{"id":273992,"date":"2024-08-09T14:43:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T13:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/?p=273992"},"modified":"2024-09-23T19:45:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T19:45:07","slug":"empowering-startups-with-the-rocketship-canvas-a-guide-for-accelerator-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/blog\/empowering-startups-with-the-rocketship-canvas-a-guide-for-accelerator-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Empowering Startups with the Rocketship Canvas: A Guide for Accelerator Teams"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Startups are the engines of innovation, driving economic growth by offering advanced technologies and solutions to emerging challenges. However, in their relentless pursuit of delivering superior products and meeting customer needs, startup teams can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. As professionals working within an accelerator, your role is to guide these teams, helping them maintain a clear strategic vision while navigating the daily demands of their business.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most effective tools we often use with our startups to address this issue is the Rocketship Canvas.<\/p>\n<p>The Rocketship Canvas is a powerful framework that helps founders, investors, board members, and advisors clearly articulate and visualize the key aspects of a startup\u2019s journey and strategy. It has proven to be highly impactful in globally renowned accelerator programs like <a href=\"https:\/\/katapult.vc\/\">Katapult<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hatch.blue\/\">Hatch<\/a>, where it helps teams align their goals and strategies on a single, visually accessible page.<\/p>\n<p>By regularly updating and using the Rocketship Canvas, you can ensure that the startups you support stay on track and grow strategically.<\/p>\n<div class=\"group\/conversation-turn relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn\">\n<div class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\">\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-[20px] text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5 overflow-x-auto\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"db79cada-f380-4afc-8612-9406ac838422\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-273993 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1848\" height=\"1047\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1.jpg 1848w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1-1280x725.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1-980x555.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Canvas-scaled-1-480x272.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 1848px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Why the Rocketship Canvas?<\/h3>\n<p>The Rocketship Canvas addresses critical questions that are essential to a startup\u2019s growth, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How can we accelerate the company\u2019s growth?<\/li>\n<li>Where do we want to be in six, 12, and 24 months?<\/li>\n<li>What does our fundraising strategy need to look like to reach these milestones?<\/li>\n<li>Which investors, customers, partners, and experts should we engage to build vital relationships?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every startup needs a dedicated advisor, manager, or board member who can hold the company accountable. This involves assessing where the startup aimed to be 12 months ago, understanding where it stands today, and envisioning where it could be in the next 12 months. The Rocketship Canvas makes this process tangible by breaking down the journey into three distinct stages, each with its own set of objectives and milestones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Case: VoltyngX<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s explore how the Rocketship Canvas can be applied in a real-world scenario. Consider \u201cVoltyngX,\u201d a startup specializing in repurposing electric vehicle batteries into advanced battery storage solutions. After a significant breakthrough in their technology, VoltyngX is ready to scale commercially. For this exercise, we&#8217;ll use VoltyngX as an illustrative example.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Example-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-273995 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Example-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Example-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Example-1-980x551.jpg 980w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Rocketship-Example-1-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1280px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Each of the three boxes in the Rocketship Canvas represents a distinct stage in the startup\u2019s growth journey. We encourage teams to creatively \u2018name\u2019 each phase, whether it\u2019s as simple as \u201cPhase I\u201d or something more descriptive like \u201cConquering our Local Market.\u201d In this case, we\u2019ve identified the stages as:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Conquering the Local Market<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Expanding into Neighboring Countries<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Becoming a Household Name in Europe<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Adapting Key Metrics (KPIs) Over Time<\/h3>\n<p>As a startup evolves, so too should its key metrics. In the early stages, a startup might focus more on overall revenue or customer acquisition rather than profit margins. As growth progresses, these metrics will naturally shift. For instance, VoltyngX will need to decide whether to prioritize the number of customers, weighted pipeline, bugs resolved, churn rate, or ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) as their business scales.<\/p>\n<h3>Setting Targets and \u201cMust-Wins\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Within each stage of the Rocketship Canvas, there are three primary targets that the company aims to achieve. These targets should be meaningful achievements that can be showcased to shareholders, customers, or even on platforms like LinkedIn. Often, these targets are broad and influenced by investors or the board of directors.<\/p>\n<p>Achieving these targets depends on succeeding in the \u201cMust-Wins\u201d\u2014specific, actionable steps that are critical to reaching your goals. For VoltyngX, this might involve hiring a CFO to lead their fundraising efforts and professionalize their internal financial processes. They might also aim to secure a local customer, land their first international customer, and develop a sales strategy that can be effectively scaled as they onboard new hires.<\/p>\n<h3>Estimating Revenue and Capital Needs<\/h3>\n<p>The final section of the Rocketship Canvas involves making an informed estimate of the revenue the startup aims to achieve by the end of the timeline and determining the capital needed to reach those goals. For VoltyngX, for example, the goal might be to generate over \u20ac200k in revenue by raising \u20ac1 million, which should sustain the startup through Q2 2025.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/first-step.