarterly or for funding rounds
Customize sections based on audience
Keep executive summary to 2 pages max

startup-business-analyst-business-case

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