Marketing Guide
Overview
This document defines the complete go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition framework, pricing model, and growth plan for Membership One GmbH. It serves as the operational playbook for the CEO during Phase A (solo marketing and sales) and scales to guide the Marketing Manager and Sales Representative hired in later phases.
Target audience: CEO, Customer Success Manager, Sales Representative, Marketing Manager.
Reference documents: Chapter 16 (Startup Operations), Chapter 17 (Customer Onboarding), Chapter 03 (Target Groups), Chapter 04 (Competitive Analysis).
1. Go-to-Market Strategy
Membership One follows a four-phase GTM approach, progressing from product-market fit validation to scalable growth.
GTM Phases
| Phase | Months | Name | Target | Revenue Goal | Primary Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M1-3 | Soft Launch | 3-5 beta clients (free/discounted) | Validate PMF, gather testimonials | Personal network, local gyms, direct outreach |
| 2 | M4-8 | Paid Launch | 10 paying customers | EUR 1,000+ MRR | Direct sales, website launch, first content |
| 3 | M9-18 | Growth | 100 customers | EUR 10,000+ MRR | Multi-channel marketing, referral program, partnerships |
| 4 | M19-36 | Scale | 500+ customers | EUR 30,000+ MRR (break-even) | Sales team, trade shows, international expansion |
Phase 1: Soft Launch (Months 1-3)
Objective: Validate product-market fit with 3-5 real organizations.
Activities: - Identify 10-15 local fitness studios, sports clubs, and dance schools within driving distance - Offer free or heavily discounted access (EUR 0.99/month Starter) in exchange for detailed feedback - Conduct weekly 30-minute feedback sessions with each beta client - Document pain points, feature requests, and workflow gaps - Collect 3+ testimonials and 1 case study for marketing materials - Fix critical bugs and UX issues immediately based on feedback
Success criteria: 3+ beta clients actively using the platform for daily operations, NPS > 20, zero data loss incidents.
Phase 2: Paid Launch (Months 4-8)
Objective: Establish revenue with 10 paying customers at EUR 1,000+ MRR.
Activities: - Launch website at membership-one.com with pricing page - Publish 4-6 foundational blog articles (SEO) - Begin LinkedIn organic posting (3x/week) - CEO conducts 2-4 demos per week - Convert beta clients to paid tiers - Set up referral program
Success criteria: 10 paying customers, EUR 1,000+ MRR, trial-to-paid conversion > 20%.
Phase 3: Growth (Months 9-18)
Objective: Scale to 100 customers through multi-channel marketing.
Activities: - Launch LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads campaigns - Hire Customer Success Manager (Month 7-12) - Publish 2 case studies with measurable results - Attend 2-3 industry trade shows (FIBO, Vereinsmesse) - Build partnership network with Sportverband, DOSB chapters - Develop comparison content (vs. Magicline, Virtuagym, ClubDesk)
Success criteria: 100 customers, EUR 10,000+ MRR, monthly churn < 5%, CAC < EUR 500.
Phase 4: Scale (Months 19-36)
Objective: Reach break-even with 500+ customers.
Activities: - Hire Sales Representative and Marketing Manager (Month 13-24) - Establish partner/reseller channel - Expand beyond DACH to broader EU markets - Launch franchise/chain-specific sales track - Automate upsell workflows (Starter to Team to Professional) - Build brand through thought leadership and industry presence
Success criteria: 500+ customers, EUR 30,000+ MRR, break-even achieved, LTV:CAC > 3:1.
2. Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs)
Three distinct customer profiles drive acquisition strategy. Each requires tailored messaging, different sales cycles, and appropriate tier positioning.
