Steve Blank

MAY 6, 2015

Best practices in software development started to move to agile development in the early 2000’s. With Agile you could end up satisfying every feature a customer asked for and still go out of business. A major improvement over Waterfall development, Build Measure Learn lets startups be fast, agile and efficient. Lessons Learned.

Lean 120

Lean Agile Business Model Customer Development 120

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

And we need to do all of this with a finite defense budget, most of which is being spent on legacy systems in 88 major defense acquisition programs. Our current requirements and acquisition system ( Planning-Programming-Budgeting System ) is built on assuming certainty. Slides 10-13). Institutional inertia is a social problem.

Technology 335

Technology North Korea Silicon Valley Artificial Inteligence 335

Steve Blank

JUNE 8, 2021

While all the teams used the Mission Model Canvas , (videos here ), Customer Development and Agile Engineering to build Minimal Viable Products, each of their journeys was unique. This was followed by an 8-minute slide presentation describing their customer discovery journey over the 10 weeks.

Lean 385

Lean Security Asia SBIR 385

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

While our teams have mentors, socialize a lot and give great demos, the goal of our class final presentations is “ Lessons Learned ” – about product/market fit, pricing, acquisition/activation costs, pricing, partners, etc.

Lean 315

Lean Customer Development Sales Cycle Business Model 315

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 13, 2018

If you read these quotes, you’d think they were from a CEO who just took over a company facing disruption from agile startups and a changing environment. Instead the focus is on global and rapid maneuver capabilities of smaller, dispersed units to “increase agility, speed, and resiliency. And you’d be right. on page 10.

Employee 322

Employee Agile Artificial Inteligence China 322

Steve Blank

JANUARY 15, 2024

The speed, depth and breadth of these disruptive changes happen faster than the responsiveness and agility of our current acquisition systems and defense-industrial base. Department of Defense traditional sources of innovation ( primes , FFRDCs , service labs ) are no longer sufficient by themselves to keep pace.

China 182

China Artificial Inteligence Afghanistan Ukraine 182

Steve Blank

JUNE 12, 2020

All the teams used the Mission Model Canvas , (videos here ) Customer Development and Agile Engineering to build Minimal Viable Products, but all of their journeys were unique. This was followed by an 8-minute slide presentation describing their customer discovery journey over the 10-weeks.

Oakland 301

Oakland Asia Lean Video 301

Steve Blank

JANUARY 30, 2013

Doing so meant they would have to take risks for IP acquisition and customer/market risks outside their experience or comfort zone. I earnestly believe that large corporations should emulate Lean Startups (Business model design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering.) Lessons Learned.

Programming 265

Programming Technical Review Incubator Intellectual Property 265

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2016

The launch of the Xbox and Kinect, and the acquisitions of Skype and Yammer happened on his shift. The best are agile and know how to pivot – make a substantive change to the business model while or before their market has shifted. If you think the job of a CEO is to increase sales, then Ballmer did a spectacular job.

Azure 120

Azure Business Model Cloud Artificial Inteligence 120

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2016

The launch of the Xbox and Kinect, and the acquisitions of Skype and Yammer happened on his shift. The best are agile and know how to pivot – make a substantive change to the business model while or before their market has shifted. If you think the job of a CEO is to increase sales, then Ballmer did a spectacular job.

Azure 120

Azure Business Model Cloud Artificial Inteligence 120

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

And we need to do all of this with a finite defense budget, most of which is being spent on legacy systems in 88 major defense acquisition programs. Our current requirements and acquisition system ( Planning-Programming-Budgeting System ) is built on assuming certainty. Slides 10-13). Institutional inertia is a social problem.

Technology 122

Technology North Korea Silicon Valley Artificial Inteligence 122

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 27, 2020

So that’s something we need help with, to provide us greater agility. Should the Joint Staff have a structure for the acquisition of capabilities, making sure it matches the modernization of our operational concepts? We have to build into the systems for acquisition a method by which we can be far more agile.

Technology 217

Technology China Artificial Inteligence Operations 217

Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

Tech IPOs were a receding memory, and mergers and acquisitions became the only path to liquidity for startups. Customer Development , Agile Engineering and the Lean methodology enforced a process of incremental and iterative development. Startup exits in the next three years will include IPO’s as well as acquisitions.

