Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 16, 2009

However the Customer Development Model and the Lean Startup work equally well for startups on the web. I realized the Customer Development model needs to be clearer in what exactly a startup is supposed to do, regardless of the business model.

Customer Development 228

Customer Development Web Developer Customer 228

Version One Ventures

MAY 15, 2024

Our investment philosophy is so core to who we are as humans and as a firm that even if we didn’t have one officially written, we’d still have the same guiding framework and convictions. When you’re early into a large wave, there’s so much more design space for a startup and founding team.

Founder 94

Founder Early Stage Vertical Framework 94

ConversionXL

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

Growth marketing borrows a concept from the lean startup methodology. Growth hacking is a term that emerged from the Silicon Valley tech community and the lean startup methodology. One of Qless’s core verticals is the retail industry. The post Growth Marketing: The Skills and Frameworks You Need appeared first on CXL.

Framework 102

Framework Marketing Acquisition Retention 102

Where to Play

MARCH 14, 2018

The post Success story: how startup Augury determined its market opportunities appeared first on Where to Play. The tale of an Industrial IoT startup discovering a new strategic business tool. As we looked closer at the market, many verticals were underserved by the existing solutions that were expensive and complicated to use.

Artificial Inteligence 91

Artificial Inteligence Marketing Vertical Startup 91

David Cohen

AUGUST 29, 2013

. – David, I guess I should preface this by saying we haven’t publicly addressed this and we’re not sure if we want to but this story starts like most in the startup world. My startup applies to an accelerator and gets in. Startups' a hint about which accelerator it was]). Now go ahead, and read it again.

Cofounder 134

Cofounder Technical Review Vertical Programming 134

David Teten

JANUARY 9, 2018

Many VCs focus on specific verticals, usually based on the sector in which a VC initially made her reputation. That said, one limitation in early-stage investing particularly is that 2022’s growth sectors probably don’t fit neatly into a vertical we can define today. What VCs most typically talk about are: – Industry expertise.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Private Equity Silicon Valley Differentiation 60

David Teten

JANUARY 9, 2018

Many VCs focus on specific verticals, usually based on the sector in which a VC initially made her reputation. That said, one limitation in early-stage investing particularly is that 2022’s growth sectors probably don’t fit neatly into a vertical we can define today. What VCs most typically talk about are: – Industry expertise.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Private Equity Silicon Valley Differentiation 60

ConversionXL

JANUARY 18, 2022

In 2018, after two short years and $3 million raised in startup funds, recruitment AI company Ansaro shut down due to bad market fit. This is particularly true for complex verticals such as B2B SaaS products, where product marketing’s ability to pinpoint users with the most need and educate them on product features and benefits proves useful.

Marketing 110

Marketing Product Audience Equity 110

A Crowded Space

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

In some recent discussions, we came up with a simple framework for thinking about the problem and building a roadmap of features and policies to address the concerns. I think this framework is a useful starting point – the features and policies you build in each one of these areas will vary greatly, but it helped me structure my thinking.

Framework 60

Framework Metrics Vertical Design 60

Duct Tape Marketing

MAY 25, 2023

11:29] What’s the strategy for a startup to take on a really big entrenched industry that doesn’t want to go away? [16:08] John Jantsch (06:59): So, so the book does present a framework for somebody who is thinking, gosh, I need to get on board here. Where does that fit into to rush in digitalizing?

ChatGPT 66

ChatGPT Technical Review Generative AI Technology 66

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

The three-question framework goes as such: Q: How much tech-related market cap will be created in the next 10-20 years? Both early- and late-stage startup valuations are currently elevated. The chart below illustrates this, with the black vertical line representing the average VC return. The answer is likely a mix of both.

Valuation 319

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 319

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.

Customer Development 244

Customer Development Developer Customer Silicon Valley 244

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

The three-question framework goes as such: Q: How much tech-related market cap will be created in the next 10-20 years? Both early- and late-stage startup valuations are currently elevated. The chart below illustrates this, with the black vertical line representing the average VC return. The answer is likely a mix of both.

