why aren't all 12 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public
record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable
ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't;
assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card:
▮▮▮▮▮ certainty ·
▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Assertion Partly supported
Toast laid off 55 percent of its workforce during early pandemic
“Because restaurants weren't taking payments, and when restaurants aren't open, they can't really pay their software fees, and so we had to make the hard decision to cut, I think it was like, 55% of the team, and then also to like, get on a call with the team a…”
Insight
Toast built custom hardware by leveraging Android's open ecosystem
“We could make these, this technology a lot better by moving it to the cloud and by taking advantage of Android hardware, because Android hardware actually is open, which allows for which allowed us to build our own hardware, which was critical to building some…”
Insight
Toast found an edge by building vertical software exclusively for restaurants
“Because there were a bunch of providers that were building something more horizontal, where you could be a restaurant, or a coffee shop, or a flower shop, or a picture of a small retail business, and we felt like our unique edge, because we had gotten a sense …”
Assertion Partly supported
Narang says Toast revenues plummeted over 90 percent in April 2020
“We had aggressive plans that year, and then I think early April of 2020, we had gone from this company that was growing like this to maybe revenues down over 90%.”
Assertion Contradicted
Toast's share of US restaurant sales volume exceeds its location share
“Even though we have 20 plus percent of the restaurants, we actually have more of the sales volume, because the average restaurant that's on toast has more sales than the average restaurant in America”
Assertion Supported
Endeca founder Steve Papa invested $500,000 to seed Toast
“Steve Papa, who was the founder of Indeca, invested I think it was 500 K to get started.”
Assertion Supported
Toast disrupted legacy POS systems costing $50,000 to $100,000 upfront
“Instead of spending, like for a restaurant like Finale, for them to go buy a legacy on-prem system, you know, you might spend 50 to a hundred K up front. And so our pitch was very little up front and sometimes nothing up front. Then we had a SAS fee.”
Assertion Supported
Partnering with Gordon Food Service enabled Toast's expansion beyond Boston
“And that was a really important partnership for us that helped us get outside of Boston. So we launched in, in, in, in Miami and Chicago, thanks to GFS and their support, and then went from there.”
Assertion Partly supported
Toast revenues grew over 100 percent annually from 2015 to 2020
“You know, we for years between 20 15 and 20 20, we were this business that was growing over a hundred percent.”
What-if
Toast may not have survived COVID-19 without a timely pre-pandemic fundraise
“Like, I think, had we not raised that capital right before the COVID may not have survived.”
What-if
Toast's business model relied on payments infrastructure opening up around 2012
“You know, back in 2012 and 13 is when payments were opening up without which the business model may not have worked.”
Disclosure
Toast convinced restaurant owner Gary Stark to pilot early payment app
“We convinced Gary, Gary Stark, who you know, he was in the middle of... We convinced him to give us a shot. It wasn't easy, but we did.”