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-273996 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/first-step.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"227\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/first-step.png 227w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/first-step-163x300.png 163w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 227px) 100vw, 227px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\">\n<div class=\"min-h-[20px] text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words [.text-message+&amp;]:mt-5 overflow-x-auto\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"f7470d94-2881-489e-a10c-4f683ecc6c09\">\n<div class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\">\n<div class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\">\n<h3>Continuous Planning and Adaptation<\/h3>\n<p>We encourage startups to spend time thoroughly mapping out their first step, ensuring it is clear and well-defined. It\u2019s also crucial for them to engage with customers, clients, employees, investors, and advisors to gain insights that will shape the company\u2019s journey.<\/p>\n<p>As the startup plans its second and third phases, both quantitative and qualitative measures should be considered. These measurements will serve as a blueprint for a growth strategy that should be revisited and updated quarterly. This regular check-in helps ensure that the company\u2019s progress aligns with its anticipated growth trajectory.<\/p>\n<h3>Beyond the Rocketship Canvas<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-274002\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2160\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2.png 3840w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2-1280x720.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2-980x551.png 980w, https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Outcome-Canvas-2-480x270.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) and (max-width: 1280px) 1280px, (min-width: 1281px) 3840px, 100vw\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Rocketship Canvas sets the stage for more comprehensive strategic tools, such as the Outcome Canvas. Together, these frameworks will help the startups you support refine their strategies, positioning them as attractive options for international talent and garnering recognition from local media for their successes.<\/p>\n<p>By guiding startups through the Rocketship Canvas, you\u2019re not just helping them plan for the future\u2014you\u2019re setting them up to achieve sustainable, long-term success.<\/p>\n<h2>Download Your Own Copy<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/beta.strategytools.io\/rocketship-outcome-canvas\/\">Click here to download a PDF copy of the Rocketship Canvas.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Work with Us<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Tiye-Angels-5.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-273490\" src=\"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Tiye-Angels-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"497\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As long-term partners of leading accelerators worldwide, we empower startups with innovative strategies that drive real results. Our work has helped numerous startups develop stronger fundraising strategies, become investor-ready, and craft clear roadmaps to success. Want to see how we made an impact? <a href=\"https:\/\/beta.strategytools.io\/success-stories\/how-katapult-accelerator-gets-its-startups-investor-ready\/\">Check out our case study with Katapult, an award winning accelerator, <\/a>\u00a0or reach out to us at hello@strategytools.io \u2014 we\u2019d love to connect!<\/p>\n<h4 align=\"left\">UPCOMING WEBINAR<\/h4>\n<h4 align=\"left\">Building Better Accelerators<\/h4>\n<p>From impact investing in Europe, agritech in Africa, ocean startups in Hawaii, ocean funds in Fiji or climate funds in Singapore, we have seen a number of accelerators up close and personal. From first-generation aquaculture accelerators to early-stage deep-tech accelerators, to recent GP\/VC\/PE accelerators, there is a constant stream of innovation in the space.<\/p>\n<p>This begs the question, how are accelerators evolving? How should accelerators think about strategy, programming and their own business model? What are the latest trends a leadership team needs to think about and what role does AI play for accelerators? Has the time come for accelerators to rethink their strategy and if so, how?<\/p>\n<p>We will explore these topics and more during the webinar.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Date:<\/strong>\u00a0August 21st<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time:<\/strong>\u00a018:30 &#8211; 19:15 CEST<\/p>\n<p><strong>Speakers:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/christianrangen\/?utm_campaign=Sims&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Bzxllbl87gT9ksemCq4PGuBVhT4uhEUM_24gyd-OmGMAp7ay8wyYVc47hTKiS-c2NmlxX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hs-link-id=\"0\">Christian Rangen<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/nir-melamud\/?utm_campaign=Sims&amp;utm_source=hs_email&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Bzxllbl87gT9ksemCq4PGuBVhT4uhEUM_24gyd-OmGMAp7ay8wyYVc47hTKiS-c2NmlxX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-hs-link-id=\"0\">Nir Melamud<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/beta.strategytools.io\/webinar-building-better-accelerators\/\">Register here.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Startups are the engines of innovation, driving economic growth by offering advanced technologies and solutions to emerging challenges. However, in their relentless pursuit of delivering superior products and meeting customer needs, startup teams can sometimes lose sight of the bigger picture. As professionals working within an accelerator, your role is to guide these teams, helping [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":273993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,10],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[19],"class_list":["post-273992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accelerator","category-startups"],"authors":[{"term_id":19,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"admin","display_name":"Strategy Tools Team","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ST-Black-Logo.png","url2x":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ST-Black-Logo.png"},"first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=273992"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273992\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":274161,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/273992\/revisions\/274161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/273993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=273992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=273992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=273992"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.strategytools.io\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=273992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}