Valuation 295

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 295

View from Seed

APRIL 8, 2020

Stevens has held roles across verticals such as head of sales, marketing, product, and professional services at five startups over twenty years. He helps early-stage startups with sales, marketing, and general “go to market” topics. Demonstrate the things that big companies love about buying from startups.

B2B 156

B2B Angel Investor Vertical Early Stage 156

ConversionXL

JANUARY 14, 2020

The Jobs-to-be-done framework (JTBD) was invented by economist Clayton Christensen and is a great way to identify user intent for a topic and define the right features. For many inventory-driven sites, the JTBD framework is a better alternative to personas. To merge this emotional context with the JTBD framework, use needs as filters.

SEO 159

SEO Framework SCRUM Search 159

Hunter Walker

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

Now, I don’t mean to overgeneralize but I want to tell you about something that reporters and pundits frequently get wrong when evaluating the venture-worthiness of a failed startup. What offsets this is that the successes tend to be outsized, returning 20x, 50x, or even 100x+.

Seed Stage 100

Seed Stage Warrant Framework Vertical 100

The Equity Kicker

MAY 23, 2014

Proprietary merchandise – e.g. vertically integrated retailers like Bonobos and WarbyParker. This is a good framework to think about whether a startup will be able to compete with Amazon. Proprietary experience - e.g. companies that offer amazing discovery experiences like RenttheRunway , Shoedazzle and Birchbox.

eCommerce 120

eCommerce Business Model Flash Curation 120

Austin Startup

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

In September 2017, I spent 2 weeks in Austin, Texas to understand what makes this vibrant startup ecosystem tick. This 4-part story, however, explores the Austin ecosystem based on the 4Cs framework —  culture , capital , customers , and competencies. Should Early Stage Startups Move to Austin because of Competencies?

Early Stage 48

Early Stage Austin Silicon Valley Intellectual Property 48

ReadWriteStart

OCTOBER 22, 2010

Despite an increasingly urgent, broad range of needs around processing data juggernauts, we're seeing just as many startups go *poof* when it comes to turning Big Data into Big Money. It's no surprise that in the time since Varian's opining (2008), we've seen oodles of small startups setting their sights to capitalize on Big Data.

Startup 116

Startup Framework Vertical Metrics 116

Steve Blank

MAY 11, 2009

Present at the Creation It was early 1991 and Apple’s software development team was hard at work on QuickTime , the first multimedia framework for a computer. And I got to experience a type of customer buying behavior I had never seen before – the Novelty Effect. com Michael Robertson.

Video 184

Video Silicon Valley RSS California 184

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 23, 2017

In venture capital in particular, early-stage companies are often operating in frontier industries, where the rules are unpredictable and conventional analytic frameworks may be misleading. The only problem that faces startup investors now is how to mine this new data layer efficiently to increase returns.”. are using AngelMob.co

Private Equity 60

Private Equity Venture Capital Equity Technical Review 60

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

The three-question framework goes as such: Q: How much tech-related market cap will be created in the next 10-20 years? Both early- and late-stage startup valuations are currently elevated. The chart below illustrates this, with the black vertical line representing the average VC return. The answer is likely a mix of both.

Valuation 156

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 156

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. Over its lifetime a Lean Startup may spend less money than a traditional startup. Lets see why.

Lean 260

Lean Silicon Valley Startup RSS 260

Steve Blank

AUGUST 27, 2009

Thirty years later we now realize that its one the causes of early startup failure. This series of posts is a brief explanation of how we’ve evolved from Product Development to Customer Development to the Lean Startup. It has become an integral part of startup culture.

Silicon Valley 269

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 269

OnlyOnce

JUNE 29, 2017

We did this a few weeks ago, and my dad talked through a decision-making framework that I’d never heard him mention before. On the vertical axis is “How familiar is the person with this type of decision?