Internet 334

Internet IPO Silicon Valley Agile 334

Steve Blank

JANUARY 26, 2016

Today these potential adversaries are able to harness the power of social networks, encryption, GPS, low-cost drones, 3D printers, simpler design and manufacturing processes, agile and lean methodologies, ubiquitous Internet and smartphones. We’re Our Own Worst Enemy. Efficiently Being Inefficient.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley North Korea Agile Lean 120

Steve Blank

AUGUST 29, 2016

Putting lean principles into NGA’s acquisition practices. As part of the Department of Defense, the NGA acquires technology and information systems through the traditional DOD’s acquisition system – which has been described as the antitheses of rapid customer discovery and agile practices.

Lean 177

Lean Silicon Valley Government Acquisition 177

Steve Blank

AUGUST 29, 2016

Putting lean principles into NGA’s acquisition practices. As part of the Department of Defense, the NGA acquires technology and information systems through the traditional DOD’s acquisition system – which has been described as the antitheses of rapid customer discovery and agile practices.

Lean 177

Lean Silicon Valley Government Acquisition 177

Steve Blank

MARCH 4, 2014

These groups are adapting or adopting the practices of startups and accelerators – disruption and innovation rather than direct competition, customer development versus more product features, agility and speed versus lowest cost. KPI’s and processes are the root cause of corporations’ inability to be agile and responsive innovators.

IRR 335

IRR Startup Business Model Agile 335

Steve Blank

JUNE 23, 2016

Capital is returned to these investors through liquidity events (originally public offerings, but today mostly acquisitions). Their size lets them adopt flatter and more agile organizational structures while providing incentives that reward risk-taking and collaboration. Startups are unencumbered by the status quo.

Architecture 227

Architecture IRR Balance Sheet Liquidity Event 227

Steve Blank

AUGUST 31, 2009

The first hint lies in its name; this is a product development model, not a marketing model, not a sales hiring model, not a customer acquisition model, not even a financing model (and we’ll also find that in most cases it’s even a poor model to use to develop a product.) So what’s wrong the product development model? Where Are the Customers?

Customer Development 238

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 238

Steve Blank

JUNE 3, 2016

First was to teach students to develop the mindset, reflexes, agility and resilience an entrepreneur needs to make decisions at speed and with urgency in a chaotic and uncertain world. This is a first step to a more agile, responsive and resilient, approach to national security in the 21 st century. What Were Our Goals for this Class?

Agile 120

Agile Security Audio Video 120

Steve Blank

APRIL 11, 2018

In this case the entrepreneurs know something potential employers don’t – that nowhere on their resume does it show resiliency, curiosity, agility, resourcefulness, pattern recognition, tenacity and having a passion for products. (Asymmetric Information is when one party has more or better information than the other.)

Entrepreneur 336

Entrepreneur Business Model Capital Gains Aggregator 336

Steve Blank

AUGUST 1, 2016

Fourth , would the same Lean Startup methodology (business model design, customer development and agile engineering) used in the Lean LaunchPad and NSF I-Corps class work here? Multiple teams have been engaged by government, prime contractor and VC firms for follow-on discussions/engagements. Result: Hell yes. Lessons Learned.

Silicon Valley 128

Silicon Valley Southern California San Diego Lean 128

Steve Blank

AUGUST 1, 2016

Fourth , would the same Lean Startup methodology (business model design, customer development and agile engineering) used in the Lean LaunchPad and NSF I-Corps class work here? Multiple teams have been engaged by government, prime contractor and VC firms for follow-on discussions/engagements. Result: Hell yes. Lessons Learned.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Southern California San Diego Lean 120

Steve Blank

JULY 15, 2010

The size of the red bars (IPO’s) versus blue (mergers and acquisitions) illustrates that while venture-backed startups did get acquired, the IPO market was booming. But unlike an IPO where you sold stock to the public and got to run your company, in an acquisition your company is gone, and the odds are in a year or so you will be too.

Venture Capital 297

Venture Capital IPO Liquidity Event Entrepreneur 297

Steve Blank

JUNE 7, 2019

All the teams used the Mission Model Canvas , Customer Development and Agile Engineering to build Minimal Viable Products, but all of their journeys were unique. Followed by an 8-minute slide presentation follow their customer discovery journey over the 10-weeks. All the presentations are worth a watch. Team: Panacea.

