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Lessons Learned: About the author

Startup Lessons Learned

Maybe youd like to start with The lean startup , How to listen to customers , or What does a startup CTO actually do? ) He serves on the advisory board of a number of technology startups, and has worked as a consultant to a number of startups, companies, and venture capital firms. Would love to get in touch.

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How to listen to customers, and not just the loud people

Startup Lessons Learned

Establish a customer advisory board. Create a members-only forum where only qualified customers (perhaps, paying customers) can post. Let them connect with each other, but also with you. Treat these people as VIPs, and listen to what they have to say. Hand pick a dozen customers who "get" your vision.

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Pivot, don't jump to a new vision

Startup Lessons Learned

Each cycle was punctuated by a meeting of our Business Advisory Board (BAB). As the CTO/VP Engineering, I was the worst offender. More than anything, it forced us to take advantage of necessity, the mother of invention. Heres what it looked like. IMVU had a roughly two-month-long development cycle.