Steve Blank

MARCH 19, 2009

Now with a new infusion of $8 million dollars of venture capital, SuperMac had been resurrected from the dead and was attempting to restart. They had no model of who their own customers were and what it would take to make those customers bang down their doors to buy their products. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer.

Silicon Valley 170

Silicon Valley Software Review Technical Review RSS 170

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

I was consulting for the two venture capital firms who between them put $12 million into my last failed startup. Yet when I talked to my venture capital friends, they said, “Well, that’s just how startups work. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 133

Silicon Valley RSS Venture Capital Customer Development 133

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

This post describes a solution – the Customer Development Model. In future posts I’ll describe how Eric Ries and the Lean Startup concept provide the equivalent model for product development activities inside the building and neatly integrates customer and agile development.

Customer Development 255

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 255

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

Unfortunately in early stage startups the drive for financing hijacks the corporate DNA and becomes the raison d’etre of the company. Unfortunately in early stage startups the drive for financing hijacks the corporate DNA and becomes the raison d’etre of the company. What are Early Stage VC’s Really Asking?

Customer Development 270

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 270

Steve Blank

AUGUST 13, 2009

Customer Development/Lean Startups In hindsight startups and the venture capital community left out the most important first step any startup ought to be doing – hypothesis testing in front of customers- from day one. It’s what my textbook on Customer Development describes. I was an idiot.

Silicon Valley 208

Silicon Valley RSS Technical Review Lean 208

Steve Blank

JUNE 11, 2009

Yet for every founder there are 10-20 other employees who take the near-equivalent risks in joining an early-stage company. If you’re not a founder (by choice, timing or temperament,) you may be an early employee or a later stage startup employee. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Blog at WordPress.com.

Cofounder 230

Cofounder Founder Silicon Valley Technical Cofounder 230

Steve Blank

JANUARY 20, 2014

When Customer Development and the Lean Startup were just a sketch on the napkin, Dino Vendetti, a VC at Bay Partners, was one of the first venture capitalists I shared my ideas with. Over the years we brainstormed about how Lean entrepreneurship would affect regional development. Bend needed its own venture firm.

Silicon Valley 320

Silicon Valley Oregon Lean Angel Investor 320

Steve Blank

APRIL 10, 2009

Customer Development ) to help you quickly recognize and reverse any incorrect decisions. Customer Development) to help you quickly recognize and reverse any incorrect decisions.&# Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. In a startup it doesn’t matter if you’re 100% right 100% of the time. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 309

Silicon Valley RSS Startup Agile 309

Steve Blank

AUGUST 20, 2013

One would think that designing a medical device would be a simple engineering problem, and startups would be emerging right and left. Venture Capital Issues. Early stage Venture Capital for medical device startups has dried up. Venture Capital. Regulatory Issues.

Startup 303

Startup Venture Capital Lean IPO 303

Steve Blank

JUNE 25, 2009

Computer hardware companies were faced with their customers asking for low-cost (relatively) desktop computers they had no experience in building. Their engineering teams didn’t have the expertise using off-the-shelf microprocessors (back then “real” computer companies designed their own instruction sets and operating systems.)

Technology 145

Technology Silicon Valley Fractional VPE Part-Time VPE 145

Steve Blank

MAY 28, 2009

But then, because there might be entrenched competitors and your concept is radically new, you still need to invest in the customer development process to learn how to get design wins from companies who may be happy with their existing vendors. In contrast, customer acquisition, brand, reputation, etc.

Vertical 167

Vertical Silicon Valley Marketing Customer 167

Steve Blank

JULY 1, 2014

While it doesn’t eliminate great investor judgment, pattern recognition skills and mentoring, we’ve developed an Investment Readiness Level tool that fills in these missing pieces. Entrepreneurs should always communicate their business’ very latest stage of customer development as part of their investor presentation.

Sacramento 314

Sacramento Framework Lean Customer Development 314

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 5, 2009

the “schedule fantasy factor,”) or his eleven rules of supercomputer design but also a real appreciation for how a technical visionary thinks. (I Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. I would learn a ton from Gordon for over a decade, not only about practical heuristics for managing complex engineering projects (i.e.

North Carolina 133

North Carolina Silicon Valley Fractional VPE Part-Time VPE 133

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 30, 2014

understand who their core and tertiary customers are, and the sales and marketing process required for initial clinical sales and downstream commercialization. assess intellectual property and regulatory risk before they design and build. Incubators are designed for teams with an idea. It Takes a Village.

San Diego 267

San Diego North Carolina Chicago Lean 267

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 12, 2009

The presentation didn’t have a single word about Lean Startups or Customer Development. Brendan McManus said: “Lessons Learned” – A New Type of Venture Capital Pitch [link] #startup #advice [.] Your “Customer Development Process&# has really resonated for me. Your results may vary.

Venture Capital 245

Venture Capital Silicon Valley RSS Hockey Stick 245

Steve Blank

MAY 22, 2009

Someone from your company has to be designated the official competitive intelligence officer for this show. Everyone should have a chance to walk the floor looking for deals, technology, distribution, customers, etc. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. One of them is a loser. It isn’t going to be your booth.

Silicon Valley 139

Silicon Valley RSS California Customer Development 139

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

This product development diagram had become part of the DNA of Silicon Valley. And even more importantly, was there any way to reduce risk in early stage ventures? familiar with Customer Development you should be. It’s very different than the traditional product development model.

Product Development 163

Product Development Developer Silicon Valley Product 163

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

Yet the processes that early-stage companies were using were identical to that of large corporations. In hindsight it appeared clear that startups that survive the first few tough years do not follow the traditional product-centric launch model espoused by product managers or the venture capital community.

