Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 7, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Sunday, September 7, 2008 Customer Development Engineering Yesterday, I had the opportunity to guest lecture again in Steve Blank s entrepreneurship class at the Berkeley-Columbia executive MBA program. Unfortunately, positioning our product as an "IM add-on" was a complete mistake. Talk about waste.

Customer Development 131

Customer Development Engineer San Francisco Developer 131

ReadWriteStart

NOVEMBER 12, 2022

Investors can also be skittish, and winning new customers is not easy. However, a crisis can also be a golden opportunity to launch a new product or service, as long as the startup at the origin applies specific methods. In recent years, however, frugal innovation has also gained traction in developed countries.

Startup 198

Startup Technical Review Ghana Guerilla 198

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Reading the NY Times article “ Jeffrey Katzenberg Raises $1 Billion for Short-Form Video Venture, ” I realized it was time for a new startup heuristic: the amount of customer discovery and product-market fit you need to find is inversely proportional to the amount and availability of risk capital. ” Fire, Ready, Aim.

Lean 335

Lean Burn Rate Startup IPO 335

ReadWriteStart

MAY 26, 2022

You also should figure out what your customers’ specific needs are and which of those needs aren’t being met that align with your organization’s core expertise. In software, those avenues are your customers, industry, employees, and the broader trends associated with current events. You’ll need Site Reliability Management (SRE).

Software 171

Software Japan Agile Employee 171

Steve Blank

MAY 6, 2015

Build a product, get it into the real world, measure customers’ reactions and behaviors, learn from this, and use what you’ve learned to build something better. Repeat, learning whether to iterate, pivot or restart until you have something that customers love. Waterfall Development. Microsoft Windows 3.0).

Lean 120

Lean Agile Business Model Customer Development 120

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

It is necessary to cover the early stages of product development, thorough market research, and other processes during the initial step. The concept of “seed funding” originates from the metaphor of growing a tree, in which the seed represents the initial component required to move forward with developing a business.

Seed Stage 126

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 126

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 22, 2023

Consumers are becoming increasingly health-conscious and seeking to understand their options for treatments and healthcare products. As a result, businesses in this field should leverage technology to provide interactive, easy-to-understand educational content that can help customers make health-related decisions and maintain healthy habits.

Artificial Inteligence 124

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Entrepreneur Social Media 124

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 7, 2022

Some make big mistakes, such as Webvan expanding too fast with a huge infrastructure, and Pets.com , trying to grow the business with a negative margin, under the mistaken assumption that winning customers is more important than making a profit. Actively listen to customer feedback, and don’t be a one-trick pony.

Startup 335

Startup Social Media Metrics Viral 335

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

A $150 llama rental for a photoshoot, $250 for a bagpipe player at a customer picnic, $5,000 for an executive’s tires — these are just some of the most questionable things people have paid for or attempted to pay for, in the name of business. This can place a heavy strain on small businesses that don’t have a regular stream of customers yet.

Cost 150

Cost Technical Review Salary Social Media 150

ConversionXL

JANUARY 18, 2022

Muun found a market need but failed to compete with bigger names that provided customers with authoritative content and resources. One neglected its positioning by failing to target the biggest pain point, and the other failed to build a brand that its customers could trust above the other major players.

Marketing 110

Marketing Product Audience Equity 110

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

There are a plethora of such tools available online and they’re customized to suit different operations. Despite doing good work if you don’t use the right channels to popularize it, it is of no use. In today’s social media-driven world, you need tools that can take your products to the right groups and communities.

Software Review 113

Software Review Startup Azure SEO 113

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 7, 2016

As part of a startup business, you’ll know that there is no greater desire to win your first customer or your tenth customer. You’ll do whatever it takes to call a customer your own. It’s a neat analogy: Like customers, pets get stolen, escape, or get lost. See Also: How Should You Handle Unhappy Customers?

Customer 60

Customer Retention Startup Metrics 60

ConversionXL

MAY 1, 2017

One of the greatest threats to long-term success is when companies aren’t vigilant enough about responding to the changes in their market—whether it’s by failing to spot product or channel fatigue, acknowledge new competition, make needed updates to products or marketing adjustments in a timely fashion, or embrace new technology coming online.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Algorithm Channel Analytics 127

Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 14, 2009

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Tuesday, April 14, 2009 Validated learning about customers Would you rather have $30,000 or $1 million in revenues for your startup? This may sound crazy, coming as it does from an advocate of c harging customers for your product from day one. They are gaining valuable customer data.

Customer 167

Customer San Francisco Lean Hockey Stick 167

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2012

There are unknowns at every turn, leading product development, attracting customers, managing cash, and dealing with human resources and office politics. The other side of this coin can be equally disastrous; the change of direction based on every customer or investor comment. Strategically timid and haphazard marketing.

Advisory Board 240

Advisory Board Forecast Early Stage Product Development 240

Hearpreneur

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

It drives media attention and fosters customer retention rate, which is why most companies strive to have it in their mission statement. It seeks to solve customer problems in a better and modern way and helping such companies edge the competition. Innovative is a word often used to describe successful companies. 10- Mindbody.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Entrepreneur Software Review SEO 124

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 17, 2009

This post describes a solution – the Customer Development Model. In future posts I’ll describe how Eric Ries and the Lean Startup concept provide the equivalent model for product development activities inside the building and neatly integrates customer and agile development.

Customer Development 246

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 246

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Switch your focus from product development to sales. Of course, customer relationships, and penetration into new market segments are also critical elements. Working with the media is required, both social as well as the press, through public relations and internal channels.

Merger 379

Merger Due Diligence SEC IPO 379

YoungUpstarts

JULY 22, 2020

Tone and topics, channels and character, messaging and media – everything has been in a state of flux as the world undergoes a dramatic transformation. That means in order to maintain a connection, marketers have to get to know their customers all over again. Why Minimum Viable Personas. An Exercise to Generate Your MVP.

