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Why vanity metrics are dangerous

Startup Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Why vanity metrics are dangerous In a previous post, I defined two kinds of metrics: vanity metrics and actionable metrics. In this post, Id like to talk about the perils of vanity metrics. My personal favorite vanity metrics is "hits."

Metrics 167
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Lessons Learned: Validated learning about customers

Startup Lessons Learned

Every board meeting, the metrics of success change. Time-to-complete-a-sale is not a bad metric for validated learning at this stage. but few step back and really examine the underlying assumptions of startup finance. Thank you for your simple, insightful explanation of why that is the wrong metric to use. Expo SF (May.

Customer 167
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Lessons Learned: Product development leverage

Startup Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Sunday, April 26, 2009 Product development leverage Leverage has once again become a dirty word in the world of finance, and rightly so. Its a key lean startup concept. For example, I recently created a customer validation exercise around the Lean Startup Workshop. Expo SF (May.

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Lessons Learned: The engineering manager's lament

Startup Lessons Learned

I now believe that the "pick two" concept is fundamentally flawed, and that lean startups can achieve all three simultaneously: quickly bring high-quality software to market at low cost. Cost and time are effectively absolutes (The Caretaker's high finance schenanigans and 20th century Physics aside). Expo SF (May.

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What is a startup?

Startup Lessons Learned

This is why so many small businesses can be financed with simple bank loans; the level of risk and uncertainty is well enough understood that a reasonably intelligent loan officer can assess its prospects. I emphasize this point because it is necessary to motivate large amounts of the theory of the lean startup. Expo SF (May.

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Lessons Learned: Where did Silicon Valley come from?

Startup Lessons Learned

Among those: plentiful financing and nerds , a culture that celebrates both failure and success, and an ethos of openness and sharing. The Lean Startup Intensive is tomorrow at Web 2.0. Amazing lean startup resources Is Entrepreneurship a Management Science? Its useful to look back to understand how we got those advantages.

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Fear is the mind-killer

Startup Lessons Learned

In the case of an entrepreneur pitching for finance, its the same fear that has them putting on a facade and not comfortable in what they do and dont know that will see them a long way off getting funded. The Lean Startup Intensive is tomorrow at Web 2.0. Amazing lean startup resources Is Entrepreneurship a Management Science?