K9 Ventures

AUGUST 13, 2010

SneakerLabs’ first product was a Java-based chat server and client. Since I had good connections with the University, we got a lot of feedback on how the product could be improved to meet their needs. We listened to their feedback and started adding features to the product accordingly. The product worked. Not so fast.

Revenue 72

Revenue Developer Java Customer Development 72

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 4, 2010

The irony is that in a retrospective paper ten years later (1998), [ 2 ] the authors backed off from their claims. 3] In their analysis Golder and Tellis found almost half of the market pioneers (First Movers) in their sample of 500 brands in 50 product categories failed. First to develop or patent an idea. Product Pioneer.

Silicon Valley 319

Silicon Valley Differentiation United States Customer Development 319

Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

VC’s worked with entrepreneurs to build profitable and scalable businesses, with increasing revenue and consistent profitability – quarter after quarter. They taught you about customers, markets and profits. Startups needed millions of dollars of funding just to get their first product out the door to customers.

Internet 334

Internet IPO Silicon Valley Agile 334

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

OCTOBER 23, 2012

” Here’s the summary of his track record (excerpted from the Fast Company article): Forefront — IPO’ed in 1995 by CBT — CBT stock fell 85% in 1998 and prompted class-action lawsuits. Like GroupOn, with a product that everyone agreed was brilliant, spawning 1,000 copy-cats. Support.com — On 2.5m

IPO 240

IPO Flash Bootstrapping Private Equity 240

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

Describing your product as “new and “never been done before” instead of “we’re just like those others guys, but better” could cost your company billions. Soon, RIM was focusing on making products for people on the move, using wireless communication and digital data. Underneath the hood RIM’s product was a technical tour de force.

Hockey Stick 272

Hockey Stick Customer Development Silicon Valley Networking 272

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

But nine months after the first call was made in 1998, Iridium was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 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. No Business Plan survives first contact with a customer.

Business Plan 335

Business Plan Customer Business Model Customer Development 335