ICP 1: Fitness Studio
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organization type | Independent fitness studio, yoga studio, CrossFit box, Pilates studio |
| Size | 50-300 members |
| Team | 1 owner + 2-5 trainers (often freelance) |
| Decision maker | Studio owner (single decision maker) |
| Sales cycle | 1-2 weeks |
| Target tier | Team (EUR 29/mo) or Professional (EUR 99/mo) |
| Key pain points | Manual billing, no-show management, paper-based contracts, trainer scheduling |
| Winning features | SEPA auto-billing, check-in tracking, course booking, mobile app for members |
| Where to find them | Google Maps, Instagram, LinkedIn, FIBO trade show, fitness industry forums |
| Objections | "We already use [competitor]", "Excel works fine", cost sensitivity |
| Competitive displacement | Magicline, Virtuagym, FitnessNation, paper/Excel |
ICP 2: Sports Club (Verein)
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organization type | Registered sports association (e.V.), multi-sport club, tennis/swimming/football club |
| Size | 100-500 members |
| Team | Volunteer Vorstand (board), 0-2 paid staff |
| Decision maker | Board vote (2-4 people), typically Vorstand and Kassenwart |
| Sales cycle | 2-6 weeks (requires board meeting and vote) |
| Target tier | Team (EUR 29/mo) |
| Key pain points | Manual Beitragseinzug, no digital member self-service, Vorstand overwhelmed by admin, compliance (DSGVO, Satzung) |
| Winning features | Automated SEPA billing, member self-registration, board reports, DATEV export for Kassenwart |
| Where to find them | Vereinsregister, Kreissportbund listings, LinkedIn (Vereinsvorstand), local newspapers |
| Objections | "Our members are not tech-savvy", "We have no budget", volunteer resistance to change |
| Competitive displacement | ClubDesk, easyVerein, SPORTSCLUB, Excel/paper |
ICP 3: Dance / Martial Arts School
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organization type | Dance studio, martial arts dojo, gymnastics school, music school |
| Size | 30-200 members |
| Team | 1 owner/instructor, sometimes 1-2 additional instructors |
| Decision maker | School owner (single decision maker) |
| Sales cycle | 1-2 weeks |
| Target tier | Team (EUR 29/mo) |
| Key pain points | Course management complexity, trial lesson tracking, parent communication (minors), contract management |
| Winning features | Course scheduling with registration, minor member support, contract templates, mobile QR check-in |
| Where to find them | Google Maps, Instagram, local business directories, dance/martial arts associations |
| Objections | "Too expensive for my small school", "I only need course scheduling" |
| Competitive displacement | Momoyoga, Eversports, paper/WhatsApp groups |
3. Pricing Strategy
Tier Structure
| Tier | Monthly | Annual | Annual Discount | Member Limit | Target Segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | EUR 0.99 | EUR 9.99 | ~16% | Unlimited | Micro-clubs (<20 members) |
| Team | EUR 29 | EUR 299 | ~14% | Unlimited | Small clubs, studios (<200 members) |
| Professional | EUR 99 | EUR 999 | ~16% | Unlimited | Mid-size organizations (200--2,000 members) |
| Enterprise | Custom (from EUR 249) | Custom | Negotiated | Unlimited | Chains, franchises, municipal (2,000+ members) |
All prices net (plus applicable VAT).
Pricing Principles
- No free tier. Every user must have a billable account to validate identity and payment credentials. The EUR 0 freemium model is deliberately avoided -- it attracts non-serious users and creates support overhead without revenue.
- Trial Studio: 30-day free evaluation period with full feature access but a 50-member limit and no outbound messaging (email/push). Converts to Starter or higher at trial end.
- Low-barrier Starter tier. At EUR 0.99/month, the Starter tier validates payment credentials and creates a commercial relationship while keeping the entry barrier as low as possible.
- Annual discount: Approximately 15% savings on annual plans. Encourages commitment and improves cash flow.
- Enterprise pricing: Starting at EUR 249/month, negotiated based on number of locations, customization requirements, SLA level, and SSO/integration needs.
