Venture Design Document

About the VDD

The Venture Design Doc (VDD) is something of a hybrid business plan and canvas. It is not optimized for completeness, but rather tuned for thoughtfulness.

For everything new I work on, I generally create some version of this document. In the past, I usually relegated this to a shower exercise; but, given my increased use of LLMs for idea generation, validation, and execution, I’m finding even greater utility in writing things down here.

With the kernal of an idea, an LLM can flesh out a decent approximation of what I’m going for here. This prompts me then to work through its offerigs to make it better. Once done, I then can use it to build out a mountain of documents that I’ll include as context files within a code repository so my coding agents also understand what’s going on so that it can make better implementation decisions.

LLMs are super-powerful, but they don’t replace thinking. In as much, I consider the VDD is a thinking tool… the first stop in taking a loose idea and considering whether its worth the energy (and tokens) to turn into reality.

Template Contents

• [COMPANY NAME]
• Overview
• Core Assumptions
• The Problem
  • Key Pains
• The Opportunity
  • Market Dynamics Creating This Opportunity
• The Solution
  • Core Components
• Systems of Record
• Investor Positioning
  • The Big Idea
  • The Wedge: Where We Start
    • Analogy
  • Why Now?
    • How?
  • Defensibility
• Moats
  • Intellectual Property Opportunities
  • What We Will NOT Build
• Go-To-Market Plan
  • 1. Brand Identity
  • 2. Digital Presence
  • 3. PR Strategy
  • 4. Paid Media
  • 5. Community Engagement
  • 6. Customer Support
  • 7. Partner/Customer Onboarding
• Product-Led Growth & Distribution
  • Integration Strategy
  • Distribution Partners
  • AI-Focused Distribution
    • Context
    • Hypotheses
    • Approach
• System Overview
  • Service Diagram
  • System Components
• Product Development
  • Feature Specifications
    • Category 1: [e.g., Partner Features]
    • Category 2: [e.g., Customer Features]
    • Category 3: [e.g., Admin Features]
  • User Profile / Data Collection Framework
    • Must Have (Required for core functionality)
    • Should Have (Improves experience)
    • Could Have (Nice to have)
  • Implementation Strategy
• Roadmap
  • Milestone Definitions
    • At MVP (Month X)
    • At Launch (Month Y)
• Technology Stack
  • Stack Choices
  • Business Tools
• Integration Notes
  • Key Integration Partners
  • API Documentation
  • Integration Approach
  • Market Landscape
• Competition & Inspiration
• Appendices
  • Architecture Updates Log
  • Site Visits / Field Research
    • Visit: [Location/Company]
  • Team User Guides
  • Supporting Documents

[COMPANY NAME]

Last updated: [Date]

Author: [Name] <[email]>

Overview

This document outlines the major considerations for bringing [Product Name] to market.

[Brief 2-3 sentence description of what this document covers and its purpose]

Core Assumptions

[List the fundamental assumptions underlying this venture]

• Build approach and phases
• Total budget estimate (pre-launch to launch)
• Timeline to launch
• Key dependencies

The Problem

[Describe the core problem your venture addresses. What inefficiency, pain point, or gap exists in the market?]

Key Pains

[Detail the specific pain points experienced by your target customers]

• [Pain Point 1: Describe a specific problem customers face]
• [Pain Point 2: Describe another problem]
• [Pain Point 3: Continue as needed]

The Opportunity

[Describe the market opportunity. What untapped potential exists?]

Market Dynamics Creating This Opportunity

[Explain the market forces, trends, or gaps that make this the right time for your solution]

The Solution

[Describe your solution and how it addresses the problem]

Core Components

[Break down the key components of your solution]

Component 1: [Description]

Component 2: [Description]

Component 3: [Description]

Systems of Record

A System of Record is the authoritative repository for our work. This section will eventually evolve into an employee handbook, intranet, etc.

Investor Positioning

The Big Idea

[One paragraph elevator pitch: What is the transformative insight or approach?]

The Wedge: Where We Start

[Describe your initial market entry point. What specific problem do you solve first?]

Analogy

[Provide a relatable analogy to help investors quickly understand your model (e.g., “We are the Uber of…” or reference a similar successful company)]

Why Now?

[Explain the timing. What technological, market, or regulatory changes make this the right moment?]

How?

[Technical or operational explanation of your unique approach]

• [Key enabler 1]
• [Key enabler 2]
• [Key enabler 3]

Defensibility

[What makes your position defensible over time? Network effects, data advantages, regulatory moats, etc.]

Moats

Areas where we can potentially generate protection against competitors and build durable competitive advantages.

Intellectual Property Opportunities

[List potential areas for patents, trade secrets, or proprietary technology]

• [Technology/Algorithm Area 1]
• [Data Structure/Categorization Area]
• [User Experience Innovation]
• [Integration/Platform Advantages]

What We Will NOT Build

Areas we do not anticipate investing in:

[List areas that are adjacent but outside your scope, helping to clarify focus]

• [Area 1]
• [Area 2]
• [Area 3]

Go-To-Market Plan

Projects and assets needed before launch, organized by category:

1. Brand Identity

• Mission: [What is the purpose of the company?]
• Brand Guidelines: Aesthetics (logo, colors, fonts), voice, visual personality
• Photo/Video Assets: Production of brand visuals
• Launch Events: Events and activations to communicate the brand

2. Digital Presence

• Website
  • Phase 1: Teaser site with email capture [Timeline: X weeks before launch]
  • Phase 2: Full website with booking/purchase flow [Timeline: Launch]
• Blog/Content: Location for content about the brand mindset and value proposition
• Email CRM Setup: [e.g., Mailchimp, Klaviyo, custom]
• Mobile App: [If applicable, timeline and platforms]
• Social Media Handles:

