Acquisition Customer Development Lean Retention 
Steve Blank
MAY 6, 2015
I am always surprised when critics complain that the Lean Startup’s Build, Measure, Learn approach is nothing more than “throwing incomplete products out of the building to see if they work.”. It’s time to update Build, Measure, Learn to what we now know is the best way to build Lean startups. Here’s how. Build-Measure-Learn.
Startup Lessons Learned
SEPTEMBER 22, 2008
is an elegant way to model any service-oriented business: Acquisition Activation Retention Referral Revenue We used a very similar scheme at IMVU, although we werent lucky enough to have started with this framework, and so had to derive a lot of it ourselves via trial and error. The AARRR model (hence pirates, get it?)
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Startup Lessons Learned
APRIL 14, 2009
Some products have relatively obvious monetization mechanisms, and the real risks are in customer adoption. Products can find sources of validation with impressive stats along a number of dimensions, such as high engagement, viral coefficient, or long-term retention. Labels: agile , customer development 15comments: Scott Shapiro said.
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. It needs the tools and processes pioneered in Lean Startups. What to Do?
Startup Lessons Learned
OCTOBER 7, 2008
The App Store is a channel for customer acquisition. I think its helpful to think about two kinds of competition for distribution: acquisition competition and retention competition. Acqusition competition is how new apps get new customers. Retention competition is how you get people to come back to your app.
The Startup Toolkit
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
This is where all those sneaky lean startup MVPs (pre-orders, concierge service, wizard of oz, etc) are worth their weight in gold. Growth is acquisition plus retention. Acquisition and retention tend to be inseparable from the product. Cost of acquisition vs. lifetime value.
Steve Blank
APRIL 20, 2021
Shawn immediately said the name I had given the four steps was confusing – I had called it market development – he suggested that I call it Customer Development – and the name stuck. And Jennifer is now my co-instructor in the Stanford Lean LaunchPad class.). In other words, you prove retention.
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
120 
Let's personalize your content