Steve Blank

MAY 7, 2009

I hate business plan competitions. I Love Business Plan Competitions I had a breakfast with a friend who has founded a few companies in Thailand and started the New Ventures Program at one of their universities. For all the reasons why business plan competitions are wonderful for students from outside the U.S.,

Business Plan 140

Business Plan Silicon Valley RSS Venture Capital 140

Steve Blank

JUNE 8, 2021

Although the class was run completely online, and even though they were suffering from Zoom fatigue, the 10 teams of 42 students collectively interviewed 1,142 beneficiaries, stakeholders, requirements writers, program managers, industry partners, etc. – while simultaneously building a series of minimal viable products.

Lean 385

Lean Security Asia SBIR 385

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 10, 2014

We didn’t know it at the time, but with that investment we had paid for front-row VIP seats to witness the origins of Customer Development and the Lean Startup. Since 2013, DC I-Corps has trained over 150 teams with the kind of impact NSF and Steve envisioned when they launched the program. It’s a Capitol Idea.

Maryland 272

Maryland Lean DC Virginia 272

Steve Blank

JUNE 26, 2014

We’re changing the order in which we teach the business model canvas and customer development to better-fit therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. The Lean LaunchPad class uses the three “ Lean Startup ” principles: Alexander Osterwalders “ business model canvas ” to frame hypotheses. Lessons Learned.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Lean IP Open Source 281

Steve Blank

JUNE 19, 2014

The traditional model of how to turn scientific discovery into a business has been: 1) make a substantive discovery, 2) write a business plan/grant application, 3) raise funding, 4) execute the plan, 5) reap the financial reward. Customer Development Lean LaunchPad Life Sciences National Science Foundation'

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Lean SBIR Intellectual Property Customer Development 269

Steve Blank

MARCH 26, 2019

It’s hard to imagine, but only a decade ago, the capstone entrepreneurship class in most universities was how to write – or pitch- a business plan. In my experience, I saw that most business plans don’t survive first contact with customers. As a serial entrepreneur turned educator, this didn’t make sense to me.

Lean 248

Lean Business Model Balance Sheet Video 248

Steve Blank

JULY 13, 2021

By the end of the 20th century, case studies and business plans had reached an evolutionary dead-end for entrepreneurs. The Rise of Business Schools – Management as an Occupation. The business school was invented in the first decade of the 20th century in response to a massive economic transformation in the U.S.

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Lean Agile Business Model Business Plan 433

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 7, 2011

—— I was invited to Finland as part of Stanford’s Engineering Technology Venture Program partnership with Aalto University. In addition to Tekes, Vigo , the government’s attempt at funding private business accelerators, started with good intentions and got hijacked by government bureaucrats.

Finland 324

Finland Venture Capital Government Russia 324

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Their idea is that consumers will want a subscription service for short form entertainment (10-minute programs) for mobile rather than full length movies. Startups wrote business plans, generated expansive 5-year forecasts and executed (hired, spent and built) to the plan. He just hired Meg Whitman.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 10, 2011

I was invited to Finland as part of Stanford’s Engineering Technology Venture Program partnership with Aalto University. Filed under: Business Model versus Business Plan , Customer Development , Teaching , Venture Capital. Thanks to Kristo Ovaska and team for the fabulous logistics!)

Finland 324

Finland Naming Russia Government 324

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 13, 2010

I’ve spent the last week in Santiago, a guest of Professor Cristóbal García at the Catholic University of Chile as part of Stanford’s Engineering Technology Venture Program. Here’s the course announcement from Professor Vergara (in English): Customer Development Course in Chile – Lean Launchpad. Teaching in Chile.

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Chile Silicon Valley Lean Agile 235

Steve Blank

JUNE 12, 2020

Second, doing customer discovery via video actually increased the number of interviews the students were able to do each week. The eight teams spoke to over 945 beneficiaries, stakeholders, requirements writers, program managers, warfighters, legal, security, customers, etc. It Started with an Idea.

