The Spreadsheet CRM Playbook: Track Relationships, Pipeline, and Next Actions (Without Buying Software)
A spreadsheet CRM can be more than a tracker. When it is built around ownership, stage definitions, and dated next actions, it becomes a simple operating system that survives handovers and investor questions. This playbook shows founders and deal teams in GCC and MENA how to structure a spreadsheet CRM with three linked records (Companies, People, Opportunities), enforce weekly pipeline decisions, and keep data clean without adding bureaucracy. You will learn what sophisticated investors test first, a pass/fail checklist, a practical readiness scorecard, and a four-week implementation timeline with clear owners. Use it to reduce deal slippage, avoid forecast surprises, and build credibility before a capital raise or strategic partnership.
Capital Raise Readiness Checklist for Founders in MENA
Raising capital in the GCC and wider MENA is rarely lost on the pitch deck alone. It stalls when investors cannot validate ownership, cash, KPI integrity, and decision-making speed. This post gives founders a boardroom-grade capital raise readiness checklist: a pass/fail gate, an interactive readiness scorecard, and an 8-12 week implementation plan with owners. You will learn what sophisticated investors test first, how to build a diligence-ready data room without creating chaos, and how to align story, numbers, and operations so diligence becomes a confirmation step. Use it six to twelve months before outreach to reduce delays, avoid valuation haircuts, and protect negotiating leverage.