Welcome to our one centesimal pitch deck teardown! This week, I’m looking at MegaMod’s seed-stage pitch deck. MegaMod appears to be the most recent darling of the gaming trade and simply pocketed a cool $1.9 million, bumping its post-money valuation to $27 million. With a mission to revolutionize the sport creation course of, MegaMod says it plans to splurge on refining its go-to-market technique and testing out its retention and monetization mannequin.
In an trade the place creators are sometimes tossed apart like yesterday’s lootboxes, MegaMod swoops in with a heroic promise to place them entrance and middle — a knight-in-shining-armor vibe that’s barely sullied by the very first display screen on the corporate’s web site.
So, what’s the true story behind MegaMod’s pitch deck that charmed buyers and secured that $1.9 million? We’re about to dive deep, peeling again the layers of this pitch to see if it’s a essential hit or simply one other NPC within the startup panorama.
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Slides on this deck
MegaMod’s pitch deck clocks in at a decent 13 slides. That’s fewer than we usually anticipate, however who’re we to guage? Oh, wait, judging is actually the purpose of those articles. By no means thoughts, let the judging begin.
- Cowl slide
- Downside slide
- Product portfolio slide
- Product Overview slide
- Product slide 1
- Product slide 2
- Product slide 3
- Product slide 4
- Worth proposition slide
- Traction slide
- Monetary projections slide
- Crew slide
- Ask and Use of Funds slide
Wow, 4 product slides? I can virtually assure that buyers don’t care this a lot about your product. OK, wonderful. Let’s get began.
There’s one factor to like about MegaMod’s pitch deck
Dedicating 29% of a pitch deck to product slides isn’t nice, and it’s clear that the remainder of the deck isn’t that nice both. However there’s one factor that’s.
A daring ambition
Technology Z treats gaming prefer it’s a faith, not only a pastime. They’re glued to their consoles, VR headsets and cellular screens, diving into digital worlds with the sort of dedication often reserved for cult leaders. This era doesn’t simply play video games, although; they’re constructing whole universes, forming guilds and trash-talking their approach to the highest of leaderboards. Gaming isn’t simply one thing they do; it’s who they’re — and regardless of all of this, making video games is difficult.
Is that an issue? I don’t know. I sort of at all times assumed that making video games was onerous, however MegaMod appears to position a unique wager: The corporate makes it clear that via its full suite of merchandise, it’s making it stupidly easy for these gaming fanatics to create their very own video games. It’s an attention-grabbing wager, banking on Gen Z’s insatiable thirst for self-expression and DIY angle. Why simply play video games when you may construct them?
I like a slide that makes me query base assumptions, and this slide did that. Wait, why does it appear so onerous to construct video games? Can video games inbuilt a day be any good? I reserve judgment, however I can’t assist however admit that I’m curious!
Three issues that MegaMod might have improved
I wrote a number of of drafts of this paragraph wherein I attempted to discover a silver lining, however in a nutshell: I can’t imagine this firm managed to boost a cent, not to mention a decent chunk of change.
The pitch deck reads like a ransom notice scribbled by somebody who forgot their glasses. Very important data? Lacking in motion, and what little information they do present is flimsier than moist tissue paper. I’ve seen school entrepreneurship pitch decks with extra substance.
Primarily based on this deck alone, it’s a miracle anybody invested in any respect, which most likely factors to the truth that the corporate has one thing else going for it. I’m struggling to see what, although. Both it has some severe appeal or its buyers have a wild humorousness.
It’s probably that there’s one thing to the corporate that doesn’t come via within the deck. Both the founders know the buyers, or there’s a bit of traction or a go-to-market mechanic that isn’t explored within the deck. However that’s the enjoyable factor about this collection: I’m not speaking to buyers or founders; I’m critiquing the deck primarily based on what’s there, particularly as a result of a pitch deck ought to be capable of stand by itself.
What the hell is occurring with this product?
Slides 4-8 of MegaMod’s pitch deck are an train in being overly bold, making even essentially the most seasoned entrepreneurs cringe. As an alternative of specializing in a single product and even a few well-developed choices, MegaMod has determined to throw every part on the wall to see what sticks. Six merchandise, together with a recreation engine, AI coding instruments, a skins editor, a prop editor, an in-game library and a social platform. And if that wasn’t sufficient, they’ve received a advertising and marketing instrument (MegaGames), instruments for streamers, distribution instruments and extra. It’s as in the event that they went on a buying spree on the tech retailer and determined to purchase considered one of every part, simply in case.
