Up and Running

MAY 12, 2020

Your plan doesn’t need to be a lengthy document either, especially if you follow a Lean Planning methodology. Now if you’re looking for an active plan that you can edit and adjust over time, you may want to consider creating a lean plan. Customer relationship management software. Share customer stories and experiences.

Software Review 153

Software Review Exit Strategy Technical Review Business Plan 153

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

If you’re creating a plan to manage your business once you’re up and running, a Lean Plan will suit you best. We’ll walk you through creating a One-Page Pitch, a standard business plan (the traditional option), and a lean business plan, with a checklist for each. Describe the problem your potential customers have.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Lean Forecast Balance Sheet 60

Up and Running

JANUARY 15, 2018

Create a Lean Business Plan. Instead, you can create an alternative to a traditional business plan—a Lean Plan which is easier to adapt throughout the life of your business. You should also include some core financials such as a sales forecast, expense budget, and cash flow forecast.

Web 86

Web Design Software Review Elevator Pitch 86

Up and Running

AUGUST 8, 2018

It only takes an hour each month, keeps the management team up to speed on everything that’s going on in the company, and helps us plan and manage in a lean and effective way. How did we do last month compared to our forecast? What does our cash flow forecast look like for the next few months? Let’s do the numbers.

Software Review 65

Software Review Business Plan Product Forecast 65

Up and Running

JULY 1, 2020

Quickly scratch out a business plan, even employing a lean planning model , for your expansion like it’s a new business. Financial projections: You’ll need to forecast how the expansion will improve future profitability. Determine how you’ll approach your marketing efforts to ensure that you don’t overwhelm or deter your customers.

Business Plan 152

Business Plan Forecast Operations Dilution 152

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2022

The payback in team engagement, as well as customer revenue and loyalty, can be large. This may require hiring new people, expanding skillsets, and providing coaching to get the high degree of creativity often required. Keep focus on the journey to a common goal. Specifying roles is seen by the team as distributing power.

Forecast 340

Forecast Agile Lean Distribution 340

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 11, 2020

The Company and management chapter describes your current team members and who you need to hire to improve your business in the future. Start with a segment that is most valuable for your business financial stability that includes: Sales forecast. Pro Tip: Lean Startup Format. Financial plan. Cash flow statement. Final Check.

Business Plan 264

Business Plan Balance Sheet Lean Forecast 264

Up and Running

JANUARY 25, 2018

If you spend your whole hour doing one thing and one thing only, this should be nailing your value proposition and ensuring that your customers are at the heart of all your subsequent decisions, like investment and hiring. Finding your customer niche is the next challenge in the development of your plan.

eCommerce 96

eCommerce Business Plan Audience Lean 96

Duct Tape Marketing

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

Does that muddy up the forecasting, the models, or the accounting? [12:31] 15:59] What’s the first strategic sort of leadership hire that you think an agency needs? [17:07] I'm gonna go hire 'em now they know. You know, we aren't getting enough content written, hire somebody, you know, that's right.

CPA 70

CPA Technical Review Revenue Forecast 70

Startup Lessons Learned

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

Last May, I shared the news that long-time Lean Startup advocates Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits were working on a new book called The Lean Entrepreneur featuring illustrations by FAKEGRIMLOCK. LitMotors approach to using Lean Startup to create a new vehicle category. That new book is about to hit bookstores everywhere.

Lean 167

Lean Entrepreneur Agile San Francisco 167

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2018

A Lean Business Plan might be a better fit if you simply need to think through all the different aspects of your business. A Lean Plan will be shorter, and it lends itself to quick revisions, but both types follow the same general outline. They tend to be lengthier and more detailed. Use it as a tool, especially around your financials.

Business Plan 72

Business Plan Technical Review Exit Strategy Oregon 72

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

When you put together a business plan, you have to spend time thinking about things like your target market , your sales, and marketing strategy , the problem you solve for your customers, and who your key competitors are. Beyond understanding your business strategy, investors will also want to understand your financial forecasts.

Business Plan 138

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Exit Strategy 138

Up and Running

AUGUST 21, 2018

Today, I want to introduce a new approach to business planning: Lean Planning. Lean Planning replaces lengthy business plans with a 20-minute planning process that focuses on increasing your chances of success in business. Lean Planning is simpler and faster than writing a traditional business plan. Test the plan.

Lean 134

Lean Forecast Software Review Business Plan 134

Austin Startup

JANUARY 20, 2021

I had to throw out my desire to build a perfect strategy and forecast for the business. Hire Fast, Fire Fast Many startups live by the principle of “Hire Slow, Fire Fast.” They deploy this principle intending to create a lean, high-performing startup. On the flip side, I disagree with the “hire slow” part.

Sales 64

Sales Startup Sales Cycle Revenue 64

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

When Ive asked mentors of mine who have worked in big companies about the role of the CTO, they usually talk about the importance of being the external face of the companys technology platform; an evangelist to developers, customers, and employees. Thats an important job, for sure, and Ive been called upon to do it from time to time.

CTO 168

CTO Fractional CTO CTO Hire Technical Review 168

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Learn why the traditional way of writing a five-year business plan is often a waste of time and how to use a Lean Plan instead for smarter, easier strategic planning to establish your long-term vision. It has less focus on financial forecasting and a greater focus on the big picture. Entrepreneurs are always thinking about the future.

Business Plan 83

Business Plan Lean Forecast Exit Strategy 83

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 6, 2011

The Lean Startup Book is done. If you've been waiting for a comprehensive account of the Lean Startup and how it can help you achieve dramatically better business results, this is it. Most of our management tools, like planning and forecasting, require a long and stable operating history. I am no longer writing a book.

