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 263

Silicon Valley Product Startup Product Development 263

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 3, 2009

When they promise to help you with marketing, sales, distribution, integrated product development, etc. But the venture guys don’t make the calls on what the product / business guys do. But even he would feel conflicted when I had to cut the engineering team because he valued our product more than his investment.

Strategic Investors 279

Strategic Investors Venture Capital Due Diligence Early Stage 279

Up and Running

JULY 2, 2014

We had personally invested $70,000 of our own money at this point, and we were hoping to raise at least another $250,000 to help us hire a team, launch our company, and begin to build our product. We had a beta product launched, 20 beta testers, and lots of interest from different investor groups.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence Dilution 118

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2023

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. Time Warner was forced to take a $99 billion loss only two years after the merger, and Levin was forced out.

Merger 275

Merger Analytics Open Source America 275

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2020

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. Time Warner was forced to take a $99 billion loss only two years after the merger, and Levin was forced out.

Merger 433

Merger Analytics Open Source America 433

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 17, 2015

In the second stage, it moves into Investing, Inventing, Incubating and Acquiring technologies and companies, and in the third stage building product(s ). Could create and introduce new and disruptive products and/or services for new markets. Stage 3: Productizing the Solution to Corporate Problems. Silicon Valley, Boston).

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Incubator Acquisition Business Model 120

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 15, 2016

For this reason, when acquiring a company’s assets, it is critical to treat each customer and partner as if they are a brand new customer or partner, even if they have been using the product/service for years. Don’t assume you understand the customer/partner motivations and what they value most about the product/service.

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Acquisition Azure Cloud Partner 100

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2018

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. Time Warner was forced to take a $99 billion loss only two years after the merger, and Levin was forced out.

Merger 276

Merger Analytics Open Source America 276

Steve Blank

JANUARY 21, 2010

The good news is this team found a business model, product/market fit and a repeatable sales model. One of the most striking attributes of founders is their individual contribution to the company, be it in sales or product development. In some startups (technology startups especially), product life cycles are painfully short.

Agile 120

Agile Development Team Review Leadership Merger 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2013

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Jerry Leven and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. We’ve all worked with autocratic leaders in large companies who seem to thrive in this mode. It’s been downhill from there.

Merger 239

Merger Entrepreneur Analytics Open Source 239

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 16, 2016

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Gerald Levin and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. Time Warner was forced to take a $99 billion loss only two years after the merger, and Levin was forced out.

Merger 120

Merger Analytics Open Source America 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2012

One of the biggest in this decade was the merger of America Online (AOL) with Time Warner, engineered in the early 2000’s by Time Warner CEO Jerry Leven and AOL CEO Steve Case for a whopping $164 billion. We’ve all worked with autocratic leaders in large companies who seem to thrive in this mode. It’s been downhill from there.

Merger 235

Merger Analytics Open Source America 235

Steve Blank

DECEMBER 8, 2015

These corporate Innovation Outposts monitor Silicon Valley for new innovative technologies and/or companies (as emerging threats or potential tools for disruption) and then take advantage of these innovations by creating new products or investing in startups. W hat would be the charter for our Innovation Outpost? Does it get spun out?

Silicon Valley 120

Silicon Valley Acquisition Boston Early Stage 120

techcrunch.com

OCTOBER 23, 2010

So for this first post, here’s the best advice I can give you: join an awesome founding team and get your product out the door ASAP. But six months in, you’re gonna cry when you see someone else put out that same product you’re pitching me right now. Like I said, forget everything else and just get your product out the door.

Technical Review 84

Technical Review Cofounder Technical Cofounder Software Review 84