Steve Blank

AUGUST 31, 2009

Startups don’t fail because they lack a product; they fail because they lack customers and a profitable business model. Look at the Product Development model and you might wonder, “Where are the customers?” Where exactly did the assumptions in our startup business plan come from?” before you ship.

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Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 244

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 7, 2009

I was out and about in Silicon Valley doing what I would now call Customer Discovery trying to understand how marketing departments in large corporations worked. I remember presenting our ideas for Marketing Automation to one VP of Marketing in a large Silicon Valley company. It’s just a story about what happened to me.

Silicon Valley 253

Silicon Valley Non-disclosure Agreement NDA Startup 253

crowdSPRING Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2012

Start With a Business Model, Not a Business Plan | WSJ – [link]. The danger of waiting to long to find a business model? In Silicon Valley, Technology Talent Gap Threatens G.O.P. Special Report: Silicon Valley’s dirty secret – age bias | Reuters – [link].

Social Media 100

Social Media Small Business Central African Republic Design 100

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

John Jantsch (02:29): So I'm curious, how did you get into the business of advising startups? Well, Steve Hoffman (02:34): First of all, I did three venture funded startups in Silicon valley and two bootstrap startups. You know, could you look at my business plan? So you are your, your business model.

San Francisco 95

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 95

Steve Blank

JUNE 2, 2011

Reinventing the board meeting may allow venture-backed startups a more efficient, productive way to direct and measure their search for a profitable business model. Silicon Valley, New York). Startups now understand what they should be doing in their early formative days is search for a business model.

Silicon Valley 289

Silicon Valley Business Model Early Stage Venture Capital 289

Steve Blank

JULY 25, 2011

Scientists and engineers as founders and startup CEOs is one of the least celebrated contributions of Silicon Valley. ESL, the first company I worked for in Silicon Valley , was founded by a PhD in Math and six other scientists and engineers. Why It’s “Silicon” Valley. It might be its most important.

Engineer 311

Engineer Silicon Valley United States Venture Capital 311

Up and Running

DECEMBER 7, 2012

Here at Palo Alto Software , we’ve added a major new feature to our business planning app , LivePlan, that I think you’re going to love. The mythology of startup planning. The startup mythology is that entrepreneurs don’t actually plan. The goal of any business is to find a scalable and repeatable business model.

Business Model 105

Business Model Developer Silicon Valley Business Plan 105

crowdSPRING Blog

MAY 10, 2013

Defending the Brash Arrogance of Silicon Valley | by Mike Greenfield – [link]. It’s difficult to fake corporate culture | Business Insider – [link]. How a 1-Page Business Model Will – and Won’t–Help Your Lean Startup | by Kevin Dewalt – [link]. The Business Plan.

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Social Media Small Business Design Media 93

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2013

In cohort one, 25 teams chosen from a field of 100+, worked fulltime for eight weeks to take their ideas from a “cocktail napkin” business idea to a viable, scalable business model. Then the coaches joined their teams for three days of business model development, feedback, and training.

Colombia 325

Colombia Lean Silicon Valley Coder 325

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2013

In cohort one, 25 teams chosen from a field of 100+, worked fulltime for eight weeks to take their ideas from a “cocktail napkin” business idea to a viable, scalable business model. Then the coaches joined their teams for three days of business model development, feedback, and training.

Colombia 289

Colombia Lean Silicon Valley Coder 289

Steve Blank

MARCH 18, 2011

The signals are loud and clear : seed and late stage valuations are getting frothy and wacky, and hiring talent in Silicon Valley is the toughest it has been since the dot.com bubble. Software companies had to buy specialized computers and license expensive software. Carpe Diem. We’re now in the second Internet bubble.

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Internet IPO Silicon Valley Agile 335

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

Well … I have had many late nights and I really didn’t contemplate writing many blog postings this month because I spent November in this interesting venture capital / fund raising dance involving lots of late night sessions reviewing legal documents, rewriting business plans and preparing for pitches. Page 4: Business Model.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Term Sheet San Diego Viral 274

thebarefootvc

FEBRUARY 1, 2011

I feel incredibly lucky, to work with an extraordinary group of individuals who are passionate about innovation (in all forms, in business models, funding structures and technology) AND I get to meet inspiring, brilliant entrepreneurs every day. And learn from each other.

