PoC Leads: Clear Criteria for Stopping Low-Quality Opportunities
When to kill a PoC Lead
Killing a lead might feel counterintuitive - especially if you’ve invested time in it - but it can be a smart move. Every lead consumes resources, and chasing low-quality ones not only burns time but also creates a poor experience for stakeholders.
Core criteria
- No real or urgent problem
- The pain point no longer exists or has lost urgency.
- Stakeholder interest fades, timelines keep slipping, or priorities shift elsewhere.
- No business impact
- Expected ROI has dropped significantly since qualification.
- Even a successful POC wouldn’t justify the investment.
- No authority or access to authority
- The lead doesn’t have decision-making power and cannot quickly involve someone who does.
- Endless escalation attempts without progress.
- Too many rigid requirements
- Stakeholder demands 20+ detailed conditions.
- Refuses any customization or flexibility from a startup.
- No willingness to invest
- Pain point is supposedly “big,” but they won’t find budget for a PoC. This signals the problem is not critical enough to solve.
Golden Nugget
Being rigorous here is a service to the pain point owner. A stalled lead creates frustration, not value. Killing it early frees up time for leads with higher potential.
Tip for Innovation Managers
- Re-qualify leads regularly: A lead that was viable last month might now be a distraction.
- Always document why you killed it: helpful for pattern recognition and improving qualification filters.
Hi, I'm Madlen, and I lead the Venture Clienting solutions at GlassDollar. At GlassDollar, we empower corporations to quickly identify and test cutting-edge startup technology. Our outstanding team of Venture Clienting experts is committed to helping corporations harness startup innovations and drive growth at any stage. Whether you need strategic consulting, support in establishing a Venture Clienting unit, or assistance in operating and scaling it, we are your ideal partner.
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Everything you need to know about Venture Clienting
Welcome to Venture Clienting
Learn what Venture Clienting is (and what it isn’t), where the model came from, and why it’s become a fast path to measurable business impact. It also clarifies the differences to CVC and Venture Building, shows how the three can work together, and closes with practical “golden rules” to start with the right problems, win early PoCs, and build the trust you’ll need to scale.
Getting Started
A quick on-ramp into Venture Clienting: a checklist to see if your organization is actually ready, the minimum setup you need (one owner, a starter budget, and light leadership backing), plus a plain-English glossary so everyone—from business units to procurement—uses the same terms and avoids confusion from day one.
The 3 Phases of Venture Clienting Units
A practical maturity map for how Venture Clienting Units evolve over time — from START (prove the model with a few high-impact PoCs), to GROW (make it repeatable and expand reach), to SCALE (run high volume with strong selectivity, efficiency, and strategic alignment). It clarifies what to prioritize in each phase: budgets, timelines, lead volume, stakeholder setup (procurement/IT/legal), and the specific habits that drive momentum without burning quality.
The Venture Clienting Process
A practical, end-to-end guide to running Venture Clienting in real life — from uncovering internal pain points and qualifying PoC leads to sourcing startups, running focused demos, executing lean PoCs, and turning successful pilots into real implementations with measurable business impact.
Advanced Topics
This chapter covers advanced Venture Clienting topics you’ll face once the basics work: managing PoCs as a portfolio, working effectively with IT, accelerating projects through alternative contracting models, and securing lasting C-level support. It shows how to reduce bottlenecks, allocate resources smarter, and turn Venture Clienting into a strategic, scalable capability.