ARCPOINT ADVISORY Build right. Operate better. Scale with confidence.
Vector 21 · Phase 1 of 4
Discovery & Validation — Client Intake
Answer from what you know — you don't need to have everything figured out. We handle the research and fill in the gaps. Fields marked Required must be completed before you can submit.
Step 1 of 5 · About 5–7 minutes per step
⚠ Please complete all Required fields before submitting.
① Your Business
② Your Competition
③ Your Customer
④ Your Solution
⑤ Your Numbers
USED ACROSS ALL 4 DOCUMENTS

Tell Us About Your Business

Basic information that goes on every document we produce for you.
Your legal or operating business name.
What type of business is this? Be as specific as you can.
Pick the stage that best describes your business today.
Today's date, or when we officially started working together.
What do you do, who do you do it for, and what result do they get? Write it naturally — don't overthink it. We'll refine it.
DOCUMENT 1 — Competitive Audit Report

Who Else Is in Your Market?

Tell us who you're up against and what you know about the market. We'll do the deep competitive research — just share what you're already aware of.
This builds your Competitive Audit Report — a structured look at who is already operating in your space, how they're positioned, what they charge, and where the gaps are that you can own.
⚑ Arcpoint handles the research — you just share what you know You don't need to know your competitors inside and out. Just name who you're aware of. We'll independently research their pricing, how they position themselves, who they target, and where the market gaps are.
Who are the customers, what do they need, and where are they? Imagine explaining it to someone who knows nothing about your industry.
List anyone who solves a similar problem for similar customers — even if they approach it differently. Include both direct competitors (same type of product/service) and indirect ones (different approach, same problem). It's okay if this list is short or incomplete.
Competitor name Why you consider them a competitor
＋ Add another competitor
Think about the factors that matter most to your buyer — things like price, simplicity, speed, customer support, or specific features. We'll use these to build a side-by-side comparison in your report.
＋ Add another factor
A range is fine. This goes in the comparison chart alongside your competitors.
We'll use this for the comparison chart.
What problem exists in this market that current options aren't solving well? This is your opening — describe it in your own words, as you see it.
DOCUMENT 2 — Customer Discovery Summary

Describe Your Ideal Customer

Paint a clear picture of the person most likely to buy from you. The more specific you are, the better the research we can build around it.
This builds your Customer Discovery Summary — a detailed profile of your target customer, what drives their buying decisions, and what they're likely to pay. You define who they are; Arcpoint researches the market data.
⚑ Arcpoint handles the market research — you define the customer You tell us who your customer is. We use that profile to research market-level data from published sources — things like how many of them exist, what they typically spend on similar solutions, and what drives their purchasing decisions.
A short label we'll use throughout your documents to refer to your target customer. It makes the documents feel personal and grounded rather than generic. There's no wrong answer — use whatever resonates.
Tell Us About This Customer
Number of employees, annual revenue, or type — whatever describes them best.
Who in the business makes the buying decision — and who would actually use your product or service?
What frustrates them most? What takes too much time, costs too much money, or keeps them from growing? Write it like you're telling a story about someone you've actually talked to.
Most people live with a problem for a while before taking action. What's the moment — the bad month, the lost customer, the employee who quit — that makes them say "I have to fix this now"?
Are There Different Types of Customers You Want to Reach?

If you only have one type of customer in mind right now, fill in the first row and leave the second blank — that's completely fine.