Oakland 301

Oakland Asia Lean Video 301

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

For those of you who have been following the discussion, a Lean Startup is Eric Ries ’s description of the intersection of Customer Development , Agile Development and if available, open platforms and open source. The Customer Development process (and the Lean Startup) is one way to do that.

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Lean Silicon Valley Startup RSS 244

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 11, 2016

The program examines the DNA of entrepreneurs: what makes them tick, how they came up with their ideas; and explores the habits that make them successful, and the highs and lows that pushed them forward. He was also on the team that wrote the business plan for BlackGirlsCode. Tune in Thursday, Oct.

Columbus 245

Columbus Entrepreneur Ohio Cofounder 245

Feld Thoughts

OCTOBER 4, 2013

I’ve been a big supporter of Startup Weekend , locally and nationally, since the very beginning and I’m continuing to do so by both sponsoring and mentoring in the NEXT Boulder program. As the City Coordinator of the NEXT program, check out what he has to say about why he thinks the program is valuable.

Startup 130

Startup Vesting Cofounder Lean 130

Steve Blank

JUNE 18, 2013

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. It dawned on me that the plans were a symptom of a larger problem: we were executing business plans when we should first be searching for business models. We were putting the plan before the planning.

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Lean Agile Customer Development Business Model 286

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. Experienced entrepreneurs kept finding that no business plan survived first contact with customers. So what would a search process for a business model look like? Sign up and find out how to start a company!

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Lean Georgia Michigan Business Model 317

Steve Blank

MARCH 29, 2010

The key things I want students to take from the class are: Understand that a startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a profitable business model. Learn how to put together a business model , not a business plan. Class Logistics. As described in the previous post , this is a hands-on class.

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Business Model Silicon Valley California Engineer 226

SoCal CTO

JUNE 9, 2010

Berkeley Boalt Law School and runs their entrepreneurship program. Bending over: How to sell to large companies - A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks , May 24, 2010 This is a guest post by Steve Hanov , who blogs about programming and startups. They’re deep into Customer Development ,” he said. Stay Tuned.

Fractional CTO 248

Fractional CTO Startup Venture Capital Cofounder 248

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 ? Don’t Throw the Tomatoes.

Search 320

Search Business Model Customer Development Agile 320

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 31, 2014

channel partners and Chinese manufacturers and customer acquisition and activation programs outside their home country. Filed under: Business Model versus Business Plan , Customer Development. Business Model versus Business Plan Customer Development'

Global 335

Global Australia Silicon Valley China 335

Steve Blank

JUNE 4, 2012

As the morning fog burns off the California coast, I am working with Steve Blank, preparing for the Lean LaunchPad Faculty Development Program we are running this August at U.C. Alex had been recruited back by his Alma Matter to create an entrepreneurship program. Small businesses make up 99.7% Lessons Learned.

Silicon Valley 305

Silicon Valley Lean Utah Customer Development 305

Steve Blank

MARCH 5, 2015

Starting this Monday, March 9 th 4-6pm Pacific Time I’ll be on the radio hosting the Bay Area Ventures program on Sirius XM radio Channel 111 – the Wharton Business Radio Channel. Over this program I’ll be talking to entrepreneurs, financial experts and academic leaders in the tech and biotech industries.

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Channel Venture Capital Lean Business Model 120

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2013

My co-author and business Partner Bob Dorf spends much of his time traveling the world teaching countries and companies how to run the Lean LaunchPad program. The program is funded by the Colombian government and modeled after the NSF Innovation-Corps program created and built by my partner and co-author Steve Blank.

Colombia 321

Colombia Lean Silicon Valley Coder 321

Campus Entrepreneurship

APRIL 25, 2013

Received an email the other day about a celebration / competition focusing on business models and customer development. 1) design an impactful idea, 2) identify, test and validate business model hypotheses using customer development tools and. Check out the USASBE Launch competition website. USASBE Launch!

Customer Development 37

Customer Development Business Model Developer Customer 37

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 11, 2016

The program examines the DNA of entrepreneurs: what makes them tick, how they came up with their ideas; and explores the habits that make them successful, and the highs and lows that pushed them forward. He was also on the team that wrote the business plan for BlackGirlsCode. Tune in Thursday, Oct.

