First exec-level meeting. You need to understand who's who before anything else.
Opening
"Thanks for making time. I'm Riz, founder at Autonomous — Abdullah and I are here to walk you through what we've been discussing and make sure we're aligned. Before we dive in, I'd love to understand who's in the room and what each of you is hoping to get out of today."
🎯 Map the Buying Committee (Listen For)
- Champion — Who brought you in? Who's been emailing your team? They want this to work.
- Sponsor — Who has budget? Usually Director+ or Head of E-commerce/Digital.
- Technical Buyer — IT, Data, or Tech lead. Cares about security, integration.
- Economic Buyer — Finance involvement? Procurement?
- Blocker — Global HQ? Legal? InfoSec?
"Can everyone give a quick intro — your role and what you're hoping to learn today?"
This tells you who matters and what they care about. Take notes.
"Who else on your side is involved in evaluating this, even if they're not on the call?"
Surfaces hidden stakeholders — global, procurement, IT security.
- Write down names + titles
- Note who asks the tough questions (that's the skeptic/blocker)
- Note who nods along (that's likely your champion)
They shaped these requirements. Your job is to confirm alignment and surface any gaps or concerns.
Quick Proposal Recap
- 9 platforms — Daraz, Naheed, PandaMart, KraveMart, DealCart, etc.
- 3 phases — Data collection → Validation engine → Dashboard
- ~35 weeks — Phase 1 delivers working data in 12-16 weeks
- $38K total — $18K for Phase 1
"Does the platform priority list still match what you need? Any changes since we last spoke?"
Confirms scope hasn't shifted. Surfaces any new requirements.
"On the timeline — Phase 1 gets you Daraz + web retailers in 12 weeks, apps in 16. Does that work with your internal planning?"
Checks if they have a deadline you need to hit.
"The packshot validation in Phase 2 depends on you providing the 'Golden Standard' images. Is that something your team has ready, or do we need to factor in time for that?"
Surfaces a common blocker. Shows you're thinking ahead.
"Who else on your side needs to see this before we can kick off?"
Maps the approval chain. Critical for closing.
If They Raise Concerns
"That's a fair point — let me note that. We can address it in the Discovery Workshop and update the scope accordingly. The proposal is designed to be calibrated once we do that session together."
First call = they need to hear it explained. Walk through what you're building and why.
The Big Picture (60 seconds)
"What we're building is essentially a Digital Mystery Shopper — an automated system that monitors your products across 9 Pakistani e-commerce platforms, every day. It tracks whether you're in stock, if prices are correct, if your product images and descriptions match your standards, and where you rank in search results. Think of it as having eyes on every digital shelf, 24/7."
The Pakistani Market Challenge
Explain why global tools don't work here:
- App-first platforms — PandaMart, KraveMart, DealCart don't have websites. They're mobile-only "walled gardens."
- No API access — These platforms don't share data. You can't just plug into them.
- Global DSA tools fail — Nielsen, Profitero, etc. are built for web retailers. They can't crack mobile apps.
- Quick commerce is growing fastest — The platforms you can't see are the ones growing 40-50% YoY.
Our Approach
"We reverse-engineer these apps. We use mobile emulation and API interception to extract the same data a human would see — but automated, at scale, every day. It's custom engineering, not off-the-shelf software. That's why global vendors can't do this — they're not going to build Pakistan-specific tooling for one market."
What You Get (by Phase)
- Phase 1 (16 weeks, $18K) — Daily data from all 9 platforms: stock status, prices, visibility. Raw data pipeline working.
- Phase 2 (9 weeks, $9.5K) — Validation engine: automated "Perfect Store" audits. Red/green compliance scores. Image matching against your packshot library.
- Phase 3 (10 weeks, $10.5K) — Executive dashboard: Share of Search tracking, competitor intelligence, trend visualization.
The 9 Platforms
"We're covering three tiers. Tier 1 is the easy ones — Naheed, Springs, Highfy, Bagallery, Vegas — standard web scraping. Tier 2 is Daraz, which requires residential proxies to bypass their anti-bot systems. Tier 3 is the hard ones — PandaMart, KraveMart, DealCart — full mobile app reverse engineering. That's where we differentiate."