Tier Feature Comparison
| Feature | Starter | Team | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contract management | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SEPA billing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app (consumer) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email templates | Basic | Full | Full | Full |
| Course management | -- | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Check-in (QR/NFC) | -- | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Resource booking | -- | -- | Yes | Yes |
| CRM | -- | -- | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics/dashboards | -- | -- | Yes | Yes |
| SSO/SAML | -- | -- | -- | Yes |
| White-label branding | -- | -- | -- | Yes |
| Dedicated support | -- | -- | -- | Yes |
| API access | -- | -- | -- | Yes |
4. Channel Strategy
Channels are activated in three phases aligned with GTM timeline and budget availability.
Channel Overview
| Channel | Phase | Monthly Cost (EUR) | Expected Leads/mo | Cost per Lead (EUR) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEO / Blog | A (M1+) | 50 | 5-10 | 5-10 | Foundation content, long-term compounding |
| LinkedIn Organic | A (M1+) | 0 | 3-5 | 0 | CEO personal brand, thought leadership |
| LinkedIn Ads | B (M4+) | 150-300 | 10-20 | 15-30 | Targeted by job title, industry, location |
| Google Ads | B (M4+) | 100-200 | 5-10 | 20-40 | Search intent keywords |
| Referral Program | B (M4+) | 0 (1 month free) | 2-5 | 0 | Existing customers refer new ones |
| Partner / Associations | C (M9+) | 50 | 5-10 | 5-10 | Sportverband, DOSB, industry associations |
| Trade Shows | C (M9+) | 200 (amortized) | 20-30 | 7-10 | FIBO, Vereinsmesse, regional sports events |
Phase A Channels (Month 1-6): Foundation
SEO / Blog (EUR 50/month) - Commission 1-2 freelance articles per month (or CEO writes) - Target long-tail keywords: "Mitgliederverwaltung Sportverein", "SEPA Beitragseinzug Verein", "Fitnessstudio Software" - Publish on membership-one.com/blog - Expected ramp: 0 organic leads in M1-2, 5-10/month by M6
LinkedIn Organic (free) - CEO posts 3x/week: industry insights, product updates, customer stories - Engage in relevant groups: Vereinsmanagement, Fitness Business, Sportverband - Connect directly with studio owners and Vereinsvorstande - Expected: 3-5 inbound inquiries per month by M3
Phase B Channels (Month 4-12): Paid Acquisition
LinkedIn Ads (EUR 150-300/month) - Target: Job titles (Geschaeftsfuehrer, Inhaber, Vorstand), Industries (Sports, Fitness, Recreation), Location (DACH) - Ad formats: Sponsored content (case study snippets), Lead Gen Forms (demo request) - A/B test messaging: cost savings vs. time savings vs. member satisfaction
Google Ads (EUR 100-200/month) - Keywords: "Vereinssoftware", "Mitgliederverwaltung", "Fitnessstudio Management Software", "SEPA Lastschrift Verein" - Landing pages: tier-specific (Verein vs. Studio) - Negative keywords: "kostenlos", "free", "open source"
Referral Program (free, pays 1 month free) - Existing customer refers new customer - Referrer gets 1 month free on their current tier - Referred customer gets extended 30-day trial (instead of 14) - Track via CRM with source=REFERRAL
Phase C Channels (Month 9+): Scale
Partner / Associations (EUR 50/month) - Establish partnerships with Landessportbund, Kreissportbund chapters - Co-branded materials for Sportverband member communications - Technical integration partners (access control vendors, payment processors)
Trade Shows (EUR 200/month amortized) - FIBO (Cologne, March) -- largest fitness trade show in Europe - Vereinsmesse / Sportstaettenmesse -- sports club management events - Regional Sportlerball, Vereinstag events - Budget covers: booth materials, travel, printed collateral, follow-up campaigns
5. Outreach Templates
Three templates for the primary outreach scenarios. All in German (primary market language). Stored in the CRM communication templates module.
Template 1: Cold Email to Studio Owners
Betreff: [Studio Name] -- eine Frage zu Ihrer Mitgliederverwaltung
Hallo [Vorname],
ich habe [Studio Name] auf Google Maps gesehen -- beeindruckende Bewertungen!
Kurze Frage: Wie verwalten Sie aktuell Mitgliederbeitraege und Kursanmeldungen?