Right here’s the factor: Startups want focus. Spreading your self skinny throughout so many product strains is a recipe for catastrophe. Any single considered one of these merchandise — be it the sport engine, the AI coding instruments or the social platform — might be absolutely viable startups on their very own. Every requires devoted assets, specialised information and a transparent technique. As an alternative, MegaMod is making an attempt to juggle all these balls directly, and it’s onerous to see the way it received’t drop a number of — or all — of them. The shortage of a centered method screams hubris greater than it does competence.
One might argue that combining all these instruments right into a single suite would possibly leverage community results, making a cohesive ecosystem that’s higher than the sum of its components. However right here’s the kicker: The deck doesn’t make that argument. In any respect. We’re left guessing at how these disparate merchandise ought to work together, not to mention how they’ll generate income. It’s unclear what the monetization mannequin is for any of this. Is the corporate banking on subscriptions, one-time purchases, advertisements or some magic beans? With no clear path to profitability, MegaMod’s grand imaginative and prescient feels extra like a pipe dream than a stable marketing strategy. Buyers are left with extra questions than solutions, and that’s a surefire approach to preserve the funding at bay.
The place’s your traction?!
MegaMod boasts having 2,500+ creators who’ve churned out a powerful 65,000+ video games. On the floor, these numbers appear promising, however on second look, they really feel intentionally opaque, as if the corporate is making an attempt to distract us with quantity reasonably than substance. If the common creator has made 26 video games (wow!), we have to ask some essential questions. Who’s taking part in these video games? Are they any good?
Numerous creations doesn’t imply a lot if the video games aren’t participating gamers or producing income. With out realizing the standard and recognition of those video games, it’s onerous to evaluate the precise impression MegaMod is having within the gaming group. I suppose the most effective comparability I can give you is that this: The common three-year-old might be making 26 work per quarter. However their income goes to be incompatible with a venture-scale enterprise.
The subsequent slide initiatives an bold $170 million in ARR by 2028, which is nice, however there’s a obtrusive omission: present income numbers. What’s the typical income per participant proper now? How is MegaMod producing revenue now, and why are these particulars absent? It’s simple to make lofty projections, however buyers have to see a monitor report of development and present monetary well being to imagine in such an aggressive forecast. With out these key metrics, the projection feels extra like wishful considering than a sensible marketing strategy.
One other purple flag is the supply of those customers. The Use of Funds slide (slide 13) claims “viral expansion and product-led growth” as the corporate’s development technique, however that’s about as obscure because it will get. What does that imply? The place are the customers presently coming from? How is MegaMod driving visitors and engagement? Phrases like “viral expansion” sound nice in concept however require concrete methods and proof of previous success to again them up. Actually viral firms are excessively uncommon. This lack of readability is irritating and does little to encourage confidence within the firm’s potential to scale successfully.
Total, the traction slide lacks actual enterprise metrics, elevating severe issues concerning the founders’ understanding of their enterprise. If I have been a board member, I’d be grilling them onerous on what metrics they monitor, why they assume these are vital, and what particular actions they take to maneuver these metrics. With out clear, actionable knowledge, it’s troublesome to gauge the true well being and potential of the corporate. Buyers want transparency and precision, not smoke and mirrors.
Might the group be any extra obscure?
I do know, I do know. I whine concerning the group slide in virtually each considered one of these pitch deck teardowns. And — this can be a promise, not a menace — I’ll preserve doing it till folks begin making higher group slides.
The group slide for MegaMod presents a bunch of people with promising descriptions, however the particulars are frustratingly obscure:
This slide is your golden alternative to name-drop the blockbuster video games you’ve labored on, the startups you’ve based, or the hyper-growth successes you’ve spearheaded. As an alternative, MegaMod provides murky statements that really feel extra like placeholders than concrete achievements. Particular firm names, numbers (revenues and outcomes) and details are essential right here. With out this, the descriptions come throughout as hole and unconvincing.
- “Experience of building a $20m sales business.” Nice! Which one?
- “Revenue up to $8 billion?” Holy cow, that’s spectacular. However for which enterprise?
- “Experience of building a business for >80m users.” Sure! I wish to spend money on that! Present me the receipts!
- “Launched 100+ mobile games.” Identify one! Perhaps two!
- “Experience with 150M combined audience.” Cool. Which audiences? Who’re they?
The obscure claims virtually really feel like they’re making an attempt to cover one thing, like group members have signed NDAs with their earlier employers and are skirting across the particulars. This type of opacity is a big purple flag and suggests considered one of three issues: an absence of serious accomplishments, a deliberate try and obfuscate the reality, or only a failure to determine what buyers have to know to make an funding.
The one logical conclusion is that this group have to be such epic rockstars that I’ll appear like a complete buffoon for not recognizing them. However critically, come on. If these obscure boasts have been true, turning this slide into an absolute slam dunk would have been a bit of cake.
The total pitch deck
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