Prove it cheaply, then invest big
The full UK/EU plan asks the board for ~₹38.5 Cr in Year 1 and ~₹66–77 Cr over three years. That is a large bet on an unproven motion. Phase 0 removes most of that risk for a fraction of the cost.
The logic for the board: India talent lets us build the whole demand engine — list, outreach, qualification, first closes — at a fraction of UK cost. We test the risky assumption (does the funnel convert to real enterprise pipeline?) before we spend on expensive UK closers, offices and events. If it works, the board invests with evidence. If it doesn't, exposure is ~₹1.4 Cr, not ~₹38 Cr.
The funnel: 35,000 reached → 100 customers
To land ~100 customers in a year, the top of the funnel must be large. These are the working conversion assumptions — the exact thing Phase 0 exists to validate with real data.
Honest note on the mix: reaching 35,000 accounts means going well beyond the ~250–350 true Enterprise (₹1.3 Cr / £120k) firms into the thousands of smaller distributors, retailers and dealers. So 100 logos will be a blended mix — mostly Growth (₹66 L) and Foundation (₹26 L) tier, with a high-value Enterprise minority. 100 customers is therefore a logo target, not ₹100 Cr of ARR — the actual ARR depends on the tier mix, which Phase 0 measures. This is why we validate before we forecast.
The India validation team — Q1–Q2 2026
Eight people, all India-based, at real Indian salary bands — running two demand engines: outbound (SME + BDEs) and paid inbound (Senior Marketing Manager + content). Your core (1 SME + 4 BDE + 1 BA) plus a marketing/content exec and a Senior Marketing Manager who owns inbound & the paid-media test. Delivery for the first wins runs off your existing company bench (confirmed) until the gate.
| Role | # | ₹ / yr each | (£) | Mandate in Phase 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SME — Tiles Sales (Validation Lead) | 1 | ₹15 L | £13.6k | Owns the phase, closes the first deals, domain credibility, board reporting. Band ₹12–18L; lead-grade at the top. |
| BDE — Business Development | 4 | ₹9 L | £8.2k | The outreach engine — prospecting, multi-touch sequences, book meetings. Band ₹8–10L. |
| BA — Business Analyst | 1 | ₹12 L | £10.9k | Build & enrich the 35k list, run funnel analytics, CRM & reporting |
| Senior Marketing Manager for inbound | 1 | ₹24 L | £21.8k | Owns inbound & demand gen, runs the paid-media test, positioning & funnel reporting |
| Marketing / Content exec | 1 | ₹9 L | £8.2k | Sequences, collateral & ABM ops so the BDEs stay selling, not making decks |
| Delivery / onboarding | bench | — | — | Runs off your existing company delivery bench (confirmed) during Phase 0; dedicated hires only after the gate |
| Total core team | 8 | ~₹96 L/yr | £87k | ~₹52 L for the 2-quarter phase (ramped) |
Two build notes. (1) Reach capacity: with modern sequencing tools, 4 BDEs can enrol and work 35,000+ accounts/year — raw reach is not the constraint; quality of engagement and closing capacity are. (2) Closer ratio: 4 BDE → 1 SME closer is right for a validation target of 8–12 logos, but 4 productive BDEs will out-book one closer — if engagement runs hot, add a 2nd closer early rather than let qualified meetings go stale. Genuine Enterprise closes needing in-person, C-level presence are routed to UK/EU hires added only after the gate (see §06).
Phase 0 budget & why it's the right first spend
Two quarters, all-in ~₹1.4 crore — including a governed paid-inbound test budget (scaled only if it beats outbound on cost per qualified lead). Compare it to the UK Year-1 ask it de-risks.
| Phase 0 cost (2 quarters) | ₹ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Team (8, India, ramped over 2 quarters) | ~₹52 L | £47k |
| Tooling — data/enrichment, sequencing, CRM, ABM | ₹25 L | £23k |
| Content & creative production | ₹10 L | £9k |
| Paid marketing — inbound test (~₹7 L/mo) | ₹40 L | £36k |
| Entity / legal / travel / contingency | ₹13 L | £12k |
| Total Phase 0 | ~₹1.40 Cr | ~£127k |
The 2-quarter targets & the validation gate
Phase 0 is a test with pass/fail criteria. Clearing them is what earns the board's big investment; missing them stops the spend at ~₹1.4 Cr.
What Phase 0 delivers
- Target list built & enriched — 35k accounts, tiered
- ~12,000 accounts reached (ramp; ~35k/yr run-rate)
- ~240 qualified (SQL), ~70 opportunities
- 8–12 lighthouse customers signed (proof)
- Measured, real conversion rates & tier mix
What unlocks the UK investment
- Funnel converts at (or near) modelled rates
- Real qualified Enterprise pipeline exists — not just small deals
- Unit economics & blended ACV support the annual model
- At least a few reference logos live & referenceable
- Decision: release UK/EU capital · adjust · or stop
When we add UK / Europe resources
India proves the engine; local hires come after the gate, only where the work genuinely needs to be on the ground. This keeps the burn low until the model is proven.
The scalable engine
List building & enrichment (BA), outbound (BDEs), first-line qualification, marketing & content, and remote-winnable mid-market closing (SME) — permanently cheaper and scalable from India.
Where presence wins
Senior Enterprise closers for C-level relationships, on-the-ground delivery for flagship accounts, and events presence (Cersaie, Surface Design Show). Hired against proven pipeline — not on faith.
This maps onto the main plan: Phase 0 replaces the earlier "UK foundation quarter" with a cheaper, India-led validation. If it clears the gate, the full Strategy and its ~₹38.5 Cr Year-1 investment proceed — now backed by evidence and a running pipeline.
What to hold lightly
Being straight with the board about the assumptions.
Assumed, not proven
The 10% / 20% / 30% / 48% funnel is a typical B2B benchmark. Phase 0's whole job is to replace these with our real numbers.
100 logos ≠ ₹100 Cr
A volume funnel skews to smaller tiers. The logo count and the ARR are different questions; the mix drives the money.
Unproven channel
The paid budget is a test, not a commitment. Phase 0 measures cost per qualified lead vs outbound and scales spend only if it wins. Also watch the single-closer bottleneck — add a 2nd closer if output runs hot.