Silicon Valley 45

Silicon Valley India Africa Burma 45

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Since the term “cloud computing” was coined in 1996—at least as we have come to understand its meaning—the software as a service industry has exploded. Step 1: Start with a lean plan. Instead of sitting down to write a 40-page business plan, start with a one-page pitch. The business model.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Up and Running

MAY 17, 2012

Business Plan Competitions. After we finalized our business plan, we researched and applied to several business plan competitions and eventually won the MillerCoors Urban Entrepreneur Series. We launched a crowdfunding campaign directed at our friends and family through our own software and website.

Silicon Valley 103

Silicon Valley Startup Campaign Incubator 103

Austin Startup

AUGUST 20, 2017

That will keep the Silicon Valley wags buzzing for some time to come. Your original business plan will probably go out the window when you land your first customer. Your business works as intended if you can attract customers that fit into the context of your operation. How about your Investors ?

Technical Review 48

Technical Review Software Review Cap Table Securities and Exchange Commission 48

Steve Blank

JUNE 8, 2009

Customer Development by Vertical - Click to Enlarge (As a reminder, the Customer Development process says your business plan is just a series of untested hypothesis (unless you’re a domain expert.) How does product development differ in communications hardware versus enterprise software, etc. Innovation – Business Model?

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Vertical Silicon Valley RSS Marketing 125

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

When I decided I wanted to start a company, I realized that I needed to pick up certain skills first, like product management, knowledge of online services, and a practical understanding of commercial software development. The problem is that these competitions seldom produce massively successful businesses.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Reid Hoffman

JULY 27, 2021

When I decided I wanted to start a company, I realized that I needed to pick up certain skills first, like product management, knowledge of online services, and a practical understanding of commercial software development. The problem is that these competitions seldom produce massively successful businesses.

Silicon Valley 69

Silicon Valley Venture Capital Balance Sheet Cofounder 69

Up and Running

AUGUST 21, 2018

This article is part of our Business Planning Guide —a curated list of our articles that will help you with the planning process! Today, I want to introduce a new approach to business planning: Lean Planning. Lean Planning is simpler and faster than writing a traditional business plan.

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Lean Forecast Software Review Business Plan 134

Up and Running

DECEMBER 6, 2012

Today, I want to introduce you to a new concept for starting and growing successful companies: Lean Planning™. It starts with “Plan-As-You-Go” instead of detailed, formal business plans. The business plan should no longer be just a single event. At the time, we used Business Plan Pro and Basecamp for this.

Lean 147

Lean Silicon Valley Forecast Technical Review 147

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 24, 2017

To turn your company’s stock into cash, you engaged a top-notch investment bank (Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs) and/or their Silicon Valley compatriots (Hambrecht & Quist, Montgomery Securities, Robertson Stephens). — all great things when you are executing and scaling a known business model. Board Control.

Founder 274

Founder Technical Review CTO Hire IPO 274

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

You can’t start and run a business these days with a working knowledge and access to online and standalone tools, including a word processor, spreadsheet editing, and presentation software. You will also need business management tools, such as Quickbooks, Zoom, and Hubspot. Write a business plan for your desired new business.

Silicon Valley 286

Silicon Valley Angel Investor LLC Incubator 286

SoCal CTO

DECEMBER 1, 2010

Five Reasons You Haven’t Launched - Software By Rob , November 10, 2010 Photo by stevendepolo. It’s Easy to Be Great…It’s Hard to Be Consistent - Software By Rob , November 4, 2010 No link from TechCrunch, write-up on Mashable, mention by Leo Laporte, or Tweet by Ashton Kucher is going to make your business. call to arms.

Technical Review 175

Technical Review Technology Product CTO Hire 175

Startup Lessons Learned

JANUARY 10, 2011

This week, the startup tribe from Harvard Business School is making their annual trek to Silicon Valley. It’s a common refrain around Silicon Valley to disparage the role of MBA’s in entrepreneurship. It’s a common refrain around Silicon Valley to disparage the role of MBA’s in entrepreneurship.

