Steve Blank

MARCH 5, 2012

One of the confusing things to entrepreneurs, investors and educators is the relationship between customer development and business model design and business planning and execution. When does a new venture focus on customer development and business models ? Here’s an attempt to put this all in context.

Search 320

Search Business Model Customer Development Agile 320

YoungUpstarts

MAY 9, 2017

Lean is more about aligning your organization’s skills, talents, resources, processes, and strategy with the needs of your customers. In doing so, they learn how to better align employees and their talents and skills to optimize the flow of value to their customers. 2 More Efficient Business Processes. Lean Transformations.

Lean 124

Lean Agile Technical Review Dilution 124

Up and Running

MAY 9, 2016

Whether you want to be your area’s next big general contractor, or you believe you can build a successful small construction company in a specific niche, getting into the construction business is a process. Where are there opportunities for a new business to grow and succeed? Who are your customers? Who are your customers?

SBA 60

SBA Demand Forecast Balance Sheet 60

Up and Running

MAY 20, 2014

Since much of the start-up playbook is about learning as much as you can as quickly and cheaply as possible in order to reach some important milestone, many founders, investors, and engineers look at a $200k, two-year program as an inefficient means to an uncertain end.

Entrepreneur 88

Entrepreneur Advisory Board Silicon Valley New York 88

YoungUpstarts

MAY 26, 2017

Your pitch deck is the most important assets your business will have, arguably more than the business plan itself. Based off the “Pitch then Plan” template originated by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki, I believe in creating a strong pitch first and then building a business plan based on it.

Cofounder 185

Cofounder Silicon Valley Forecast Business Plan 185

Steve Blank

JUNE 18, 2013

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. It dawned on me that the plans were a symptom of a larger problem: we were executing business plans when we should first be searching for business models. We were putting the plan before the planning.

Lean 286

Lean Agile Customer Development Business Model 286

Steve Blank

MAY 14, 2012

The excerpts, which appeared first at Inc.com , highlight the Customer Development process, best practices, tips and instructions contained in our book. Assuming you know what the customer wants. Founders, presuming they know their customers, assume they know all the features customers need. Focusing on the launch date.

Balance Sheet 335

Balance Sheet Business Model Customer Development Metrics 335

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 3, 2009

This post describes how the traditional product development model distorts startup sales, marketing and business development. In the next few posts that follow, I’ll describe how thinking of a solution to this model’s failures led to the Customer Development Model – that offers a new way to approach startup sales and marketing activities.

Customer Development 215

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 215

Steve Blank

JUNE 18, 2013

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. It dawned on me that the plans were a symptom of a larger problem: we were executing business plans when we should first be searching for business models. We were putting the plan before the planning.

Lean 178

Lean Agile Customer Development Business Model 178

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2010

I’ve introduced a new class at Stanford to teach engineers, scientists and other professionals how startups really get built. There are few courses which teach aspiring entrepreneurs the skills (business models, customer and agile development, design thinking, etc.) Their objective is to get users, orders, customers, etc.

Wiki 311

Wiki Lean Management Business Model 311

Board Effect

JULY 3, 2020

A little upfront planning alleviates a lot of problems as the year goes on. Having a budget supports the corporate business plan by mapping out the financial landscape for the coming year. Most importantly, an annual budget supports all the things an organization plans to do according to its business plan and mission.

Government 98

Government Security Cloud Forecast 98

Up and Running

AUGUST 12, 2015

Recently, Palo Alto Software CEO Sabrina Parsons hosted a webinar for our Bcast members on how to use LivePlan to create a better business plan, pitch your idea to investors, and track your business. As a successful small business owner, Sabrina wanted to show off how LivePlan’s many features can help boost your business.

Forecast 60

Forecast Video Business Plan United States 60

www.entrepreneur.com

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

Entrepreneur Homepage Startups Starting a Business Home How-To Guides Startup Basics Business Ideas Business Planning Startup Financing Success Stories Home-Based Business Starting a Business Play Video How to Take a New Product from Just an Idea to a Business (Video).

