EquityDeck Documentation

1. Introduction

EquityDeck is a gamified social platform inspired by the Shark Tank experience, where anyone can pitch ideas, act as an investor (shark), and earn virtual profits. The platform is designed to make startup pitching, deal-making, and business growth interactive and fun, without involving real money.

EquityDeck uses virtual USD, ownership percentages, social engagement, and leaderboards to simulate a real-world startup ecosystem in a safe and accessible way.

2. Core Concepts

2.1 Virtual USD

EquityDeck runs entirely on virtual USD.
New users receive 10 virtual USD upon registration.
Virtual USD is used for pitching ideas, investing in ideas, and earning from business activity.
Virtual USD has no real-world monetary value.

2.2 Ideas, Pitches, and Businesses

An Idea is a startup concept submitted by a user.
A Pitch is an idea that has been listed publicly in the Pitch Room.
Once an idea sells all its offered equity, it becomes a Business on EquityDeck.

3. User Roles

Every user on EquityDeck can play multiple roles:

Pitcher – submits ideas and offers equity
Investor (Shark) – invests virtual USD in ideas
Business Owner – manages posts after an idea becomes a business

No special permissions are required; roles are determined by user actions.

4. Account Registration

Users register using Supabase authentication.
On first registration, users automatically receive 10 virtual USD.
Each user has a profile and a virtual wallet linked to their account.

5. Pitching an Idea

5.1 Pitch Submission Requirements

To submit an idea, a user must provide:

Logo (1:1 ratio)
Idea name
Tagline (maximum 25 characters)
Short description
Ask amount (X USD)
Equity offered (Y%, between 0–60%, in steps of 0.5%)

Optional fields:

Video demo link
Message for investors
External reference link

5.2 Pitch Fee

Submitting a pitch costs 7 virtual USD.
This amount is deducted automatically on submission.
If the user does not have sufficient balance, pitch submission is blocked.

5.3 Pitch Room Listing

Once submitted, the pitch appears in the Pitch Room.
Other users can view, comment on, and invest in the idea.

6. Investing in Ideas

6.1 How Investing Works

Investors browse ideas listed in the Pitch Room.
Each idea displays the total equity offered and the remaining equity available.
Investors choose how much equity they want to buy using a slider (0.5% steps).

6.2 Investment Calculation

Price is calculated proportionally:

Investment Amount = Ask Amount × (Purchased % ÷ Total Offered %)

Example:

Ask: 1000 USD for 10%
Investor buys: 2%
Price paid: 1000 × (2 ÷ 10) = 200 USD

6.3 Ownership Updates

After investment:
- Investor’s virtual USD is deducted
- Pitch owner receives the virtual USD
- Equity availability updates instantly
Multiple investors can invest until the offered equity is fully sold.

7. From Idea to Business

When 100% of the offered equity is sold, the idea automatically becomes a Business.
The idea owner becomes the business owner.
Investors become shareholders based on their purchased equity.

8. Business Posts & Earnings

8.1 Posting as a Business

Business owners can post updates using their business identity.
Similar to LinkedIn business pages, users select the business from a dropdown while posting.
Businesses cannot like their own posts.

8.2 Earnings Through Engagement

Each like on a business post generates 10 virtual USD.
The generated virtual USD is distributed among shareholders based on their equity percentages.