3. PR Strategy

• Press Kit: Brand story, founder quote, sample visuals, logos [Timeline: X weeks before launch]
• Media Outreach: Tiered list of target outlets and reporters
• Partner Content: Co-created content with launch partners
• Press Preview: Events or experiences for press [Timeline: X weeks before launch]

4. Paid Media

• Agency Partner: [Consider engaging paid media partner for:]
  • Meta (Instagram + Facebook)
  • Google Search/Metasearch
  • TikTok
  • Influencers
• Digital Assets: Create assets according to channel best practices
• SEO/AIEO: Search and AI engine optimization

5. Community Engagement

• Pre-Launch Flow:
  • Welcome email
  • Behind-the-scenes teasers
  • Launch countdown (10 days, 3 days, day-of)
  • Launch invite with CTA
• Transactional Messaging: Templates for emails, SMS, in-app notifications triggered by user actions
• Outbound Marketing: Ongoing campaigns for engagement and LTV

6. Customer Support

• Multi-Channel Support: Phone, Email, SMS, Chat
• Urgency Tiers:
  • URGENT: [Definition and response time]
  • PRIORITY: [Definition and response time]
  • GENERAL: [Definition and response time]
• CRM Integration: Support ticketing linked to customer records
• AI Support Routing: [If applicable, how AI assists with routing/drafting]
• Issue Resolution Policies: What support can offer without escalation

7. Partner/Customer Onboarding

• Pre-Launch Documentation: Information sheet for partners
• Onsite Visits: Account manager visits before launch
• Service Level Agreement (SLA): Terms partners must agree to

Product-Led Growth & Distribution

Integration Strategy

[Describe key integration points (APIs, protocols, partnerships)]

• [Protocol 1: e.g., MCP, A2A]
• [Protocol 2]

Distribution Partners

[List potential distribution channel partners]

AI-Focused Distribution

[Strategy for AI/LLM discoverability and integration]

Context

[Where are we in the AI adoption cycle? What assumptions are we making?]

Hypotheses

• [Hypothesis 1 about how AI will affect distribution]
• [Hypothesis 2]
• [Hypothesis 3]

Approach

• [Approach 1: e.g., SEO is AIEO]
• [Approach 2: e.g., Build AI-first operational culture]
• [Approach 3: e.g., Integrate with AI platforms]

System Overview

Service Diagram

[Include or describe system architecture diagram showing user types, services, and data flows]

┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐     ┌─────────────┐
│   Users     │────▶│   Platform  │────▶│  Partners   │
└─────────────┘     └─────────────┘     └─────────────┘
                           │
                    ┌──────┴──────┐
                    ▼             ▼
              ┌──────────┐  ┌──────────┐
              │  Admin   │  │   APIs   │
              └──────────┘  └──────────┘

System Components

Product Development

Feature Specifications

[High-level feature categories and requirements. This section can be expanded into sub-documents.]

Category 1: [e.g., Partner Features]

• [Feature area 1]
• [Feature area 2]
• [Feature area 3]

Category 2: [e.g., Customer Features]

• [Feature area 1]
• [Feature area 2]
• [Feature area 3]

Category 3: [e.g., Admin Features]

• [Feature area 1]
• [Feature area 2]

User Profile / Data Collection Framework

Must Have (Required for core functionality)

[List essential data fields]

• [Field 1]
• [Field 2]
• [Field 3]

Should Have (Improves experience)

[List important but non-critical data]

• [Field 1]
• [Field 2]

Could Have (Nice to have)

[List enhancement data]

• [Field 1]
• [Field 2]

Implementation Strategy

• Progressive Collection: Collect only essential data upfront, gather more over time
• Location-Specific Variations: [Note any regional/legal requirements]
• Privacy & Security: [Note compliance requirements: GDPR, CCPA, PCI, etc.]

Roadmap

Milestone Definitions

At MVP (Month X)

[Describe what “MVP complete” means]

• What can be demonstrated
• What capabilities exist
• What is NOT included

At Launch (Month Y)

[Describe what “Launch ready” means]

• Live functionality
• Customer-facing capabilities
• Partner requirements

Technology Stack

Stack Choices

Business Tools

• Workspace/Email: [e.g., Google Workspace]
• Analytics: [e.g., Mixpanel, Amplitude]
• Monitoring: [e.g., Datadog, Sentry]
• Support: [e.g., Zendesk, Intercom]

Integration Notes

Key Integration Partners

[List critical third-party systems you need to integrate with]

API Documentation

[Links to relevant API documentation]

• [System 1 API docs URL]
• [System 2 API docs URL]

Integration Approach

[High-level approach for each major integration]

Market Landscape

[Analysis of key players in integration ecosystem, market share, priorities]

Competition & Inspiration

[List competitors, adjacent players, and companies that inspire your approach]

Appendices

Architecture Updates Log

[Track major architecture decisions and changes over time]

Site Visits / Field Research

[Notes from customer interviews, site visits, competitive research]

Visit: [Location/Company]

Date: [Date] Attendees: [Names]

Key Findings:

• [Finding 1]
• [Finding 2]

Outstanding Questions:

• [Question 1]
• [Question 2]

Team User Guides

[Links to team member user guides and working styles]

• [Team Member 1 - User Guide Link]
• [Team Member 2 - User Guide Link]

Supporting Documents

[Links to related documents, presentations, spreadsheets]

• [Document 1]
• [Document 2]

— End of Template —