Sweat Equity 55

Sweat Equity Equity Fractional CTO CTO 55

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Step 1: Start with a lean plan. Instead of sitting down to write a 40-page business plan, start with a one-page pitch. It’s the fastest way to get your idea onto paper, and it’s the very first step in the lean planning process, which is much easier and more iterative than traditional business planning methods.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 5, 2009

I think this idea is particularly appealing to those of us from an engineering background. That’s because the model is based on assumptions about customers that are totally unproven. Certainly venture-backed startups don’t have this luxury – every business plan has a model in it. If it costs $0.10

San Francisco 102

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment Startup 102

Steve Blank

AUGUST 27, 2009

This series of posts is a brief explanation of how we’ve evolved from Product Development to Customer Development to the Lean Startup. At first glance, the diagram, which illustrates the process of getting a new product into the hands of waiting customers, appears helpful and benign. None of mine did.) (None of mine did.)

Silicon Valley 260

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 260

www.mint.com

MARCH 9, 2010

Go there now » Sign up or log in to mint.com Updates Drop Your Debt to Win 2 comments How To The Top 5 Customer Complaint Letters — And What You Can Learn From Them 5 comments Investing In Graphics: What Is a Stock? Has anyone in the engineering team actually shipped a product? Are you going after the same customers?

Software Review 68

Software Review Startup Post-Money Valuation Technical Review 68

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

With an out-of-this-world business plan. When it was spun out as a a separate company, Iridium’s 1990 business plan had assumptions about potential customers, their problems and the product needed to solve that problem. A Business Plan Frozen in Time. This business plan was a static document.

Business Plan 335

Business Plan Customer Business Model Customer Development 335

Up and Running

MAY 22, 2013

This article assumes that the voice of the customer has been factored into the design of the product. There are numerous motivators for managing a successful product launch: Achieving your revenue forecast. Your job is to state clearly how you are going to make life easier for your customer in some unique way.

Product 75

Product Marketing Forecast B2B 75

Growthink Blog

JANUARY 31, 2018

Jeff Bezos will bring his hyper focus on the end customer experience, and then how to apply technology to make that experience as quick, delightful, and consistent as possible. Through a re-examining and re-engineering of how our businesses utilize technology to deliver more value to our customers at a lower cost?

Disintermediation 48

Disintermediation Forecast Engineer Cost 48

Up and Running

JANUARY 10, 2014

OK, OK—so how does this translate to my business, you ask? monitoring your business’s Fat Caliper Chart) over this last year, you would know right away which “foods” sustained your company’s income stream over the long-term, and which created a sharp spike before plummeting into a crash and burn.

Campaign 79

Campaign Forecast Metrics Advertising 79

Up and Running

MAY 6, 2015

Jonathan: What should I expect if I wanted to go in and get a business loan? Peter: One of the things they’ll ask you for is a business plan. The business plan has to contain a thoughtful overview of your entire business. Great way to get your business represented online and bring in new customers.

SBA 60

SBA Technical Review Software Review Small Business 60

Growthink Blog

JULY 19, 2017

Everyday, business owners realize that certain approaches and strategies that worked in the past.just don't cut it anymore. Or because customers have just moved on - as generations change and their moods and preferences shift. Without both all businesses are doomed to eventual decline and failure. Resilience and flexibility.

North Carolina 54

North Carolina Texas Forecast Leadership 54

Up and Running

OCTOBER 14, 2015

Are there greater opportunities for higher rankings in the search engines, or is the design of your website helping or hindering you? ( However, there may be other factors that if not fully considered could be more damaging to your business than the gains you’ll receive from favorable taxation. Use your business plan.

