These days, most entrepreneurs I talk to understand the importance of speaking with customers before building a full-blown product. But unfortunately, I often speak with entrepreneurs that have only talked to one or two customers. The danger in speaking with too few customers is that you bet too much on too little data. Maybe. MORE >>

As part of our Lean LaunchPad  classes at Stanford, Berkeley, Columbia and for the National Science Foundation, students build a startup in 8 weeks using Business Model Design + Customer Development. How To Build a Web Startup – The Lean LaunchPad Edition. Get customers to the site. Craft company hypotheses. Step 2. MORE >>

Personas are an amazing tool for doing customer development. Customer Development Entrepreneurship User Experience design lean user experience personas user experienceThey are the clearest form of hypothesis, test, and learn (a.k.a. build, measure, learn). MORE >>

When it comes to the Lean Startup process, it’s even harder. The Lean Startup methodology is much more tempered and focused. You can probably be convinced to do a little bit of customer development, interview some people and think a bit more before jumping in completely blind. And then, Lean Startup says, “Great. MORE >>

There is an ongoing misconception that creating a company under a lean startup approach is incompatible with a big entrepreneurial vision. Customer Development Entrepreneurship Lean startup startup vision MORE >>