Introducing Symbol Microservices
Breaking down the traditional VC value-add platform model into small, well-defined work packages
Everyone in the venture ecosystem knows about the meme of VCs’ pursuit of adding value. There’s a lot of cynicism surrounding this notion, and rightly so: adding value as a VC firm is tricky. And it’s difficult.
To contribute meaningfully and with precision, one needs a deep context of the problems the company is facing, the people involved, and the exact situation. On top of that, one also needs the right resources — people, network, and experience — to help solve the problems.
That’s why we took the microservices approach to designing our operating model and supporting Symbol’s portfolio companies. This model breaks down the traditional VC value-add platform model into small, well-defined work packages that can be delivered by top experts, measured, and scaled independently.
These microservices were designed together with and based on the needs of Symbol’s portfolio companies. We keep evolving them according to the ever-changing challenges of our existing portfolio and the new companies we invest in.
Here are a few examples of the microservices we already successfully deployed at our portfolio companies:
- Pricing research: price point discovery, feature tiering, and product packaging.
- UI / UX: user interface and experience design review and consultation.
- Marketing collateral: for marketing operations, sales processes, and fundraising.
- Company storytelling: building a messaging baseline and narrative guidebook.
- Hiring: sourcing, vetting, and interviewing prospective team members.
- Follow-on funding: preparing the deck, tightening the story, mapping potential investors and paths to them, and getting warm introductions.
- Value proposition workshop: analyze, prioritize, and formulate your product’s benefits to communicate with customers and investors
This approach has several benefits to both us and the companies:
- Transparency: Having smaller, well-defined work packages with precise deliverable specifications keeps us accountable to deliver well-defined value to the companies.
- Personalization: By relying on well-defined objectives, this model allows us to offer a tailor-made solution to each individual founding team, company, and situation.
- Scalability: This model allows us to have a roster of people and resources behind each individual value proposition and make sure we get the best people for each task.
- Modularity: We can also sequence/layer these microservices on an opt-in basis for founders to keep microservices relevant as their company grows and evolves.