Key Technical Points (if they ask)
- Self-healing — When platforms update security (and they will), we patch within 48-72 hours
- Proxy costs — $300-500/month pass-through for residential proxies (required for Daraz + apps)
- Data freshness — Daily scrapes, morning data ready for review
- IP ownership — You own the custom system, not renting SaaS seats
- AMC retainer — Post-build maintenance contract to keep it running (quoted separately)
After explaining, open for questions. Then map the approval process.
"What questions do you have about how this works?"
Let them ask. They'll reveal what matters most to them.
"Walk me through how Unilever typically evaluates and approves a project like this."
Maps the full decision chain — local vs global, procurement, legal, IT.
"Who else on your side would need to see this before we can kick off?"
Surfaces hidden stakeholders.
"Is there a timeline you're working toward? Any internal deadlines?"
Creates urgency if they have a deadline. Tells you how fast they move.
"Have you done projects like this with local vendors before, or does this typically go through global?"
Tells you if there's precedent or if you're fighting uphill against global procurement.
If They Mention Global/Regional Approval
"Understood. Would it help if we provided a technical brief specifically for your global team? We can explain the local market dynamics — the app-first ecosystem in Pakistan is genuinely unique, and that context helps justify a local solution."
What You Can Offer
- Technical security brief — For IT/infosec review
- Phased contract — Phase 1 only, with option to extend
- Pilot scope — Start with 3-4 platforms to prove concept
- Demo session — Show sample data structure / mockup dashboard
Remember: they want to be right. Don't argue. Validate, then redirect.
"$38K seems high for a local solution"
"You're right to scrutinize that. Let me flip it — what's the cost of a single day of stockouts across PandaMart and KraveMart? If you're moving even 50 SKUs through those channels, one week of invisible OOS could dwarf this investment. But you'd know those numbers better than I would."
"Why not just use our global DSA vendor?"
"That's the smart first question. Have you tested whether they can actually pull data from PandaMart's app? Most global tools are built for web retailers — they weren't designed for Pakistan's app-first ecosystem. You might want to challenge them on that."
"What happens when PandaMart changes their app?"
"Exactly the right concern — you've seen how often these platforms update. That's why we build self-healing into the system and offer a maintenance retainer. When they update, we patch within 48-72 hours. It's an unavoidable reality, but we're staffed for it."
"We need to run this by procurement / legal / global"
"Of course — Unilever has rigorous processes for good reason. What would make that conversation easier? Would a pilot on just 2-3 platforms help build the internal case before a full rollout?"
"35 weeks is a long timeline"
"You're right — it's phased specifically so you see value early. Phase 1 gives you Daraz + web retailers in 12 weeks. You'd have working data before we even touch the hard app platforms. Would an accelerated Phase 1 delivery help?"
The proposal says Phase 0 is a Discovery Workshop. That's your next step.
The Ask
"Based on today, I think we're aligned. The logical next step is the Discovery Workshop — that's where we finalize the SKU list, agree on definitions, and validate feasibility on the hard platforms. It's 2-3 hours and gives both of us confidence before we commit to the full build. Can we get that scheduled this month?"
✓ Success Criteria for This Call
- Stakeholder map complete — Champion, Sponsor, Blockers identified
- Proposal requirements confirmed — no major scope changes
- Approval process mapped — you know who else decides
- Discovery Workshop date scheduled (or path to scheduling)
- Clear next action with owner and deadline
📋 Stakeholder Map (Fill During Call)
- Champion: ______________________ (wants this, internal advocate)
- Sponsor: ______________________ (budget holder)
- Technical: ______________________ (IT/security approval)
- Blocker: ______________________ (procurement/global/legal)
- Decision process: ______________________
- Timeline pressure: ______________________
If They Need More Time
"No problem. What would help you move this forward internally? Happy to provide whatever materials or calls your team needs. Can we set a check-in for [specific date] to see where things stand?"
If They Want to Start Smaller
"We can absolutely scope a pilot — say Phase 1A only, just Daraz and the web platforms, for $12-14K. That proves the model and gives you data in 10-12 weeks. Then you decide on the app platforms. Want me to draft that as an option?"
Platform Tiers
- Tier 1 (Easy): Naheed, Springs, Highfy, Bagallery, Vegas — standard web scraping
- Tier 2 (Medium): Daraz — requires residential proxies
- Tier 3 (Hard): PandaMart, KraveMart, DealCart — mobile app reverse engineering