SCRUM 162

SCRUM Agile Customer Framework 162

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

In future posts I’ll describe how Eric Ries and the Lean Startup concept provided the equivalent model for product development activities inside the building and neatly integrates customer and agile development. They never understood Market Type. Why does Market Type matter?

Customer Development 203

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 203

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2011

There are unknowns at every turn, leading product development, attracting customers, managing cash, and dealing with human resources and office politics. The other side of this coin can be equally disastrous; the change of direction based on every customer or investor comment. Strategically timid and haphazard marketing.

Advisory Board 232

Advisory Board Startup Forecast Early Stage 232

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 7, 2023

That means they normally only invest in startups with a working product that has already been sold to at least one customer for full price (beta tests, giveaways and best friends don’t count). They are willing to cover marketing, inventory and scaling, but not product development. Make your focus and priorities clear.

Elevator Pitch 228

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 228

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 9, 2020

Some make big mistakes, such as Webvan expanding too fast with a huge infrastructure, and Pets.com , trying to grow the business with a negative margin, under the mistaken assumption that winning customers is more important than making a profit. Actively listen to customer feedback, and don’t be a one-trick pony.

Social Media 329

Social Media Metrics Viral Channel 329

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

Today, with the Internet and social media, if you aren’t visible in a positive way to everyone, including customers, your leadership efforts will be lost. You need to be visible in marketing efforts, viral videos, and interactions with key customer segments. Build relationships with known business leaders.

Stealth 362

Stealth Leadership Viral Social Media 362

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 3, 2016

Offer free solutions to bring in more customers. Don’t get caught in the myth that you shouldn’t worry about monetization until after you have a large customer base. Social causes are great, but your ability to sustain your value contribution is directly linked to your ability to find paying customers.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 12, 2020

That means they normally only invest in startups with a working product that has already been sold to at least one customer for full price (beta tests, giveaways and best friends don’t count). They are willing to cover marketing, inventory and scaling, but not product development. Make your focus and priorities clear.

Elevator Pitch 336

Elevator Pitch Salary Angel Investor Viral 336

ConversionXL

APRIL 13, 2017

Jonathan Price wrote on the same Quora thread that he believes growth marketing to differ from regular marketing because it “is technology-centric and it blurs the boundary between marketing and product development.” This usually comes down to very company specific things, like what channels are effective for growth.

Analytics 99

Analytics Engineer SEO Channel 99

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 1, 2015

Offer free solutions to bring in more customers. Don’t get caught in the myth that you shouldn’t worry about monetization until after you have a large customer base. Social causes are great, but your ability to sustain your value contribution is directly linked to your ability to find paying customers.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Viral Distribution 120

Up and Running

JULY 26, 2017

Learn more about validating your business idea and product concept here. The MVP concept, popularized by Eric Rice of Lean Startup , assumes that before going all in and pouring significant sums into product development, you test the grounds with a “beta” version of your product. What are your competitors doing?

Mobile 81

Mobile Application Development Web Software Review 81

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

To create this first year in business checklist, I turned to our in-house experts here at Palo Alto Software: Sabrina Parsons, CEO; Noah Parsons, COO; Josh Cochrane, Vice President of Product Development; and Josh Fegles, Academic and Government Channel Sales Director, and founder of gluten-free cookie company Jude’s Foods.

Forecast 60

Forecast Software Review Lean Finance 60

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 11, 2014

In the 20 th century corporate skunk works were used to develop disruptive innovation separate from the rest of the company. ——– In the 20 th century companies could be leaders in a market for decades by just focusing on their core product(s). Developed by Lockheed Skunkworks. CIA A-12 spy plane.

Channel 288

Channel Customer Development Distribution Restful 288

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 8, 2009

Traction can simply mean showing that you’re making progress with customers, product development, channel partners, initial revenue as a proof point, attracting well-known angel investors, winning industry awards / recognition. Funding is about developing a relationship over time.

Technical Review 309

Technical Review Term Sheet Venture Capital Revenue 309

YoungUpstarts

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

However, some business owners think that if they do enough marketing, any product can sell. It doesn’t matter how much public relations or marketing you do, if the product isn’t good enough, the customers will realize, go elsewhere and leave public feedback on any digital platform that they can. Is it What the Market Needs?

Product 133

Product Developer Public Relations Channel 133

YoungUpstarts

JULY 2, 2020

Empathize with your customers and understand that pushy sales pitches won’t work – worse, you could come across as uncaring and greedy. Your content still needs to be valuable to your customers. You can leverage customer research programs to access people’s shifting emotions, attitudes, and behaviors.

Marketing 262

Marketing Metrics Channel Differentiation 262

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2010

There are unknowns at every turn, leading product development, attracting customers, managing cash, and dealing with human resources and office politics. The other side of this coin can be equally disastrous; the change of direction based on every customer or investor comment. Strategically timid and haphazard marketing.

Advisory Board 125

Advisory Board Startup Forecast Early Stage 125

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 15, 2018

The 10-week programme gives start-ups the opportunity to trial their products at scale and work closely with senior management and experts across the Group. You can test your most promising products and services with the IAG customers. Product development input. Gain vital know-how by accessing real customer data.

Technical Review 60

Technical Review Due Diligence Startup Analytics 60

Duct Tape Marketing

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

12:52] How do you help somebody understand the importance of brand development? [15:17] Clare Price (01:36): Well, I started developing the system about 10 years ago. Clare Price (03:49): Well, the way that we do it is we've developed six canvases that focus on six core areas of business growth. How'd we get to here?

Marketing 76

Marketing Differentiation Sacramento Small Business 76