Wir haben Membership One entwickelt -- eine moderne Verwaltungssoftware
speziell fuer Fitnessstudios und Sportkurse. Was uns unterscheidet:
- Automatischer SEPA-Beitragseinzug (kein manuelles Mahnwesen mehr)
- Kurs- und Ressourcenbuchung mit Mitglieder-App
- Vertragsmanagement mit digitaler Unterschrift
- Ab EUR 29/Monat, keine Kosten pro Mitglied
Haetten Sie 15 Minuten fuer eine kurze Demo? Ich zeige Ihnen, wie
[Studio Name] damit pro Woche 3-5 Stunden Verwaltungsaufwand sparen kann.
Beste Gruesse,
[Name]
Geschaeftsfuehrer, Membership One GmbH
[Telefon] | membership-one.com
Template 2: LinkedIn Connection to Vereinsvorstand
Hallo [Vorname],
ich sehe, Sie leiten [Vereinsname]. Als Vorstand kennen Sie sicher den
Aufwand: Beitragseinzug, Mitgliedermeldungen, DSGVO-Anfragen...
Wir bauen ein modernes Verwaltungstool speziell fuer deutsche Sportvereine:
- Automatischer Beitragseinzug per SEPA-Lastschrift
- Mitglieder-Self-Service (Adressaenderungen, Kuendigung)
- Klare Vorstandsberichte und DATEV-Export fuer den Kassenwart
- Ab EUR 29/Monat, alle Mitglieder inklusive
Darf ich Ihnen in 20 Minuten zeigen, wie das Ihren Vorstandsalltag
vereinfacht? Kein Risiko -- 30 Tage kostenloses Testen.
Sportliche Gruesse,
[Name]
Template 3: Demo Follow-Up
Betreff: Ihr [Organisation] Demo -- naechste Schritte
Hallo [Vorname],
vielen Dank fuer die Demo heute! Hier nochmal die Punkte, die wir
besprochen haben:
[Pain Point 1] -> [Feature 1] (z.B. manuelles Mahnwesen -> automatischer
SEPA-Einzug mit Zahlungsstatus-Tracking)
[Pain Point 2] -> [Feature 2] (z.B. Kursanmeldung per Telefon ->
Mitglieder-App mit Self-Service-Buchung)
[Pain Point 3] -> [Feature 3] (z.B. Excel-Listen -> digitale
Mitgliederverwaltung mit Suchfunktion und Export)
Ich habe eine 30-Tage-Testversion fuer Sie eingerichtet:
[Login-Link]
Als naechstes wuerde ich vorschlagen:
1. Testen Sie die Grundfunktionen diese Woche
2. Naechsten [Tag] telefonieren wir kurz (15 Min) fuer Ihre Fragen
3. Wenn es passt, starten wir mit dem [Tier]-Plan ab [Datum]
Bei Fragen jederzeit melden -- per E-Mail, Telefon oder direkt ueber
das Support-Ticket im System.
Beste Gruesse,
[Name]
Geschaeftsfuehrer, Membership One GmbH
6. Content Calendar
Month 1-3: SEO Foundation
Build foundational content targeting high-intent search queries in the DACH market.