The most important customer — the one you're building this for first.
A different type of customer you might also want to serve — perhaps as a secondary market or a future focus.
What would your ideal customer want that they can't get today — because nothing exists, or because what exists is too expensive, too complex, or just not built for someone like them?
DOCUMENT 3 — Problem & Solution Brief

The Problem You Solve and How You Solve It

Help us articulate why the problem is real, why existing options fall short, and why your solution is the right answer. Arcpoint validates and sharpens the framing.
This builds your Problem/Solution Brief — a structured, investor-ready case for why your business exists and why it will win.
The Problem →
Use this as a loose guide: "[Type of person] struggles with [the problem] because [why it happens], which leads to [the negative outcome]." Write it naturally — we'll refine the language.
What do they do right now to manage this problem — even if it's a bad workaround? This shows us what we're replacing.
＋ Add another workaround
What's wrong with what's already out there? Too expensive? Too complicated? Not designed for your customer? Not available in your market? Be specific.
Time, money, stress — whatever applies to your situation.
Your Solution →
Try this as a guide: "[Business name] helps [who] [do what] by [how it works], so they can [the result]."
Your single strongest point of difference. Try this format: "The only [type of product or service] that [does this specific thing] for [this specific customer]."
What does a customer actually do? What happens after they sign up or engage with you? Keep it simple — 2 to 4 steps is ideal.
1.
2.
＋ Add another step
Every early-stage business is built on assumptions. Being honest about them here helps us flag risks and build a stronger plan. These aren't weaknesses — they're just things we'll work to validate together.
＋ Add another assumption
How Will You Know It's Working? →
What numbers or results would make you say "yes, this is working"? These could be revenue targets, customer counts, satisfaction scores — anything that matters to you. Arcpoint will suggest additional measures alongside yours.
What you're measuring Your target By when
＋ Add another measure
If a happy customer told someone about you, what result would they describe? What would they say changed for them after using your product or service?
DOCUMENT 4 — Financial Model

Your Revenue, Costs & Financial Goals

Give us the numbers you know. Estimates are fine — we'll build the financial model and flag where we need to revisit assumptions together.
This builds your Financial Model — covering how you'll make money, what it costs to deliver, and how long before the business covers its own expenses. Arcpoint builds the model; you supply the inputs.
⚑ Arcpoint builds the model — you provide the inputs Give us your best estimates for pricing, costs, and projections. Arcpoint calculates your profit per customer, your breakeven point (the month when income covers all costs), and builds your 12-month financial forecast. If you don't know some of these numbers yet, estimate and note that it's a guess — that's completely normal at this stage.
For example: "I haven't launched yet so these are all rough estimates" or "I already have 3 paying customers at $200/month." Give us the context that helps us build the right model.
How Will You Make Money? →
A revenue stream is any way your business earns money. Most early-stage businesses have one or two. Common examples: monthly subscription fee, one-time project fee, fee per transaction or use, annual contract. Add a row for each one.
What you're selling How you charge (monthly / one-time / per use) Price Any notes
＋ Add another revenue stream
How much will you earn from a typical customer each month? If you have multiple revenue streams, use the most common one.
What Does It Cost to Deliver? →
Think about costs that go up when you add a new customer — things like software hosting fees, materials, time spent delivering the service, customer support, or transaction fees. Not your overhead (like your own salary) — just what changes per customer.
Fixed costs are expenses you pay every month no matter how many customers you have — things like your own pay, software tools you use to run the business, insurance, rent, or a contractor you have on retainer.
What it is Per month ($) Per year ($)
＋ Add another cost
Customer Acquisition & Retention →

These terms explained: Acquisition cost = what you spend to get one new paying customer. Customer lifetime = how long they stay before they cancel or stop buying.

Add up advertising spend, referral fees, your sales time, or any other costs involved in signing up a new customer. Estimate freely — or say "unknown."
Your best estimate of how long before a typical customer cancels, stops buying, or moves on. This helps us figure out their total lifetime value to your business.
The month when your total income first covers your total costs. Estimate freely — this is a planning tool, not a commitment.
Growth Projections →

How many paying customers do you expect to have at each point? Your honest estimate is more useful than an optimistic one — conservative projections build a stronger plan.

Month 1 Month 3 Month 6 Month 9 Month 12
What's driving these numbers? Are these conservative, realistic, or optimistic? What assumptions are they based on?