Scribd GTM brain

category

market profile

• text: The Scribd product now focuses on documents and research; Everand is a separate reading product under Scribd Inc.
• text: The document library combines community contributions, ad-supported access, subscription downloads and search-driven discovery.

personas

• title: Student or independent researcher
  pains:

  • Searching many sites for relevant primary documents and reference material takes time
  • Needs to evaluate whether a document is useful before paying
• title: Professional preparing a presentation or project
  pains:

  • Needs examples and specialist source documents quickly
  • Research is scattered across formats and topics
• title: Document author or educator
  pains:

  • Reaching readers beyond an existing audience is difficult
  • Sharing and embedding a document requires a distribution channel

icp

• text: Individual students, researchers and working professionals seeking documents for study and work; firmographic criteria are not central to this consumer product.
• text: Individuals and organizations that own documents or presentations and want searchable public distribution or embeds.

message pillars

• text: Find material contributed by people.
• text: Explore a large collection across subjects.
• text: Give creators a way to reach readers.

objections

• objection: Is the specific document useful enough to justify paying?
  response: Review available previews and trial limits against the material needed before subscribing.
• objection: Will the subscription renew automatically?
  response: Explain the displayed trial price, subsequent monthly charge and cancellation terms before signup.
• objection: Can I share course materials I did not create?
  response: The uploader must own the copyright; seek permission when rights are unclear.

competitors

• name: Course Hero
  why: Offers a student-oriented library of shared study documents.
• name: StuDocu
  why: Offers searchable student-contributed study materials.
• name: Calaméo
  why: Competes in publishing and sharing digital documents.

keywords

• research documents online
• academic document library
• download study notes
• find presentation decks
• share PDF online
• document search

voice

• Curious
• Welcoming
• Knowledge-oriented

signals

• text: A reader searches for a specific research document, study resource or presentation.
• text: A document creator wants public discovery and website embedding for material they own.

pricing

motion

channels

• SEO
• mobile apps
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest

confidence

Founders

• name: Jared Friedman
  title: Founder/CTO
  role: CTO
  bio: Jared dropped out Harvard and started Scribd which was in YC's S06 batch. He joined YC in 2015.