| Week | Blog Article | SEO Target Keyword | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1-W2 | "Mitgliederverwaltung 2026: Was moderne Sportvereine brauchen" | Mitgliederverwaltung Sportverein | Pillar |
| M1-W4 | "SEPA-Lastschrift fuer Vereine: Automatischer Beitragseinzug erklaert" | SEPA Beitragseinzug Verein | How-to |
| M2-W2 | "Fitnessstudio-Software: 7 Funktionen, die Sie wirklich brauchen" | Fitnessstudio Software | Listicle |
| M2-W4 | "Digitalisierung im Sportverein: Ein Leitfaden fuer den Vorstand" | Sportverein digitalisierung | Guide |
| M3-W2 | "Vertragsmanagement fuer Studios: Papier vs. Digital" | Vertragsmanagement Fitnessstudio | Comparison |
| M3-W4 | "DSGVO im Sportverein: Checkliste fuer Mitgliederdaten" | DSGVO Sportverein | Checklist |
Month 4-6: Social Proof and Comparison
| Week | Blog Article | Type |
|---|---|---|
| M4-W2 | Case Study: "[Beta Studio] spart 5 Stunden pro Woche" | Case Study |
| M4-W4 | "Membership One vs. Magicline: Ehrlicher Vergleich" | Comparison |
| M5-W2 | Case Study: "[Beta Verein] digitalisiert den Beitragseinzug" | Case Study |
| M5-W4 | "Membership One vs. ClubDesk: Was passt zu Ihrem Verein?" | Comparison |
| M6-W2 | "10 Fehler bei der Wahl einer Vereinssoftware" | Listicle |
| M6-W4 | Case Study: "[Beta Tanzschule] managt 150 Kursteilnehmer" | Case Study |
Month 7-12: Video, Webinars, Partner Content
| Month | Content | Format |
|---|---|---|
| M7 | "Membership One in 5 Minuten" product tour | Video (YouTube) |
| M8 | "Automatischer Beitragseinzug einrichten" tutorial | Video tutorial |
| M9 | Webinar: "Vereinsverwaltung digitalisieren in 30 Tagen" | Live webinar |
| M10 | Guest post on Sportverband blog | Partner content |
| M11 | "Jahresabschluss fuer Vereine: DATEV-Export leicht gemacht" | Blog + video |
| M12 | Year-in-review: platform improvements and roadmap | Blog + newsletter |
Posting Cadence
| Platform | Frequency | Content Type | Responsible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blog (membership-one.com) | 2 articles/month | SEO, case studies, comparisons, how-tos | CEO (Phase A), Marketing Manager (Phase C+) |
| 3 posts/week | Industry insights, product updates, customer stories | CEO | |
| 2 posts/week | Visual: studio photos, feature screenshots, team updates | CEO (Phase A), Marketing Manager (Phase C+) | |
| Newsletter | 1x/month | Product updates, tips, industry news | CEO |
| YouTube | 1 video/month (from M7) | Tutorials, product tours, webinar recordings | Marketing Manager |
7. KPIs
Revenue Metrics
| KPI | Definition | Target | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRR | Monthly Recurring Revenue (all active subscriptions) | Phase 2: EUR 1k, Phase 3: EUR 10k, Phase 4: EUR 30k | Platform billing engine |
| ARR | Annual Recurring Revenue (MRR x 12) | Phase 4: EUR 360k+ | Calculated |
| Monthly churn | Percentage of customers lost per month | < 5% | CRM module (status changes) |
| Net revenue retention | Revenue from existing customers (incl. upgrades - downgrades - churn) | > 100% | Platform analytics |
| ARPU | Average Revenue Per User (MRR / customers) | > EUR 50 | Calculated |
Acquisition Metrics
| KPI | Definition | Target | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAC | Customer Acquisition Cost (total sales+marketing spend / new customers) | < EUR 500 | CRM + accounting |
| LTV | Customer Lifetime Value (ARPU x average customer lifespan in months) | > EUR 1,500 | CRM analytics |
| LTV:CAC ratio | Return on acquisition investment | > 3:1 | Calculated |
| Trial-to-paid | Percentage of trial signups that convert to paid | > 20% | CRM pipeline conversion |
| Lead-to-demo | Percentage of leads that attend a demo | > 40% | CRM pipeline |
| Demo-to-trial | Percentage of demos that start a trial | > 60% | CRM pipeline |
| Time-to-value | Days from signup to first meaningful action (e.g., first member added) | < 7 days | Platform analytics |