Global 60

Global Intellectual Property IP Cyprus 60

Up and Running

AUGUST 21, 2014

What a lot of companies or startups don’t realize is when you put up forecast together, it’s difficult if you’re a startup. Every single page you have on your website needs to have a purpose and needs to have a functionality for that customer or that visitor. Those keywords are very, very expensive.

Metrics 84

Metrics Startup Churn Rate Forecast 84

Up and Running

OCTOBER 1, 2014

This is a process she went through first hand, deciding on the fresh direction for her business as they went into development a new product. Keep customers at the forefront, and listen to them. “Let your mission, values, and customer happiness be the guiding force behind everything you do, and remember you are not the customer.

Bootstrapping 107

Bootstrapping Cofounder Portland Burn Rate 107

Cracking the Code

JANUARY 22, 2009

To ensure he would make his number, he defined a "continuity rule" stating that a rep who is below 70% of its annualized target at any point in the year would be on a “B” plan where he basically gets nothing (may be half or 25% of the “A” plan” defined above). Cindy said. Thank you!! Zaki Usman.

Software Review 91

Software Review Clawback Sales Salary 91

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 14, 2011

Mon – Justin Severidt Tues – Elizabeth Frederick Wed – Denise Sheehan Thurs – Nicholas Hammernik Fri – Jennifer Nagel Books by John Jantsch Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide – by John Jantsch. Business owners and marketers don’t necessarily need.

Small Business 56

Small Business Marketing Social Media RSS 56

www.frozennorth.org

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

The Customer Service Survey. Gourmet Customer Service. For the vast majority, it will just be a passing thought, but a few will take the time to do their homework, and maybe even put together a business plan. Good venture capitalists understand this, and many will refuse to sign an NDA before looking at a business plan.

NDA 41

NDA Non-disclosure Agreement Business Model RSS 41

Seeing Both Sides

OCTOBER 24, 2015

There has been a lot of good stuff written over the years on the topic of calculating customer lifetime value (LTV). Many blogs suggest you simply divide 1 by your monthly churn rate to get to a number of months of duration that you can expect to collect revenues from your customer. But you are not mature.

Churn Rate 20

Churn Rate Early Stage Revenue Metrics 20

Hearpreneur

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Besides the general focus on customer and product development, an entrepreneur should foresee the next moves that will serve to guide him on the right path. When an entrepreneur can forecast his next moves, even his/her employees become part of the moves the business makes. Photo Credit: Adit Jain.

Forecast 129

Forecast Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Technical Review 129

OnlyOnce

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

You have no clue about what the levers are, or what the pipeline/forecast details are, to get there. Your Board asks you if you’re ready to step on the gas and scale your revenue engine and you don’t have a great answer and aren’t sure how to get to one. Your goal should be to start with a mindset of discovery.

Sales 62

Sales Startup Framework Forecast 62

Up and Running

MAY 22, 2018

What is this one thing that keeps your customers coming back to you (that your competitors don’t have)? When you tell investors about your target market, use a customer persona (if not a real, anecdotal) to illustrate the details. Say what your customer is experiencing to set the stage for how your solution can help.

Exit Strategy 90

Exit Strategy Angel Investor Search Elevator Pitch 90

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 3, 2015

He explained the challenges of innovating inside a big company: (Big corporations) still have to do what entrepreneurs do, which is find customers and figure out the model. ” A lot of engineering oriented cultures, engineering-oriented people like the problem-solving piece, right? … David : Of course. ….

Entrepreneur 120

Entrepreneur Cofounder San Francisco Business Model 120

Up and Running

JULY 14, 2015

Or what if a new brilliant idea that you hadn’t considered when you were planning emerges? Build in fluidity to your business plans. I’d implemented a business plan including marketing, engagement, sales strategy and realized a few months in that it wasn’t servicing a key influence or in the sales process.

Incubator 60

Incubator Email Startup Oregon 60

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. Experienced entrepreneurs kept finding that no business plan survived first contact with customers. So what would a search process for a business model look like?

Lean 317

Lean Georgia Michigan Business Model 317