Create a great document or complete set from the start?

This is a question that Sinh Vũ encounters frequently, especially with those of you preparing to raise funds or expand partnerships. The answer does not lie in which is "better," but in how many situations you are addressing and whether your core story is solid.

Two questions that need to be answered first

Before deciding, you need to answer two questions for yourself:

• Do you need materials for a single situation (a presentation, a funding round) or for multiple situations occurring within the same cycle?
• Has the core story of the brand been finalized, or is it still being adjusted?

If the answer is "a situation" and "not sure," creating a document first is a more reasonable choice. If the answer is "multiple situations" and "certain," investing in the complete set right away is truly beneficial.

When to choose step by step

Creating a preliminary document is appropriate when:

• Do you have a specific and imminent deadline, such as a pitching session next week?
• The budget for this quarter only allows for that.
• This is your first time working with a studio, and you want to see the workflow before making a larger commitment.
• The core story can still change after market feedback.

In this case, focus on what is truly needed for the previous stage. According to Sequoia Capital's framework, a set of documents for a funding round only needs a few core types, not everything that can be thought of.

When to invest in a full package right away

A complete set is worth doing as soon as three conditions are met:

• You need two to three different outputs for the same cycle, for example, a pitch deck, an information memorandum for investors, and a one-pager.
• The core story has been finalized and stabilized.
• Do you want to have a master template so your internal team can create additional documents later without needing to hire again from scratch?

The reason for the complete package discount is not because the studio is selling more cheaply. The materials in the same package share a core story and a master template, so the marginal cost for each subsequent document is lower. You benefit from consistency, not just in price.

Common errors

• Embracing the entire set for "convenience" often results in most documents sitting unused for months.
• Producing separate documents at different times leads to inconsistencies in form and voice.
• Bypassing the original template means having to hire and brief from scratch every time additional documents are needed.
• Investing fully when the core story is not yet finalized, leading to a complete redo after the positioning changes.

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

Sinh Vũ works on the principle of locking in the core story first, then branching out into individual documents. Therefore, the complete set only truly holds value when the story is solid, not when you just want to finish many things at once.

For first-time clients, Sinh Vũ often advises starting with a core document, so you can see how the work is done and how the story is constructed before discussing the original template and other outputs. This is not a step-by-step sales approach, but a way for you to make the next decision with enough information.

Doing the right thing needed for this stage, avoiding building something not yet needed.

Sequoia Capital, Pitch Deck Template

If you are caught between two choices and have a limited budget, there is a middle ground: create a core document along with an original template, and let the team build the remaining documents based on that template. You can control costs while ensuring consistency later.