Satisfaction Metrics
| KPI | Definition | Target | Measurement |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPS | Net Promoter Score | > 30 | Quarterly survey |
| CSAT | Customer Satisfaction (support tickets) | > 4.0 / 5.0 | Support module |
| First response time | Time to first support response | < 24h (Team), < 4h (Professional) | Support SLA tracking |
Tracking Infrastructure
All KPIs are tracked through the platform's own modules: - CRM module: Lead pipeline, conversion rates, deal velocity, source attribution - Billing engine: MRR, ARR, churn, ARPU, net revenue retention - Support module: CSAT, response times, ticket volume - Grafana business dashboard: Aggregated KPI visualization with alerts for threshold breaches
8. Website Specification
Technical Stack
| Component | Technology | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Static site generator | Hugo or Astro | Fast builds, Markdown content, free hosting |
| Hosting | Cloudflare Pages | Free, auto-deploy from Git, global CDN, no server management |
| Domain | membership-one.com (primary), membership.app (product) | .com for business credibility, .app for product identity |
| Analytics | Plausible (self-hosted) | GDPR-compliant, no cookies, no consent banner required |
| Forms | POST to /api/crm/leads (public API) | Direct CRM integration, no third-party form service |
| Search | Pagefind (static search) | Client-side, no server required, works with static hosting |
Page Structure
| Page | URL Path | Purpose | Key Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | / | First impression, value proposition | Hero, 3 benefits, testimonials, CTA |
| Features | /features | Detailed feature overview | Feature cards by category, screenshots |
| Pricing | /pricing | Tier comparison, purchase decision | Pricing table, feature comparison, FAQ |
| Demo Request | /demo | Lead capture | Form: name, email, organization, size, message |
| Blog | /blog | SEO content, thought leadership | Article list, categories, search |
| About | /about | Company story, team, values | Mission, team photos, press kit |
| Impressum | /impressum | Legal requirement (TMG Par. 5) | Company details, HRB, USt-IdNr., contact |
| Datenschutz | /datenschutz | GDPR privacy policy | Data processing, rights, sub-processors |
Demo Request Flow
Website form (name, email, org, size, message)
|
v
POST /api/crm/leads (public endpoint, rate-limited)
|
v
CRM creates Lead (source=WEBSITE, status=NEW)
|
v
Confirmation email sent to prospect (immediate, automated)
|
v
CRM pipeline: NEW -> CEO reviews -> schedules demo
|
v
Sales follow-up within 24 hours (business days)
SEO Configuration
- Structured data: schema.org
SoftwareApplication(name, pricing, rating) +LocalBusiness(for local search) - Meta tags: Unique title and description per page, Open Graph and Twitter Card tags
- Sitemap: Auto-generated sitemap.xml submitted to Google Search Console
- robots.txt: Allow all crawlers, disallow /api/ paths
- Page speed: Target Lighthouse score > 95 (static site, minimal JS)
- Multilingual: /de/ (default), /en/ (Phase B), additional languages as demand warrants
Analytics: Plausible
- Self-hosted on Hetzner infrastructure (same Kubernetes cluster, infra node)
- No cookies, no personal data collected, no consent banner needed
- Track: page views, referrer sources, UTM parameters, goal completions (demo request, pricing page visit)
- Dashboard accessible to CEO and Marketing Manager
- Monthly review of traffic sources and conversion funnels
9. Personnel Scaling Plan
Team Evolution
| Phase | Months | Headcount | New Role | Hiring Trigger | Monthly Employer Cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Launch | M1-6 | 5 | CEO / Geschaeftsfuehrer | -- | 4,000 |
| Sr. Backend Developer | -- | 7,150 | |||
| Sr. Frontend Developer | -- | 7,150 | |||
| Full Stack Developer | -- | 5,850 | |||
| QA / DevOps Engineer | -- | 5,850 | |||
| A Total | 5 | 30,000 | |||
