CRM process flow for the tLabs growth team selling managed strategy vaults (M1 Capital, Noon, Caddy) and staking products (Starknet staking via Endur). Defines pipeline stages, key questions, information to capture, tools to use, and exit criteria at each stage.
| Product Type | Products | Revenue Model | Typical Prospect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managed strategy vaults | M1 Capital, Noon, Caddy | Management fee + performance fee on AUM | Funds, treasuries, family offices, DAOs seeking yield |
| Staking products | Starknet staking (Endur) | Commission on staking rewards | STRK holders, Starknet ecosystem participants, validators |
IDENTIFY RESEARCH OUTREACH DISCOVERY PRESENT DILIGENCE CLOSE GROW
───────── → ───────── → ───────── → ───────── → ───────── → ───────── → ───────── → ─────────
Find and Deep intel First Understand Tailored DD, trial Commit, Expand
qualify on prospect contact needs pitch allocation onboard AUM
Goal: Build a qualified prospect list of entities with allocatable capital and a plausible reason to use vault/staking products.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Who has idle or underdeployed capital in relevant ecosystems? | Core qualification — no capital = no deal |
| What ecosystem are they in (Ethereum, Starknet, multi-chain)? | Routes to the right product |
| Are they a fund, DAO treasury, protocol, family office, or aggregator? | Determines decision-making structure and sales motion |
| What's their approximate AUM or treasury size? | Sizes the opportunity |
| Do they already use managed strategies or staking services? | Existing behaviour predicts adoption ease |
Information to Capture:
□ Entity name and type (fund / DAO / protocol / family office / aggregator)
□ Ecosystem(s) they operate in
□ Estimated AUM or treasury size
□ Current yield/staking activity (if visible on-chain or public)
□ Known decision makers or governance structure
□ Source (referral, conference, inbound, outbound, on-chain discovery)
□ Initial product fit hypothesis (which vault/staking product)
Tools:
- Ecosystem Research skill — map capital pools in a target ecosystem
- On-chain analytics (DefiLlama, Dune, Arkham) for treasury/TVL identification
- Conference attendee lists, Twitter/X engagement
Exit Criteria: Prospect has allocatable capital, operates in a relevant ecosystem, and there's a plausible product fit. Moves to RESEARCH.
Goal: Build a comprehensive intelligence brief on the prospect before any contact. Understand who they are, what they care about, and how to approach them.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What is this entity's core business and investment thesis? | Frames the pitch around their worldview |
| Who makes allocation decisions? | Don't pitch the wrong person |
| What's their current DeFi exposure and yield strategy? | Identifies gaps your products fill |
| What's their risk appetite and any known constraints? | Avoids wasting time on misfit |
| Who are their existing service providers / competitors to displace? | Competitive positioning |
| What's their public reputation and governance history? | Counterparty quality signal |
Information to Capture:
□ Intelligence brief (from Prospect Intelligence skill)
□ Entity overview and thesis
□ Key people / decision makers with roles
□ Current portfolio / treasury composition (where visible)
□ Existing DeFi positions and yield strategies
□ Risk profile and constraints
□ Competitive landscape (who else is serving them)
□ Engagement hooks (what would get their attention)
□ Product fit refinement (which specific vault/product and why)
□ Estimated deal size (realistic allocation)
□ Priority score (size × probability × strategic value)
Tools:
- Prospect Intelligence skill — structured company/fund research
- Ecosystem Research skill — if prospect operates in an ecosystem you haven't mapped yet
- On-chain analysis of their treasury/wallet activity
Exit Criteria: Intelligence brief complete. Clear product fit hypothesis. Decision maker identified. Moves to OUTREACH.
Goal: Make first contact and secure a discovery conversation.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What's the best channel (warm intro, DM, email, conference, governance forum)? | Warm > cold. Channel matters. |
| What's the hook — why should they take the meeting? | You have 15 seconds of attention |
| What's the one-sentence value prop for THIS prospect? | Generic pitches don't convert |
| Is there a time-sensitive trigger (token unlock, treasury vote, rate change)? | Urgency drives action |
Information to Capture:
□ Outreach channel and method
□ Message sent (for tracking what works)
□ Response status and date
□ Meeting booked (date/time) or follow-up scheduled
□ Initial objections or questions raised
□ Warm intro source (if applicable)
Tools:
- Vault Pitch Builder skill — for crafting the initial value prop and outreach messaging tailored to this prospect
- CRM email/messaging templates
Exit Criteria: Meeting booked or active conversation established. If no response after 3 touchpoints across 2 weeks, move to nurture track. Moves to DISCOVERY.
Goal: Understand the prospect's needs, constraints, and decision process in depth through conversation.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What are you currently doing with your [asset type] capital? | Baseline — what you're competing against |
| What returns are you targeting? What would be compelling? | Sets the bar for your pitch |
| What risks concern you most (smart contract, counterparty, liquidity, regulatory)? | Determines which objections to pre-empt |
| What's your technical sophistication with DeFi vaults/staking? | Calibrates the pitch depth |
| What's your decision process and timeline? | Maps the close path |
| What allocation size are you considering? | Sizes the deal |
| Who else needs to approve? | Identifies all stakeholders |
| Have you used managed strategies or staking services before? What worked/didn't? | Learns from their past experience |
Information to Capture:
□ Discovery call notes (structured)
□ Current state (what they do now with capital)
□ Desired state (what they want)
□ Gap (what's preventing them from getting there)
□ Target return and risk tolerance
□ Key concerns and objections raised
□ Decision process (who, how, timeline)
□ Allocation size range discussed
□ Technical sophistication level
□ Product fit confirmation (specific product + expected terms)
□ Next steps agreed
□ Stakeholder map updated
Tools:
- Growth Meeting Prep skill — pre-call intelligence brief with talking points and question guide
- Discovery call template (standard question flow)
Exit Criteria: Clear understanding of needs, confirmed product fit, identified decision makers and timeline. Moves to PRESENT.