Silicon Valley 135

Silicon Valley RSS Venture Capital California 135

Steve Blank

AUGUST 20, 2009

Resegmentation means these startups are trying to lure some of the current or potential customers away from incumbents by either offering a lower cost product, or by offering features that appealed to a specific niche or subset of the existing users. Do you know the archetype of their customers? Me – “Have you used Company x’s product?

Silicon Valley 210

Silicon Valley Startup RSS Customer Development 210

Steve Blank

APRIL 11, 2013

While the Innovation Clusters designated specific areas of the countries where high tech was to occur, it’s the Technology Business incubators located inside these clusters where the startup companies physically reside. Part 3, the next post describes the rise of Chinese venture capital. Technology Business Incubators (TBIs).

Programming 287

Programming Technical Review SBIR China 287

Steve Blank

JUNE 3, 2009

Reducing Risk – Simulation versus Customer Development If you remember the first part of this discussion, startups face two types of risk; invention risk and/or customer/market risk. But however you do it, in companies with invention risk you want to simulate as much of process as possible, as early as possible.

Vertical 140

Vertical Silicon Valley Marketing RSS 140

Steve Blank

JUNE 5, 2009

Customer Development This strategy of starting on faith, and quickly turning them into facts is the core of the Customer Development process. Employ customer development. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Iterate your product until you get bankable [.] Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 236

Silicon Valley RSS Vertical California 236

Steve Blank

APRIL 29, 2009

Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Every potential startup founder should think about their level of comfort operating in chaos and uncertainty. It may not be for you. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 191

Silicon Valley Iraq RSS Vietnam 191

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

For those of you who have been following the discussion, a Lean Startup is Eric Ries ’s description of the intersection of Customer Development , Agile Development and if available, open platforms and open source. The Customer Development process (and the Lean Startup) is one way to do that.

Lean 263

Lean Silicon Valley Startup RSS 263

Spencer Fry

APRIL 17, 2017

Having started and sold 3 successful bootstrapped businesses, and am now running 1 venture capital backed business ( Coach ), this is a topic I know a thing or two about. These days, to even get noticed, you need to be 100% on point with design, product, copy and marketing. You’ve raised. But that’s for another blog post.).

Bootstrapping 63

Bootstrapping Cap Table Liquidation Preference Cofounder 63

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Blog at WordPress.com.

Redemption 133

Redemption Silicon Valley RSS California 133

Steve Blank

AUGUST 27, 2009

Thirty years later we now realize that its one the causes of early startup failure. This series of posts is a brief explanation of how we’ve evolved from Product Development to Customer Development to the Lean Startup. Product Development In stage two, product development, everyone stops talking and starts working.

Silicon Valley 271

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 271

Steve Blank

APRIL 11, 2013

While the Innovation Clusters designated specific areas of the countries where high tech was to occur, it’s the Technology Business incubators located inside these clusters where the startup companies physically reside. Part 3, the next post describes the rise of Chinese venture capital. Technology Business Incubators (TBIs).

Programming 179

Programming Technical Review SBIR China 179

Steve Blank

JUNE 22, 2009

And venture capital and entrepreneurship has made life even tougher for the modern corporation. Over the last 35 years venture capital has funded nimble new entrants (on a scale never imagined by Schumpeter ) who exist to exploit discontinuities in technology or customer behavior. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 192

Silicon Valley RSS California Agile 192

Steve Blank

MAY 21, 2009

If you think you are going to offend your customers or embarrass your engineering organization, get out of the marketing department. Design your graphics, pre-show promotion, literature and show directory advertising around your focused message and theme. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 207

Silicon Valley RSS California Customer Development 207

Steve Blank

JULY 9, 2009

Don’t confuse your passion for your tools with why your customers will buy your product. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer. Blog at WordPress.com.

Silicon Valley 159

Silicon Valley RSS California Video 159

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2009

Filed under: Customer Development , SuperMac | Tagged: Steve Blank , Entrepreneurs , Early Stage Startup « Killing Innovation with Corner Cases and Consensus The Secret History of Silicon Valley Part VI: Every World War II Movie was Wrong » 7 Responses David , on April 23, 2009 at 8:58 am Said: Excellent!

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley RSS California Customer Development 120

David Teten

OCTOBER 1, 2015

I’ve seen a range of options for supporting entrepreneurs, which I can rank from least to most involvement in companies by investors: financier VCs, e.g., Correlation Ventures. portfolio operator VCs, e.g., Andreessen Horowitz, ff Venture Capital, First Round Capital, Google Ventures. mentor VCs, e.g., most VCs.

Software Development 60

Software Development Software Developers Software Review Technical Cofounder 60

www.instigatorblog.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

I always think that comp design strategy should attract and retain those key employees you need to create the value you need within the time frame you need it. I always think that comp design strategy should attract and retain those key employees you need to create the value you need within the time frame you need it.

Equity 41

Equity Employee Startup Vesting 41

Steve Blank

JULY 2, 2009

To an entrepreneur, being asked to join a venture firm with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence title means you have been tapped on the shoulder by the VC gods. The CDROM content business in the early 1990’s was one of the many of the long line of venture capital fads. How could it go wrong? Little did I know.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Technical Review RSS Software Review 120

SoCal CTO

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

How To Pitch A Product - A VC : Venture Capital and Technology , August 4, 2010 I've said a bunch of times on this blog that the perfect pitch is a very short intro to provide context followed immediately by a demo. Of the 8 founders at the dinner, half of them had a design/ui/ux background. Developer. Why do startups?

Startup 191

Startup CTO Hire Cofounder Venture Capital 191

Steve Blank

MAY 7, 2009

I finally understood how valuable these contests can be for students in cities or countries without a venture capital or entrepreneurial infrastructure. And even if they did – customers don’t ask to see your business plan. to compete.

Business Plan 160

Business Plan Silicon Valley RSS Venture Capital 160