Oakland 266

Oakland Lean SBIR Afghanistan 266

Steve Blank

AUGUST 5, 2010

I think you can blame Customer and Agile Development for a small part of it. It’s because the startups are doing something very new that make them “Lean&# : These startups embrace customer and agile development that Eric Ries has been evangelizing. Here’s why. Electron-based Venture Capital. Lean VC’s are Different.

Lean 258

Lean Internet Silicon Valley Venture Capital 258

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

To achieve this mission, we established a framework that leveraged Marine Corps tenacity, agility, and adaptability to create a persistent culture of innovation. This can be particularly true in the government where the acquisition lifecycle imposes “shipbuilding timelines” on information technology systems. Always Be Measuring.

Framework 322

Framework Lean Metrics Government 322

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

To achieve this mission, we established a framework that leveraged Marine Corps tenacity, agility, and adaptability to create a persistent culture of innovation. This can be particularly true in the government where the acquisition lifecycle imposes “shipbuilding timelines” on information technology systems. Always Be Measuring.

Framework 322

Framework Lean Metrics Government 322

Steve Blank

MARCH 11, 2015

And when we do make bets, they’re small bets on incremental products or acquisitions that simply add to the bottom line.”. More agile competitors are starting to eat into our business. Bob looked wistful, “Our founders built a company known for taking risks and moving fast. How can we restart our innovation culture?”.

Widget 120

Widget Lean Business Model Metrics 120

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2010

There are few courses which teach aspiring entrepreneurs the skills (business models, customer and agile development, design thinking, etc.) We’ll build the class around the business model / customer development / agile development solution stack. What are your hypotheses around customer acquisition costs?

Wiki 311

Wiki Lean Management Business Model 311

Steve Blank

MAY 29, 2019

With the nature of work changing, the core skills entrepreneurs need to know to become practitioners are actually core skills that everybody will need to know to get a job: creativity, agility, resilience, tenacity, curiosity. They can come from inside the company, outside as acquisitions, universities, etc.

Incubator 331

Incubator Lean Programming Government 331

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 21, 2020

In commercial tech you call that an integrated product team, It’s acquisition with software engineering with UI/UX. It was whatever you can do to get away from the classic DOD stovepipe way of doing business to a much more agile software approach. Lean, MVPs and the DOD. Project Maven became the basis for what we did in the JAIC.

Artificial Inteligence 246

Artificial Inteligence Technology Agile Architecture 246

Steve Blank

APRIL 29, 2013

Unfortunately the class operates much like the military acquisition system: the project specification has minimal input from real world users, the product gets built with a waterfall engineering process, and there’s no input on whether the product actually meets real world needs until the product is delivered.

Silicon Valley 255

Silicon Valley Colorado Lean Connecticut 255

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

As a formal method, the Lean Startup consists of three parts: The Business Model Canvas – to frame hypotheses, Customer Development – to test those hypotheses in front of customers, and Agile Engineering – to build Minimum Viable Products to maximize learning. But there are other key players involved.

Business Model 120

Business Model Revenue Channel Community 120

Steve Blank

MARCH 11, 2010

Did they describe demand creation and assign acquisition costs? Agility and resiliency are not tested inside the building. Did they size the opportunity of solving the problem? Was their solution clear? for product companies, this should include manufacturing and cost of goods). Did they describe lifetime value of a customer?

Intellectual Property 226

Intellectual Property Business Model Customer Development Distribution 226

Steve Blank

APRIL 29, 2013

Unfortunately the class operates much like the military acquisition system: the project specification has minimal input from real world users, the product gets built with a waterfall engineering process, and there’s no input on whether the product actually meets real world needs until the product is delivered.

Silicon Valley 151

Silicon Valley Colorado Lean Connecticut 151

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

Facebook’s ~$20 billion acquisition of WhatsApp, a 5-year-old startup that had $10 million in revenue, made no sense until you realized that Facebook was paying to acquire 300 million new users.). This means that liquidity for today’s investors often doesn’t require the long, patient scaling of a profitable company.

Founder 245

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 245