Goal: Deliver a tailored pitch that maps the prospect's specific needs to the right vault/staking product with concrete numbers.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Which product best fits their stated needs? | Don't present everything — present the right thing |
| What's the expected return profile (historical and projected)? | The core value prop |
| How does this compare to their current approach? | Makes the switching case |
| What are the fee terms and total cost? | Transparency builds trust |
| What are the risks and how are they managed? | Pre-empt objections |
| What does onboarding look like (steps, timeline, minimums)? | Reduces friction to commitment |
Information to Capture:
□ Pitch deck / materials sent (version, date)
□ Product presented (specific vault/staking product)
□ Return projections shared (with assumptions)
□ Fee structure discussed
□ Prospect reaction and engagement level
□ Specific objections raised
□ Follow-up questions asked
□ Competitive alternatives they're considering
□ Next steps (DD request, internal review, follow-up call)
Tools:
- Vault Pitch Builder skill — full pitch structure with performance data, fee comparison, risk framework
- Product factsheets and performance reports
- Competitive comparison materials
Exit Criteria: Prospect has a clear understanding of the product, return expectations, fees, and risks. They're either moving to diligence or have specific follow-up questions. Moves to DILIGENCE.
Goal: Support the prospect's due diligence process. Answer technical and operational questions. Facilitate trial allocations where appropriate.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What's the smart contract audit status? | Standard DD for any DeFi product |
| What's the historical performance (net of fees)? | Track record matters |
| What are the liquidity terms (lock-ups, withdrawal windows)? | Capital flexibility is a key concern |
| What's the counterparty and custodial risk? | Institutional-grade DD |
| Can they do a trial allocation before committing full size? | Reduces commitment anxiety |
| What's the operational setup (reporting, dashboards, contacts)? | Shows professionalism |
Information to Capture:
□ DD questions received and responses sent
□ Materials shared (audit reports, performance data, legal docs)
□ Trial allocation (if applicable)
□ Amount
□ Start date
□ Performance during trial
□ Legal/compliance review status on their side
□ Internal champion identified (who's advocating for the deal)
□ Remaining blockers to close
□ Expected close date (updated)
Tools:
- Product-specific DD packs (audit reports, risk disclosures, performance data)
- Trial allocation process documentation
Exit Criteria: DD complete. All questions answered. Internal approvals obtained (or in progress) on prospect side. Terms agreed. Moves to CLOSE.
Goal: Secure commitment, execute onboarding, and get capital deployed.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What's the committed allocation size? | Revenue sizing |
| What's the deployment timeline? | Operational planning |
| Are there any final terms to negotiate? | Clear the path |
| What's the technical integration path? | Smooth onboarding |
| Who's the ongoing point of contact? | Relationship management setup |
Information to Capture:
□ Commitment confirmed (verbal → written)
□ Allocation size and asset type
□ Onboarding steps completed
□ Account setup
□ KYC/KYB (if required for the product)
□ Technical integration (wallet setup, API access)
□ Test transaction
□ Capital deployed (date and amount)
□ Fee terms confirmed
□ Reporting cadence agreed
□ Relationship owner assigned
Exit Criteria: Capital deposited and deployed. Reporting active. Relationship transitioned from sales to account management. Moves to GROW.
Goal: Expand AUM per relationship through increased allocations and cross-selling additional products.
Key Questions:
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| How is performance tracking against expectations? | Happy clients allocate more |
| Is there capacity for increased allocation? | Growth opportunity |
| Are there other asset types or strategies they'd benefit from? | Cross-sell |
| Are they satisfied with reporting and communication? | Retention signal |
| Can they make introductions to similar prospects? | Referral pipeline |
Information to Capture:
□ Performance reviews conducted (dates, outcomes)
□ Additional allocations made (amount, date, product)
□ Cross-sell opportunities identified
□ NPS or satisfaction signal
□ Referrals made
□ Churn risk indicators
Expansion Triggers:
| Signal | Action |
|---|---|
| Performance exceeding target | Propose allocation increase |
| New product launch (new vault or staking product) | Proactive outreach |
| Prospect adds new asset type to portfolio | Present relevant vault/staking product |
| Market event creates urgency (rate environment shift, token unlock) | Timely outreach with analysis |
| Positive relationship review | Ask for referrals |
Track at the team level to understand conversion and velocity:
| Metric | Definition | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Stage conversion | % of prospects moving to next stage | Track per stage |
| Pipeline velocity | Average days per stage | Identify bottlenecks |
| Win rate | CLOSE / OUTREACH | Track and improve |
| Average deal size | AUM per closed deal | Grow over time |
| Time to close | OUTREACH → CLOSE in days | Reduce over time |
| Expansion rate | Additional AUM from existing clients / initial AUM | >30% in year 1 |
| Stage | Primary Skill | Supporting Skills |
|---|---|---|
| IDENTIFY | Ecosystem Research | — |
| RESEARCH | Prospect Intelligence | Ecosystem Research |
| OUTREACH | Vault Pitch Builder | — |
| DISCOVERY | Growth Meeting Prep | Prospect Intelligence |
| PRESENT | Vault Pitch Builder | Growth Meeting Prep |
| DILIGENCE | — (product-specific DD packs) | Prospect Intelligence |
| CLOSE | — (operational) | — |
| GROW | Growth Meeting Prep | Vault Pitch Builder |