If you’ve ever stared down an RFP, you know the feeling. That mix of dread and opportunity, knowing that a massive document stands between you and a potential deal. I’ve been there, on both sides of the fence – grinding through RFPs in the polished halls of big corporations and scrambling in the fast-paced, coffee-fueled world of startups. And let me tell you, it’s a completely different battle.
Let me take you through what I’ve seen, the struggles I’ve felt, and how I’ve learned to make the process a whole lot less painful.
Team Structure: My Days as a Tiny Cog vs. Wearing All the Hats
When I was at a big firm, our RFP process felt like a well-oiled machine, an army deploying its forces. We had dedicated proposal teams, technical writers, and a clear chain of command. An RFP would drop, and it was almost like a perfectly choreographed dance. Content went through so many layers of review – sales, marketing, legal, subject matter experts (SMEs), leadership. It was great for consistency and avoiding mistakes, but man, could it be slow! It often felt like pulling teeth to get information from different departments, each in their own silo.
Then I jumped into the startup world. Suddenly, I was the proposal team, often alongside the CEO, subject matter experts, and the head of marketing. It was “all hands on deck” chaos. We were making lightning-fast decisions, which was exhilarating, but every hour spent on an RFP felt like an extra burden on top of our already overflowing plates. We just didn’t have the luxury of dedicated teams or formal processes; it was more about yelling across the desk for information.
My Proquesto Revelation: This is where Proquesto changed my game. For my big firm days, I can only imagine how much smoother things would have been. Centralizing our approved content, using AI to pull relevant answers – it would’ve sliced through those bottlenecks. For my startup reality, Proquesto was a lifesaver. It took that initial 75-80% of the draft off my plate, letting the AI do the heavy lifting. I could breathe, knowing the bones of the RFP were being built while I focused on, well, everything else!
Cost of Sale: A Blip on the Radar vs. A Gut Punch
At a big firm, the cost of responding to an RFP was just… part of doing business. It was a line item, an operational expense spread across countless potential deals. Sure, we tracked the direct costs, but the salaries of dedicated teams, the fancy software – it all just blended into the larger budget. We were playing a volume game, and the individual cost per response, while high, was just part of the strategy.
But at a startup, every RFP felt like a direct punch to our limited runway. The hours my co-founders and I spent on an RFP were hours not spent building our offerings, talking to customers, or strategizing our next move. It was a brutal opportunity cost. We didn’t have fancy RFP software; it was all manual, time-consuming effort that directly impacted our precious cash flow.
My Proquesto Revelation: Proquesto helped me turn that gut punch into a manageable tap. In the startup world, it meant we could actually pursue RFP opportunities without feeling like we were sacrificing our entire business. By slashing the hours we spent, it dramatically reduced the direct hit on our burn rate. For big firms, I see it as a way to optimize an already significant investment, getting more bang for their buck and potentially responding to even more high-quality RFPs.
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) Time: A Calendar Invite vs. Begging for a Favor
At the big firm, getting time with an SME felt structured. Their contribution to RFPs was often factored into their workload. They were specialized, diving deep into technical details, and while they were busy, it felt like a planned part of their job.
At a startup, the “SME” was often one of the founders, or employees who already have a full workday with clients. And getting their time for an RFP? That felt like begging for a massive favor. They were juggling product development, cleint calls, and putting out daily fires. An RFP request often felt like an annoying interruption to their core mission. The urgency of the RFP was always competing with other, often more immediate, business needs.
My Proquesto Revelation: Proquesto made my life, and frankly, my SMEs’ lives, so much easier. Instead of asking them to write detailed sections from scratch, I could just point Proquesto to our existing documents (even just plain Word files or PDFs!). The AI would then draft the initial responses, intelligently pulling relevant info. My SMEs then only had to fine-tune the generated answers, which they could do in seconds. It was a massive win for everyone involved. They could focus on validating the information, not generating it.
Internal Cost: A Known Figure vs. The “Oh No” Moment
At a big firm, the internal cost of RFP writing was a known overhead. We had standardized processes, even if they were complex, and years of accumulated content in our libraries. It was part of the business model.
At a startup, every RFP brought that “oh no” moment. The internal cost was stark. It strained our already limited human resources, sometimes pushing back other critical tasks. It directly impacted our bottom line in a way that felt incredibly visible and painful. And without years of accumulated content, every RFP felt like building from scratch.
My Proquesto Revelation: For me, and for the startups I’ve worked with, Proquesto transforms that “oh no” into a “thank goodness!” It essentially gives you an instant, intelligent content library, even if you just upload your existing documents. This means less time building from scratch, less resource strain, and a clear, immediate reduction in the internal cost of pursuing those vital opportunities. For bigger companies, it’s about making their existing processes exponentially more efficient and their content truly work for them.
The journey of writing an RFP is unique for everyone, but whether you’re battling with an army or a lean squad, the goal is the same: win the deal. I’ve been there, feeling the pressure on both sides. And I can tell you, having a tool like Proquesto in your arsenal makes that battle a whole lot easier, no matter the size of your company. It genuinely streamlines the chaos, letting you focus on what really matters – winning.
