Every startup wants to do a deal with trophy accounts like Apple, Google, Qualcomm and Facebook. Some deals take longer than others.
Project start: Qualcomm was among the earliest customers that BizDev.Global introduced to Acme. Not only did the Qualcomm team verify that all of Acme’s ideas were correct, they also described three new features that would complete the Whole Product. Everyone went away excited.
Month 3: Acme completed a 30-day pilot at Qualcomm, who confirmed the product was a “perfect fit.” Strangely, Qualcomm’s enthusiasm started to wane soon afterwards.
Month 4: As BizDev.Global wrapped up our engagement with Acme, we identified the reason for Qualcomm’s loss of interest: the incumbent competitor had offered an alternative, less powerful solution for free to prevent Acme from establishing a foothold. This was not a fight they could win, so Acme decided to stop wasting time on this “perfect” prospect.
Years 2-4: As Acme grew, they continued to touch base with Qualcomm, demonstrating new capabilities and learning more about Qualcomm’s evolving requirements at each meeting.
Year 5: The big competitor’s lagging support for the newest IC technologies created a new Hot Button. Acme blanketed Qualcomm with examples of their modern solution. As the six year anniversary of their first pilot approached, Acme was able to arrange a second 30-day pilot at Qualcomm, this time focusing on what the aging competitor simply couldn’t do, and reminding Qualcomm how the competitor had misled them the last time.
Year 6: The second pilot was a success. Acme’s team knew every Qualcomm Hot Button, and pressed each one. After the pilot, Qualcomm’s engineers refused to let the Acme product go. The PO followed within six weeks...or was it six years?
We ticked off the years as they went by...