Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2013

Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying. Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story.

Founder 250

Founder Startup Software Developers Software Development 250

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

With an out-of-this-world business plan. 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. A Business Plan Frozen in Time. This business plan was a static document.

Business Plan 335

Business Plan Customer Business Model Customer Development 335

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 24, 2012

Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying. Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story.

Software Developers 229

Software Developers Software Development Business Model Product Development 229

Steve Blank

AUGUST 31, 2009

After 20 years of working in startups, I decided to take a step back and look at the product development model I had been following and see why it usually failed to provide useful guidance in activities outside the building – sales, marketing and business development. So what’s wrong the product development model?

Customer Development 238

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 238

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 6, 2011

Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying. Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story.

Startup 245

Startup Software Developers Software Development Business Model 245

Gust

APRIL 27, 2014

Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. Find an IT person you can trust, and plan how you will acquire, implement, and utilize computer technology to run your business.

Startup 187

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 187

Steve Blank

MAY 6, 2015

Waterfall Development. While it sounds simple , the Build Measure Learn approach to product development is a radical improvement over the traditional Waterfall model used throughout the 20 th century to build and ship products. Waterfall Development was all about execution of the requirements document.

Lean 120

Lean Agile Business Model Customer Development 120

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 19, 2020

Capturing and analyzing data enables companies to get insights that benefit their companies in cost-saving, relevant marketing, product development, etc. With appropriate data analytics, a business can predict and comprehend the market, competition, customer demands, etc.

Technical Review 153

Technical Review Forecast Analytics Social Media 153

YoungUpstarts

MAY 23, 2018

Many founders or startup teams gravitate toward sales or design. Sometimes, it’s the lack of a proper business plan that really hurts the startup. Often, there’s a disconnect between the decision-makers and what might be thought of as the dry, boring realities of successful management.

Due Diligence 133

Due Diligence Startup Finance Leadership 133

SoCal CTO

OCTOBER 15, 2009

I have about 11 years in the technology sector including roles doing market research, sales and product development. My focus has been marketing strategy and product development. I’m currently working with several startups, helping them launch new web businesses. Most people think they can do product design.

Los Angeles 179

Los Angeles Southern California Management Product 179

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Startups wrote business plans, generated expansive 5-year forecasts and executed (hired, spent and built) to the plan. First Movers” didn’t understand customer problems or the product features that solved those problems (what we now call product-market fit). Every startup is in a race against time. The result?

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2010

Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying. Maybe he was the only guy around who could design the product you envisioned, but delivering a scalable, quality product is another story.

Software Developers 122

Software Developers Software Development Business Model Design 122

Up and Running

JULY 19, 2016

It’s about what your business does for people that other businesses don’t do. See Also: Business Planning Guide. I’m not sure where this classic positioning statement template started, or whom to credit, but I’ve found it very useful for years of developing business plans. Positioning diagrams.

Business Plan 60

Business Plan Developer Marketing Social Media 60

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

One of the sayings I hear from talented managers in product development is, “good enough never is.&# And, most importantly, it helps team members develop the courage to stand up for these values in stressful situations. This is precisely the dilemma that the doctrine of minimum viable product is designed to solve.

San Francisco 167

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment Software Review 167

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 5, 2009

It should go without saying that this post is not advice, nor is it recommendation of what you should do, it’s simply my observation of how companies using Customer Development positioned themselves to successfully raise money from venture investors. Is there a profitable business model? What are Early Stage VC’s Really Asking?

Customer Development 262

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 262

Steve Blank

MAY 9, 2017

The second thing that’s changed is that we’re now Compressing the Product Development Cycle. In the 20 th century startups I was part of, the time to build a first product release was measured in years as we turned out the founder’s vision of what customers wanted. Not kind of wrong but going out of business wrong.

Restful 222

Restful Silicon Valley Puerto Rico San Jose 222

Hearpreneur

JULY 10, 2017

That’s exactly what Ozmo Smart Bottles and Ap p are designed to do. Prior to starting Ozmo both Ming and I worked in a design house creating new and better products. On a personal level, running a business rather than being employed allows me greater freedom to exercise my creativity. But, who am I?

Entrepreneur 99

Entrepreneur Hungary Software Review Cofounder 99

Steve Blank

MARCH 4, 2014

For most companies it feels like innovation can only happen by exception and heroic efforts, not by design. The Enterprise: Business Model Execution We know that a startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. By design not by exception. The question is – why?

IRR 335

IRR Startup Business Model Agile 335

The Next Web

AUGUST 26, 2012

Develop a strong backbone. The backbone of your technology company revolves around a well-organized, up-to-date, specific and documented vision, brand-key, business plan, intellectual property rights, contracts, financial administration, NDAs and bylaws it can rely on. It really is fundamental.”

Bankruptcy 121

Bankruptcy Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence 121

Steve Blank

MAY 14, 2012

These founders specify, design, and build a fully featured product using classic product development methods without ever leaving their building. Executives look at that date and the calendar, working backward to ignite fireworks on the day the product is launched. After all, it got the old VP fired, right?).