Vertical 63

Vertical Framework Leadership Video 63

Hippoland

AUGUST 8, 2018

One thing I’ve noticed is that almost every repeat, previously-successful-founder focuses on the same thing for their respective startups: customer acquisition. Or second time founders focus on lucrative verticals that pay more per eyeball or focus on ad formats that pay more (such as email newsletter sponsorships).

Founder 48

Founder Sales Cycle Affiliate Retention 48

Hippoland

AUGUST 8, 2018

One thing I’ve noticed is that almost every repeat, previously-successful-founder focuses on the same thing for their respective startups: customer acquisition. Or second time founders focus on lucrative verticals that pay more per eyeball or focus on ad formats that pay more (such as email newsletter sponsorships).

Founder 48

Founder Sales Cycle Affiliate Retention 48

Hunter Walker

AUGUST 31, 2021

Early adopter verticals — such as software development and tech sales — is mostly in Gen 3. And my framework here also applies mostly to the US, with other part of the world ahead and behind the pacing I’ve suggested above. Not every industry and not every profession has moved through these generations in sync.

Software 115

Software Vertical Framework Software Developers 115

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 3, 2009

This post describes how the traditional product development model distorts startup sales, marketing and business development. In the next few posts that follow, I’ll describe how thinking of a solution to this model’s failures led to the Customer Development Model – that offers a new way to approach startup sales and marketing activities.

Customer Development 228

Customer Development Developer Silicon Valley Customer 228

Steve Blank

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

This product development diagram had become part of the DNA of Silicon Valley.

Product Development 159

Product Development Developer Silicon Valley Product 159

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 17, 2011

This applies equally to VCs, startups & big company executives. It’s ironic because I believe creativity is the most important success criterion for a startup. Yet most startups seem to constrain creativity to product design. Were they vertically integrated ? So no whinging about what a long post this is!

Technical Review 356

Technical Review Framework Audience Media 356

Rob Go

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

Here’s my framework for how I (and I think many investors) think about how ready a company is to be funded. I’m smashing that all into some measure of “conviction” on the vertical axis. And at the same time, there will be companies that had way more meat on the bones, but struggled to raise.

Vertical 78

Vertical Valuation Framework Metrics 78

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

Modern entrepreneurship began at the turn of the 21 st century with the observation that startups aren’t smaller versions of large companies – large companies at their core execute known business models, while startups search for scalable business models. all markets can be described by what job the user wants to get done.

Customer 424

Customer Marketing Lean Vertical 424

David Teten

JANUARY 21, 2021

Jonathan Bragdon , CEO, describes Capacity as “a team of founders-turned-funders making non-dilutive, founder-aligned investments of $50-$300k in post-startup, post-revenue businesses planning to 2X revenues in 12-24 months. GCVF is pioneering the future of venture capital and high growth startups for all small communities.

Equity 78

Equity Revenue Cofounder Colorado 78

A Crowded Space

APRIL 16, 2015

People in the startup ecosystem have been heralding the “unbundling of Craigslist” graphic for years now. The conventional wisdom is to say that horizontal marketplaces will be replaced by vertical marketplaces. However, the reality is that many verticals will be better served by horizontal marketplaces for a long time to come.

Vertical 60

Vertical Acquisition B2B Framework 60

Duct Tape Marketing

DECEMBER 17, 2019

And for a while I was working on the vertical of religion. So the way it works is my model is called the share model, which is five pillars, but it is based on the StoryBrand framework. And this is really about digging into the StoryBrand framework. ” And I say, “Okay, well tell me a little bit about your business.”

Social Media 38

Social Media Media Framework Advertising 38

ConversionXL

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

My service startup quickly grew and became a platform to identify new problems we could solve for clients. Inversely, if you’re using the agency model to fund another startup or product, you should probably keep things lean. Choose to expand vertically or horizontally. To my surprise, I closed my first client in under two weeks.

PR 120

PR B2B Lean Audience 120