Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 14, 2009

What matters is proving the viability of the company’s business model, what investors call “traction.&# Of course this is not at all true of many profitable small businesses, but they are not what I mean by startups.) In fact, this company hasn’t shipped any new products in months.

Customer 167

Customer San Francisco Lean Hockey Stick 167

K9 Ventures

AUGUST 13, 2010

So the departments either didn’t have the capacity to pay or it would be an endless sales-cycle, where we would spend lots of time on the sales, but it still wouldn’t close. Maybe that was the right thing to do to get the business, but the key point is that we didn’t test how much they would have been willing to pay.

Revenue 72

Revenue Developer Java Customer Development 72

ConversionXL

JUNE 14, 2021

This message appeals to customers who value a comfortable shave without leaning solely on the subscription business model. This is the perfect opportunity to review how to apply your USP across your business. Convenience is table stakes in the DTC landscape. A unique selling proposition shouldn’t be used as a bandaid.

Software Review 158

Software Review Audience Differentiation Framework 158

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Almost all of the companies we invested in in 2017 had customers even if they didn’t have much of a product. Those who didn’t have a product or much of a product used a concierge model of sorts ala Lean Startup philosophy to start running their business. This one is pretty investor-specific.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 12, 2018

Almost all of the companies we invested in in 2017 had customers even if they didn’t have much of a product. Those who didn’t have a product or much of a product used a concierge model of sorts ala Lean Startup philosophy to start running their business. This one is pretty investor-specific.

Seed Stage 48

Seed Stage Business Model B2B Email 48

conversionxl.com

SEPTEMBER 10, 2013

Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, developed a methodology for creating businesses that runs in parallel with the traditional product development process. The core idea behind customer development is that the assumptions you make about a target market are only guesses. Pivot the product entirely.

Customer Development 60

Customer Development Conversion Developer Customer 60