Lean 167

Lean Startup Metrics Private Equity 167

OnlyOnce

JULY 9, 2013

The book has been described by a few CEOs who read it and commented early for me along the lines of “The Lean Startup movement is great, but this book starts where most of those books end and takes you through the ‘so you have a product that works in-market – now what?’ questions”.

Startup 95

Startup Advisory Board Elevator Pitch Forecast 95

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

We use the lean planning methodology to figure this out. Define your ideal customer. How easy is it to acquire a customer, and how much will it cost? Estimate your basic expenses and forecast sales to ensure that you can make a profit with your business. Determine if your initial price points will work for your customers.

Elevator Pitch 60

Elevator Pitch Startup Balance Sheet Forecast 60

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 ? And when do business planning and execution come into play?

Search 324

Search Business Model Customer Development Agile 324

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 3, 2009

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. The meaning of alpha test , beta test, and first customer ship are pretty obvious to most engineers.

Customer Development 228

Customer Development Developer Silicon Valley Customer 228

Up and Running

AUGUST 28, 2019

Also, creating a quick lean financial forecast will help ensure your business idea is viable and financially sound. In addition to those two types of hired help, you can get free guidance and support from a local SBDC consultant. Will be remembered by your customers. Give your business a name. Name your registered agent.

Delaware 83

Delaware Stock Nevada Technical Review 83

Up and Running

OCTOBER 30, 2017

How easy is it (and how much will it cost you) to acquire a customer? It means that the market for your product or service already exists, so you know that you have potential customers who are willing to spend money on your product or service. Hiring staff. Have you honed in on who exactly your target market is?

Venture Capital 166

Venture Capital Business Plan Limited Liability Company Finance 166

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 5, 2009

That’s because the model is based on assumptions about customers that are totally unproven. If we already knew who the customer was, how they would behave, how much they would pay, and how to reach them, this wouldn’t be a disruptive innovation. The solution is to change our focus from outputs to inputs. If it costs $0.10

San Francisco 102

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment Startup 102

Up and Running

DECEMBER 4, 2014

If you aren’t solving a problem for potential customers, then how will you get people to buy your product or service? As important as having a problem to solve, is having customers that have this problem. Knowing who your ideal customer is and how you can find them is critical to starting a successful business.

Forecast 152

Forecast Elevator Pitch Lean Silicon Valley 152

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 30, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Thursday, October 30, 2008 John Doerrs 10 lean startup tips I just saw video of John Doerrs talk yesterday at VentureBeat’s “How to manage your start-up in the downturn&# roundtable event. Get 18 months or more of cash (runway) in the business against a conservative forecast. Use Google Apps.

Lean 121

Lean San Francisco Continuous Deployment DC 121

Eric Friedman

JANUARY 23, 2022

Lean on these people and make sure they know their role in your world – people appreciate it. Hiring takes longer than you think. I love to look at founder calendars to calibrate how important hiring is to them. I like to look for competency of modeling vs. accuracy of prediction when I look at early stage forecasts.

Early Stage 78

Early Stage Equity .Net Vesting 78

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Step 1: Start with a lean plan. 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. Also, make a bullet list of the marketing activities that will drive customers to your door.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2016

The chicken-egg issue of getting customers to your platform while you don’t have any money to spare is a puzzle that many companies are unable to figure out at all. This is what our hiring landscape looked like over the past year: Pre-2015, we hired three founders: 1x hustler in charge of strategic growth hacking.

Revenue 60

Revenue Acquisition Channel Campaign 60

Up and Running

AUGUST 20, 2018

Most of us need just a Lean Business Plan, for internal use, with just bullet point lists and important projections. Good businesses always keep their Lean Plan up to date. The lean business plan is great news because it makes the planning process much less daunting. More on that in the section on the Lean Plan.

Business Plan 119

Business Plan Technical Review Lean Forecast 119

Steve Blank

JULY 11, 2016

Jessica ran things as lean as she could for the next few months while figuring out what to do. I went to a customer’s office and I watched him use my software. — Jessica learned an important lesson about hiring: I thought, wow, it’d be great to work with friends, but it was horrible. I cut the company in half.

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Entrepreneur Cofounder Customer Development 120

Up and Running

AUGUST 12, 2015

I am here to talk about LivePlan and give you some big picture information on business planning, forecasting, how to really kick your business off in the best possible way. You need to think of business planning from a lean perspective, and it’s just enough to get you to the right place. It is lean. Good morning.

Forecast 60

Forecast Video Business Plan United States 60

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.

Silicon Valley 269

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 269

The Entrepreneurial Mind

JANUARY 17, 2011

Most forecasts for 2011 are indicating little or modest growth in employment. This is particularly bad news for most small businesses because they rely on customers who are willing to spend money to fuel growth in revenues. With continuing weak sales, small-business owners remain unwilling to increase hiring.

Small Business Administration 64

Small Business Administration Bootstrapping Washington Forecast 64

Up and Running

OCTOBER 1, 2014

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. If a taking on a customer means changing too many things, that client just might not be the right fit, Nelson says. Plan ahead.

Bootstrapping 107

Bootstrapping Cofounder Portland Burn Rate 107

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 13, 2009

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Monday, July 13, 2009 The Principles of Product Development Flow If youve ever wondered why agile or lean development techniques work, The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development by Donald G. For example, take the lean dictum of working in small batches.

Product Development 153

Product Development Developer San Francisco Product 153

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 12, 2018

Lots of new box companies have trouble ironing out the kinks in their process: their customer can’t easily unsubscribe, their boxes just aren’t exciting or well-curated, and more. But if you’re writing a plan as an internal guide for strategic growth, you should consider a lighter version— a Lean Plan. Any of these can lead to failure.

Business Plan 63

Business Plan Curation Balance Sheet Intellectual Property 63