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 ~₹1.6 Cr, not ~₹38 Cr.
The funnel: a named list of ~1,200 accounts, worked as ABM
This is a focused account-based motion, not a volume blast. The top of the funnel is the real serviceable market — ~450–700 tile companies, ~1,200 including adjacent ceramics — worked intensively. Phase 0's job is to land the first lighthouse customers and prove the conversion rates the 3-year plan runs on.
Reconciliation to the plan: these validated rates, applied across the full ~1,200 list and its ceramics expansion, deliver the financial model's ramp — ~18 customers by end-2026, ~100 by end-2027, ~200 ($12M ARR) by end-2028. So the headline "100" is the end-of-year-2 cumulative, not year one — year one is ~18. Phase 0's 8–12 lighthouse wins are the proof-of-concept that starts that ramp.
What Phase 0 actually measures: the two rates that swing everything are engagement (exec conversation from outreach) and win rate (typically 25–35% for a new vendor). Phase 0 replaces these assumptions with our real numbers before any scale capital is released. It closes only 8–12 in-phase because mid/enterprise cycles run months — deals opened late close after the two quarters (sales-cycle lag); the ~28 opportunities and the measured rates are what the gate reads.
Tier mix & penetration: the named list spans tiers — a high-value Enterprise minority (~250–350 firms at £10M+) plus mid Growth (₹66 L) and smaller Foundation (₹26 L) accounts. Logos are therefore a blended mix and ARR depends on that mix (which Phase 0 measures — 200 logos ≠ ₹100 Cr ARR). Reaching ~200 customers over 3 years = ~15–30% of the serviceable market — which is exactly why the ceramics expansion (~900–1,300 accounts) matters: it widens the denominator.
The India validation team — Q1–Q2 2026
Nine people, all India-based, at real Indian salary bands — running two demand engines: outbound (SME + 2nd closer + BDEs) and paid inbound (Senior Marketing Manager + content). Your core (1 SME + 4 BDE + 1 BA) plus a 2nd closer so no qualified meeting goes stale, 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. |
| Closer — Tiles Sales AE 2nd closer | 1 | ₹15 L | £13.6k | Second closer — works BDE-sourced pipeline so no qualified meeting goes stale. Band ₹12–18L. |
| 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 ~1,200 serviceable named 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 | 9 | ~₹1.11 Cr/yr | £101k | ~₹60 L for the 2-quarter phase (ramped) |
Two build notes. (1) Depth over volume: this is ABM on a named ~1,200-account list, so 4 BDEs work each priority account with multi-touch, personalised sequences — depth per account, not raw reach, is the point. (2) Closer ratio: 4 BDEs will out-book a single closer, so the team runs 2 closers (SME + a Tiles Sales AE) — enough to work all the BDE-sourced pipeline for a validation target of 8–12 logos. 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 ~₹1.6 crore — including a ₹10L/month paid-inbound budget, governed against cost per qualified lead. Compare it to the UK Year-1 ask it de-risks.
| Phase 0 cost (2 quarters) | ₹ | £ |
|---|---|---|
| Team (9, India, ramped over 2 quarters) | ~₹60 L | £54k |
| Tooling — data/enrichment, sequencing, CRM, ABM | ₹25 L | £23k |
| Content & creative production | ₹10 L | £9k |
| Paid marketing — inbound (₹10 L/mo × ~5 mo) | ₹50 L | £45k |
| Entity / legal / travel / contingency | ₹13 L | £12k |
| Total Phase 0 | ~₹1.58 Cr | ~£144k |
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 ~₹1.6 Cr.
What Phase 0 delivers
- Named list built & enriched — ~1,200 serviceable accounts, tiered
- ~500 A/B-tier accounts worked; ~175 engaged
- ~55 qualified (SQL), ~28 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.
Governed, not fixed
The ₹10L/month paid budget is measured against cost per qualified lead vs outbound and re-paced monthly on performance. With the 2nd closer now staffed, qualified meetings won't go stale.