The Ultimate Dashboard/Scorecard to Evaluate and Follow Up the Scalability Potential for a Deep Tech startup company

Introduction

The best way to evaluate whether a deep tech startup is on the right path to achieving market impact through a well-structured market strategy is by leveraging a scorecard. This tool provides key success indicators, ensuring the company has proper market access capabilities and an adequate Go-To-Market (GTM) plan.

At the end of this article, we present a practical scorecard to help founders and managers analyze, evaluate, make decisions, and take action. But first, let’s explore the key evaluation sections and their indicators.

Evaluation Sections and Indicators

Strategic Section

Knowledge Assets: Does the initiative carry the right technological and commercial knowledge assets aligned with its business goals?
Role in the Value Chain: Is the company’s role clearly defined within its ecosystem’s value chain?
Opportunity Market Analysis:
- Has the problem been identified, recognized, and validated within the market?
- Are there trends favoring the adoption of a solution?
- Is the problem linked to a specific process or function?
- Is there an identifiable, solvent expectation of a solution?
- Is the market opportunity size reasonable?
Alternative Market Analysis:
- Has the startup mapped the alternative solutions available?
- How does it position itself within the competitive landscape?
Corporate Strategy:
- Does the company have a clear mission and vision?
- Has it developed a strategy leveraging strengths and opportunities while mitigating weaknesses and threats?

Tactical Section

Business Model:
- Is the business model designed for scalability?
Value Proposition:
- Is the value proposition clearly articulated?
- Does it effectively communicate added value, benefits, and impact?
- Has the knowledge been structured into sellable products addressing specific problems?
Market Segmentation:
- Has the company precisely identified its market segments and key decision-makers?
- Are their behaviors and priorities well understood?
Revenue Sources:
- Have diverse revenue streams been identified?
- Are revenue forecasts aligned with market size estimates (TAM/SAM/SOM)?
- Is the sales cycle understood?
Offering & Pricing:
- Is there a well-defined offering with pricing that matches market expectations and ensures scalability?
Channels:
- Have all interaction channels with market segments been mapped?
Market Relations:
- Are marketing, sales, customer engagement, and competitive intelligence strategies in place?
Resources & Costs:
- Has the company inventoried the necessary human, technical, and financial resources?
- Are costs well-structured and scalable?
Value Chain Map:
- Are the key players and knowledge flows in the ecosystem identified?
Internal Process Map:
- Has the company mapped out all business functions, assigned ownership, and set performance indicators?
Marketing Strategy & Materials:

- Has the company identified and defined marketing actions and developed supporting materials for different audiences?

Operational Section

Go-To-Market Plan:
- Is there a structured short- and medium-term GTM plan aligned with the business strategy?
- Are objectives, leadership, and responsibilities clearly defined?
Business Development Tactics:
- Are there well-planned actions to generate new business opportunities and achieve sales objectives?
Sales Strategies:
- Have the best sales strategies been identified for the target market?
- Are sales objectives structured per segment with dedicated teams?
Operational Marketing:
- Is there a plan to position the brand and generate market reputation?
- Are marketing actions specifically aimed at generating MQLs for the sales pipeline?
Indirect Sales Channels:
- Has a model for working with partners or intermediaries been considered?
- Is there a clear win-win structure for channel partners?
Lead Generation:
- Is there a structured system to create business opportunities?
- Is lead generation the core of the GTM plan?
Sales Operations & Playbook:
- Has a structured sales operations model been established?
- Is there a playbook detailing the sales process and best practices for each segment?
Client Success & Post-Sales Model:
- Has a customer success model been implemented to drive loyalty and account expansion?
Legal & Contracts:
- Have necessary legal documents been developed for IP protection and commercial agreements?
- Are contract signing and update processes clearly defined?
Sales Excellence Vision:
- Is there a structured sales excellence framework linking corporate strategy, GTM plan, and business model?
- Are success indicators defined?

The Scalability Dashboard

A well-designed Scalability Dashboard based on these indicators allows founders and executives to:

Verify all necessary components for market expansion.
Identify strengths and gaps in their strategy.
Take targeted actions to optimize scalability.

Conclusion

Scalability is the ultimate challenge and key success factor for a deep tech startup. While external factors such as market reception, trends, and unforeseen events can be unpredictable, internal factors—such as strategic planning, business model structuring, and GTM execution—are within a company’s control.

A well-structured scalability scorecard enables companies to systematically assess and enhance their growth potential. By actively monitoring and refining each aspect outlined in this article, startups can maximize their chances of achieving sustainable market impact and long-term success.

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Deep Tech Startup Scalability Dashboard

Section	Indicator
Strategic	Knowledge assets alignment
	Clear role in the value chain
	Market opportunity analysis completed
	Competitive landscape analyzed
	Defined corporate strategy
Tactical	Scalable business model designed
	Clear and articulated value proposition
	Market segmentation identified
	Revenue streams diversified
	Offering and pricing aligned with scalability
	Defined market interaction channels
	Structured customer relationships
	Resource and cost planning completed
	Value chain ecosystem mapping
	Internal process map created
	Marketing strategy and materials defined
Operational	Go-To-Market plan in place
	Business development tactics implemented
	Sales strategies defined
	Operational marketing plan executed
	Indirect sales channel strategy defined
	Lead generation mechanism established
	Sales operations and playbook created
	Customer success and post-sales model defined
	Legal contracts and terms documented
	Sales excellence framework established