Silicon Valley 167

Silicon Valley San Francisco Lean Investment Bankers 167

ConversionXL

JANUARY 28, 2013

Steve Blank , a Silicon Valley mentor and serial-entrepreneur, recognized for developing the customer development methodology, says it best: No plan survives first contact with customers. Sure, he was talking about business models and business plans, but it applies to websites as well.

Conversion 106

Conversion Silicon Valley Matching Design 106

Steve Blank

MAY 26, 2009

The guidelines I had originally proposed to my students worked for enterprise software or Web 2.0 You kids have to learn to do it the old fashioned way they did it before they new economy and Silicon Valley. Steve Blanks 30 years of Silicon Valley startup advice. Yeah, I said. Bootstrap for years! Order Here.

Vertical 156

Vertical Silicon Valley Intellectual Property RSS 156

Up and Running

DECEMBER 5, 2016

Lean Planning is a concept that we introduced back in 2012 as an evolution in business planning. The traditional business plan just wasn’t fitting the needs of modern, fast-moving companies and it was time to bring more of a scientific approach to business planning. It starts with “Plan-As-You-Go”.

Lean 60

Lean Silicon Valley Business Model Forecast 60

Austin Startup

MARCH 2, 2019

It is about the damning nature of an overcapitalized business. I saw this movie in Silicon Valley?—?where Writing a business plan is a must; failed entrepreneurs rarely take that step. Taking over an existing business is always the best bet; failed entrepreneurs prefer to start from scratch.

Advisory Board 51

Advisory Board Cofounder Greece Bootstrapping 51

maplebutter.com

JANUARY 8, 2013

I’m not afraid to pick up the phone, cold call someone, use LinkedIn to find someone who’s recently left a company that might be considered competitive and ask them for advise around the business model and marketplace. How I can find the right investor (software)? No investor cares about a business plan.

Technical Review 44

Technical Review Startup Cofounder Software Review 44

Startup Lessons Learned

MARCH 13, 2009

In some businesses, especially in certain industries like traditional enterprise software, you simply cannot bring a new product to market on your own. Figuring this out takes time, and few entrepreneurs have the patience to wait it out, because the business plan does such a good job of explaining what customers are going to think.

San Francisco 168

San Francisco PR Lean Early Stage 168

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 22, 2009

At this point in my career I didn’t understand that the goal of getting outside the building was not only finding markets with potential customers to sell to but also confirming the company’s vision, business model and product/market fit. Steve Blanks 30 years of Silicon Valley startup advice. More in the next post.

Silicon Valley 197

Silicon Valley RSS Vertical California 197

Professor VC

OCTOBER 11, 2010

The last blogger in Silicon Valley. Blake Southwood Founder of LIghtning Storm Software. Professor Bennet, I'm seeking advice (especially raising funding) for my startup called Lightning Storm Software. I'd be happy to send you our business plan, exec summary, and ppt. ProfessorVC. Blake Southwood.

Social Network 28

Social Network Networking Software Review San Jose 28

SoCal CTO

JANUARY 5, 2011

Some really great stuff in 2010 that aims to help startups around product, technology, business models, etc. 500 Hats , February 1, 2010 When to Use Facebook Connect – Twitter Oauth – Google Friend Connect for Authentication?

Silicon Valley 378

Silicon Valley Startup Term Sheet Venture Capital 378

mashable.com

NOVEMBER 3, 2010

The web and technology bubble has a lot in common with the rest of the business world in that there are essentially two disparate groups — the haves and the have nots. The group seeks out technologies that are complementary to the company’s core operations, including applications, software and infrastructure startups.

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Angel Investor Startup San Francisco Social Media 80

Steve Blank

MAY 9, 2017

I’ve watched the Valley go from Microwave Valley – to Defense Valley – to Silicon Valley to Internet Valley. And I’ve been lucky enough to watch innovation happen not only in hardware and software but in Life Sciences – in Therapeutics, Medical Devices, Diagnostics and now Digital Health.

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Restful Silicon Valley Puerto Rico San Jose 243

techcrunch.com

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

And investors said they intend to invest more in cleantech than software going forward. This is a big reversal, as software has long been the dominant category for venture deals, but it’s unknown whether software has lost favor, or whether it’s just become so pervasive that it doesn’t really hold together as a category anymore.

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Venture Capital Technical Review Sweat Equity Valuation 62