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

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

A marketing growth strategy goes deeper into customer relationships to uncover opportunities that engage, activate, and retain. This philosophy comes from The Lean Startup methodology , which relies on testing hypotheses to better understand your customers’ pain points and goals. Your customers want different things.

Marketing 115

Marketing Framework Metrics Channel 115

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

K9 Ventures

AUGUST 13, 2010

SneakerLabs’ first product was a Java-based chat server and client. One of our first customers was a stock trading company in NY that wanted to host live stock chats. Another customer was my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, who was using it to host online class discussions for its distance education program. Not so fast.

Revenue 72

Revenue Developer Java Customer Development 72

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

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 130

Seed Stage Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence 130

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. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners.

Startup 335

Startup Social Media Metrics Viral 335

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

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

On the other hand, if you arrive at a VC pitch without a comprehensive understanding of the industry you’re hoping to compete in, or without a clear path to profitability or a thoughtful product-development road map, you’ll likely leave empty-handed. Do you lack the skills needed to develop a viable product?

Technical Review 140

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Differentiation 140

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

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2017

Some believe in the all-in approach to product development: build an advanced app. An entrepreneur can quantitatively test potential buyers’ real intentions and develop a genuine understanding their needs before building out the product (app). It wasn’t a scalable solution, but it was a start.

Technical Review 96

Technical Review Distribution Redemption Demand 96

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

The Next Web

DECEMBER 2, 2013

Could $100,000 and the right developer skills make you an overnight billionaire? How much does it really take to build a product like Twitter or Instagram? But a good developer could make it quicker.”. Werdelin equates building a successful product to building a nightclub. 1) Twitter. 3) Facebook.

Cost 168

Cost San Francisco New York City Ruby 168

Hearpreneur

JANUARY 26, 2022

COVID-19 saw several changes, particularly in the area of telephonic development. As an experienced marketer, I predict that in 2022, videos in marketing will attract more customers since they provide a clear description of the products, giving customers greater confidence before purchasing the product online.

Software Review 122

Software Review Technical Review Artificial Inteligence Entrepreneur 122

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2018

When Sloan arrived at GM in 1920 he realized that the traditional centralized management structures organized by function (sales, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing) were a poor fit for managing GM’s diverse product lines. Durant kept building for a future assuming the flow of cash and customers would continue.

Michigan 296

Michigan Cofounder Stock Forecast 296

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. Continually add new marketing and distribution partners.

Social Media 329

Social Media Metrics Viral Channel 329

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 14, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Sunday, September 14, 2008 How to listen to customers, and not just the loud people Frequency is more important than talking to the "right" customers, especially early on. Youll know when the person youre talking to is not a potential customer - they just wont understand what youre saying.

San Francisco 131

San Francisco Customer Lean Continuous Deployment 131

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

Version One Ventures

OCTOBER 31, 2016

The evolution of the growth function changed this dynamic, mashing together product dev and marketing as integrated functions. About five years ago, we saw the early waves of growth – typically an individual or two (“growth hackers”) who were championing growth within product development. New platforms as distribution tools.

Software Review 60

Software Review South Africa Hockey Stick Viral 60

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 1, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Monday, September 1, 2008 Test-Driven Development as andon cord You cannot control what you cannot see, and the hardest part of managing software projects is that the final product is so intangible. The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development ► June (3) What is a startup?

San Francisco 68

San Francisco Developer Continuous Deployment DC 68

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 178

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 178

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. They hire key staff.

Technical Review 309

Technical Review Term Sheet Venture Capital Revenue 309

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 22, 2012

Let’s start out with the basic functions of a tech company: 1) Engineering 2) Marketing 3) Sales 4) Business development 5) PR 6) Design 7) Product Management 8) HR 9) Operations 10) Finance Ok, that's just overwhelming. Let’s take sales and business development. Ready to start simplifying? The last two are pretty basic.

PR 160

PR Technical Review Seed Stage Design 160

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 7, 2019

A finalist in the Blockchain category , which will pitch on at 9:30 am Sunday, March 10, Knowbella has a mission to create a publicly available scientific ecosystem whereby all the research data and publication development are open and transparent. We will also seek first-mover STEM recruiting customers in order to generate revenues.

Intellectual Property 48

Intellectual Property Technical Review Malta Startup 48

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 292

Channel Customer Development Distribution Restful 292

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 156

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 156

ConversionXL

MAY 1, 2017

Often, erosion of customer loyalty has been going on for years but the company has failed to perceive it—until it’s too late. Past Product: Lackluster Marketing Causes Growth Stalls, Too. These pitfalls are not limited to product development. Competitor Innovation and Market Disruption. Swimming with Sharks.

Technical Review 127

Technical Review Algorithm Channel Analytics 127

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

VC Cafe

JULY 15, 2021

What are the main channels for app marketing and distribution today? Ads – targeted advertising is perhaps THE most reliable channel to market and distribute a consumer app. Therefore, my recommendation for startups who are pre-monetisation is to experiment with new organic distribution ways.

Mobile 190

Mobile Social Media Distribution PR 190

Transformify

MARCH 14, 2020

Typically, these remote jobs did not require advanced skills – data entry jobs, image tagging, image labeling, customer support, online call centers, telemarketing, online surveys and the like. In fact, companies in London can create remote jobs and build distributed teams in high unemployment areas in the UK, not abroad.

Hiring 98

Hiring Bulgaria Italy Spain 98

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 15, 2008

But by taking advantage of open source, agile software, and iterative development, lean startups can operate with much less waste. I am heavily indebted to earlier theorists, and highly recommend the books Lean Thinking and Lean Software Development. Labels: customer development , lean startup 8comments: Amy said.

Lean 168

Lean San Francisco Startup Continuous Deployment 168

View from Seed

AUGUST 10, 2021

Here in 2021 startups operate in a more distributed fashion earlier in their lifecycle, a trend which preceded COVID but certainly was accelerated by the remote work environment for knowledge workers brought on by the pandemic.

Chicago 136

Chicago Cofounder Miami B2B 136

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 24, 2009

One is explaining the world as it used to work: the importance of gatekeepers, the scarcity implied by limited distribution, and the resulting quality bar that the industry is so proud of. Mostly it is the time and expense required to create the means of distribution for that industry. It’s just taking some longer than others.

San Francisco 113

San Francisco Lean Technical Review Distribution 113

Hearpreneur

DECEMBER 24, 2017

We’re very new to the industry, and while we’re passionate about the product, there have been obstacles every step of the way – production, shipping, distribution, etc. But it’s rewarding to see our customers so excited about the product, and the huge growth in sales from last year has been encouraging.

Las Vegas 89

Las Vegas Entrepreneur Software Review Community 89

Startup Lessons Learned

SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

The law of large numbers (of customers) says you cant help but make at least some money - your valuation is determined by how well you monetize the tidal wave of growth. Paid - if your product monetizes customers better than your competitors, you have the opportunity to use your lifetime value advantage to drive growth.

San Francisco 167

San Francisco CPA SEM CTO Hire 167

YoungUpstarts

JULY 28, 2020

Not all Product Lifecycle Management software solutions are created equal, as they often revolve around one specific need (such as contract lifecycle management) or are developed to match the requirements of one industry in particular. or new product development. Others opt to offer an all-encompassing program.

Software 130

Software Database Distribution Matching 130

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 269

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 269