Balance Sheet 335

Balance Sheet Business Model Customer Development Metrics 335

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 2, 2009

The Customer Development process says preserve your cash by not hiring anyone in sales and marketing until the founders turn hypotheses into facts and you have found product/market fit. This “get out of the building” activity is the Customer Discovery step of the Customer Development Model. Theme: Digg 3 Column by WP Designer.

Lean 244

Lean Silicon Valley Startup RSS 244

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 31, 2016

I am a licensed Realtor with a business plan that will catapult my business. I have created a business plan to achieve those goals. next year I am looking forward to a real estate business that produces consistent income. 5 years ago, I started my business from just my laptop!

Entrepreneur 68

Entrepreneur Software Review New Zealand Mobile 68

Up and Running

DECEMBER 22, 2015

I have to admit, I’ve seen some judges of graduate-level business plan competitions care about IRR, but never an actual angel investor during actual due diligence. Please, get a clue: Real businesses usually turn out net profits in single digits, and only rarely up as high as 20%. You’re out of school now.

Angel Investor 60

Angel Investor IRR Software Review Startup 60

Hearpreneur

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

Businesses that clearly define their short-term and long-term goals tend to achieve their goals faster and more efficiently than those without any plan. Besides the general focus on customer and product development, an entrepreneur should foresee the next moves that will serve to guide him on the right path.

Forecast 127

Forecast Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur Technical Review 127

YoungUpstarts

JANUARY 25, 2012

In this book, Daniel Pink explains why creativity and innovation will soon be at the heart of every business strategy in the 21st century and why you shouldn’t ignore the valuable, though perhaps less practical lessons, provided by your right brain. The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage by Roger L.

Merger 228

Merger Leadership Design Management 228

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. Find an IT person you can trust, and plan how you will acquire, implement, and utilize computer technology to run your business.

Startup 268

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 268

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2017

Some believe in the all-in approach to product development: build an advanced app. It’s hard to imagine product functionality. No matter how clear the explanation or how good our design plans look, it isn’t until buyers see the app for themselves that they feel able to make educated decisions.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Distribution Redemption Demand 96

Steve Blank

MARCH 11, 2015

I suggested the best place to start the conversation is with the 21 st century definition of a startup: A startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. Startups have finite time and resources to find product/market fit before they run out of money.

Widget 120

Widget Lean Business Model Metrics 120

Women Entrepreneurs Can

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

Create Your Business Plan. As with any other company, you’ll need to start off with a business plan. This should factor in the costings involved in manufacturing, or having your product manufactured on your behalf. Think about the scale of the business and how you see it developing over the first few years.

Design 52

Design Business Plan Cost Security 52

Steve Blank

AUGUST 27, 2009

This series of posts is a brief explanation of how we’ve evolved from Product Development to Customer Development to the Lean Startup. The Product Development Diagram Emerging early in the twentieth century, this product-centric model described a process that evolved in manufacturing industries.

Silicon Valley 260

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 260

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

Step 1: Start with a lean plan. Instead of sitting down to write a 40-page business plan, start with a one-page pitch. It’s the fastest way to get your idea onto paper, and it’s the very first step in the lean planning process, which is much easier and more iterative than traditional business planning methods.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Notice that the traditional product introduction model leads to a product launch and the execution of a revenue plan. The revenue numbers and revenue model came from a startups original Business Plan. that make up a business model. We were changing the business model when we changed executives.

Burn Rate 247

Burn Rate Management Business Model Customer Development 247

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 18, 2010

15,000 copies later, the horrifically bad proofreading, design and layout is now a badge of honor. Love/Hate Business Plan Competitions……… 39. Raising Money Using Customer Development……… 47. Customer Development Manifesto. You most definitely read the book for the content.

Silicon Valley 202

Silicon Valley Customer Development IP Developer 202

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 6, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Monday, October 6, 2008 When NOT to listen to your users; when NOT to rely on split-tests There are three legs to the lean startup concept: agile product development , low-cost (fast to market) platforms , and rapid-iteration customer development. Thats what business is designed to do.

San Francisco 128

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment Agile 128

Duct Tape Marketing

APRIL 6, 2022

And so that book, the book is designed to give entrepreneurs really practical and concrete advice on how to avoid all the pitfalls of doing a startup and act and come out on top. You know, could you look at my business plan? See if the business model works, all these questions. So they're like, captain, can you help me?

San Francisco 97

San Francisco Technical Review Incubator Silicon Valley 97

Up and Running

JANUARY 24, 2023

Payroll often makes up a large portion of a business’s expenses, so it’s important to spend some time working on this portion of your forecast. But, if you’re just starting out or are working on a business plan for a new idea, you probably don’t have anyone on the payroll yet and maybe don’t even know what your staffing plans are.

Forecast 84

Forecast Cost Salary Employee 84

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

Develop your business plan. Write down the key elements of your business plan very early, and keep it current as things evolve. Product development process. Find an IT person you can trust, and plan how you will acquire, implement, and utilize computer technology to run your business.

Institutional Investors 230

Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping Database 230