| B Support | M7-12 | +1 | Customer Success Manager | 10 paying customers or CEO support > 15h/week | 5,200 |
| B Total | 6 | 35,200 | |||
| C Growth | M13-24 | +2 | Sales Representative | Pipeline > 20 active leads | 5,850 |
| Marketing Manager | Need for consistent lead generation | 5,200 | |||
| C Total | 8 | 46,250 | |||
| D Scale | M25-36 | +3 | Support Engineer | Ticket volume > 50/week or SLA < 95% | 4,550 |
| DevOps Engineer | Infrastructure complexity | 6,500 | |||
| Backend Developer | Feature backlog exceeds capacity | 5,850 | |||
| D Total | 11 | 63,150 |
Monthly Burn Rate Evolution
| Phase | Headcount | Personnel (EUR/mo) | Fixed Costs (EUR/mo) | Total Burn (EUR/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A (M1-6) | 5 | 30,000 | 802 | 30,802 |
| B (M7-12) | 6 | 35,200 | 900 | 36,100 |
| C (M13-24) | 8 | 46,250 | 1,100 | 47,350 |
| D (M25-36) | 11 | 63,150 | 1,500 | 64,650 |
Recruitment Process
All candidate tracking is managed through the platform's own CRM module using a dedicated Recruitment pipeline:
LEAD -> SCREENING -> INTERVIEW_1 -> INTERVIEW_2 -> OFFER -> HIRED
- Job postings: LinkedIn Jobs, StackOverflow, local university boards
- Technical assessment: Take-home task (4-6 hours) relevant to actual product work
- Cultural fit: Pair programming session with existing team member
- Compensation: Competitive with German market, equity participation possible from Phase C
10. Break-Even Analysis
Revenue Projection by Scenario
| Scenario | Starter (EUR 0.99) | Team (EUR 29) | Professional (EUR 99) | Enterprise (EUR 249+) | Total Customers | MRR (EUR) | Monthly Costs (EUR) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum viable | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 20 | 650 | 30,802 | Loss |
| Early traction | 30 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 62 | 2,448 | 30,802 | Loss |
| Growth | 50 | 30 | 30 | 10 | 120 | 6,380 | 30,802 | Loss |
| Scaling | 80 | 60 | 80 | 15 | 235 | 13,474 | 33,000 | Loss |
| Break-even | 100 | 120 | 250 | 40 | ~510 | ~38,289 | ~36,000 | Break-even |
| Profitable | 120 | 150 | 300 | 50 | 620 | ~46,619 | 40,000 | Profit: ~+6,619 |
Assumptions
- Customer mix: Break-even assumes approximately 20% Starter, 24% Team, 49% Professional, 8% Enterprise
- Churn: 5% monthly (industry average for SMB SaaS)
- Growth: 10-20 new customers per month from month 6 onward
- Costs increase with hiring: Phase B adds EUR 5,200/mo (CSM), Phase C adds EUR 11,050/mo (Sales + Marketing)
- Enterprise ARPU: Conservatively estimated at EUR 249/mo (minimum); actual may be higher
Break-Even Timeline
- Month 6-8: First paying customers, EUR 1,000-2,000 MRR
- Month 12: ~50-80 customers, EUR 3,000-5,000 MRR
- Month 18: ~150-200 customers, EUR 10,000-15,000 MRR
- Month 24: ~300-400 customers, EUR 20,000-30,000 MRR
- Month 24-30: Break-even at approximately 510 customers and EUR 36,000 MRR
Key insight: The Starter tier (EUR 0.99/mo) is a pure acquisition funnel -- it validates payment credentials at near-zero cost. The primary revenue driver is the Professional tier (EUR 99/mo), which contributes ~65% of total MRR at break-even despite representing ~49% of customers. Upselling from Starter to Team (EUR 29) or Professional (EUR 99) is the primary revenue lever. Sales efforts should prioritize mid-size organizations that genuinely need Professional-tier features (check-in, CRM, analytics, resource booking).
Revenue Levers
- Upsell Starter to Team/Professional: Automated feature-gating nudges, quarterly business reviews
- Annual plan conversion: ~15% discount incentivizes annual commitment, improves cash flow predictability
- Enterprise expansion: Multi-location deals, franchise agreements (high ARPU, low marginal cost)
- Reduce churn: Customer health scoring, proactive intervention at risk signals, NPS tracking
- Expand within accounts: Add-on modules (shop, trainer management, franchise dashboard) as usage grows