Columbus 120

Columbus Entrepreneur Ohio Cofounder 120

Steve Blank

JUNE 18, 2013

I wondered if business plans and 5-year forecasts were the right way to plan a startup. It dawned on me that the plans were a symptom of a larger problem: we were executing business plans when we should first be searching for business models. We were putting the plan before the planning.

Lean 178

Lean Agile Customer Development Business Model 178

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

The class was designed to teach educators (and the adjunct entrepreneurs that support them) the Lean LaunchPad approach (Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering) for teaching entrepreneurship. Starting a business is a hands-on endeavor, and I am thrilled when my students take action and execute.

Delaware 297

Delaware Lean Entrepreneur Advisory Board 297

Steve Blank

JANUARY 22, 2013

My co-author and business Partner Bob Dorf spends much of his time traveling the world teaching countries and companies how to run the Lean LaunchPad program. The program is funded by the Colombian government and modeled after the NSF Innovation-Corps program created and built by my partner and co-author Steve Blank.

Colombia 271

Colombia Lean Silicon Valley Coder 271

Steve Blank

JUNE 7, 2019

The eight teams spoke to over 820 beneficiaries, stakeholders, requirements writers, program managers, warfighters, legal, security, customers, etc. Followed by an 8-minute slide presentation follow their customer discovery journey over the 10-weeks. All the presentations are worth a watch. Team: Panacea.

Oakland 266

Oakland Lean SBIR Afghanistan 266

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

The class was designed to teach educators (and the adjunct entrepreneurs that support them) the Lean LaunchPad approach (Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering) for teaching entrepreneurship. Starting a business is a hands-on endeavor, and I am thrilled when my students take action and execute.

Delaware 189

Delaware Lean Entrepreneur Advisory Board 189

Startup Lessons Learned

JANUARY 10, 2011

We still have some collective scar tissue: the idea conjures up the hordes of dot-com hopefuls that descended on VC’s and angel investors with little more than a business plan. I hear similar things for pre-revenue startups that are on schedule, on time, and on budget - even though they are busy building something that nobody wants. (In

Silicon Valley 167

Silicon Valley San Francisco Lean Investment Bankers 167

Steve Blank

MAY 10, 2011

These diagrams are the visual representation of the how and the what a team learned in the class – how they tested their hypotheses by getting out of the building using the Customer Development process and what they learned about each part of their business model. is just another engineering process, not building a business.

Lean 279

Lean Business Model Agile Customer Development 279

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 14, 2012

The class was designed to teach educators (and the entrepreneurs that support them) the Lean LaunchPad approach (Business Model Design, Customer Development and Agile Engineering) for teaching entrepreneurship. But on the first day, Steve framed it in a different way: execution of a business plan doesn’t matter.

Developer 300

Developer Arizona Lean Business Model 300

Steve Blank

MARCH 7, 2012

Startups are in fact only temporary organizations, organized to search –not execute–for a scalable and repeatable business model. We trying to teach students a methodology that combines customer development, agile development, business models and pivots. Yet this isn’t an incubator.

Lean 256

Lean Business Model Agile United States 256

steveblank.com

JULY 8, 2011

automatic links to generated images Rietveld - asynchronous code reviews on changesets Tech*if*er0*urs – blog on roadmap for learning rails Best free programming books Project Management Basecamp - web-based project management and collaboration tool. Jeff skinner Faculty, London Business School. Thus, these pages.

Software Review 110

Software Review Startup Silicon Valley Analytics 110

Steve Blank

JULY 28, 2011

From the point of view of scientists and engineers in a university lab, too often entrepreneurship in all its VC-driven glory – income statements, balance sheets, business plans, revenue models, 5-year forecasts, etc. Each team accepted into the program will receive $50,000. Yet this system isn’t perfect. What Took You So Long.

Engineer 278

Engineer Silicon Valley United States Intellectual Property 278