leanconf 2014: let’s get real; how you should turn theory into practise by leon pals
DESCRIPTION
The Startup Foundation has grown from a couple of founders that wanted to do one startup event to an organisation that has done ten, runs a p2p incubator and has a community of over a thousand members. This happened because we listened to our community, and used Lean Startup and Customer Development to learn and confirm our next steps. We didn’t plan any of this, and that’s exactly the point. Leon comes to Leanconf to make a case for real world experience, and is accompanied by a ton of it. There is a lot of content on Startups in general, the Lean Startup and Customer Development, but one should practise it to fully understand how it works and the value it can bring. You don’t learn to ride a bike by reading a book, or by hearing someone tell you how they do it, you learn by jumping on one. You attending this talk is nice and very much appreciated, but it could also be considered a waste of your time. Why? Because whilst there is definitely value in talks, communication, planning and plotting your next move, nothing beats the actual move. So let’s use the time we have for this talk to address the importance of minimising the time till you get on that bike, hopefully it’ll save you countless hours in the future.TRANSCRIPT
Let’s get real
Leon PalsChairman Startup Foundation
@LeonPals / @StartupFNDTN
How did I get here?
eBay for Twitter
First product
No businessmodel Lots of spam
digital menu’s
Press + Epiphany
Tough market Product took ton of time
Pre 2012:
Editor Shareables
First startup experience
Cool environment Tasks were less inspiring
Startup FoundationAn independent not for profit [or for impact]
organisation, driving innovation by supporting startups
We have a diverse and worldwide network of volunteers
Most work for organisations that are of significance to startups such as: Rockstart, StartupBus, Startup Bootcamp & UP global
Startup Foundation: Experience
Covering Effectuation, Customer Development, Lean Startup and much more
Giving participants hands on experience
Rotterdam
Antwerp
Middlesbrough
Newcastle
Venlo
Cyprus
Amsterdam
Startup Foundation: Meetups
Monthly get togethers, workshops, talks and drinks
Brainstorms
Knowledge sharing
Keynote party
Workspace..
Startup Foundation: Startup Port
Startup Foundation: Net
What have we learned?
Ideas are generic
Jargon & BuzzwordsMake Lean Startup less actionable
Customer Interviews = Customer Conversations
The term interviews puts people on the wrong path
MVP = testTest implies your testing an hypothesis and you keep it efficient
Observation:More peers talk, read and share information about
Lean Startup than we see it being put to use
Tests
Why get hands on?
"Entrepreneurship is something you learn best by doing it”
- Paul Graham
+ it can be fun
IntroIs there a market for anonymous STD tests?
IntroAnonymous
Reliable Pre-emptive
ProgressHow did their weekend go?
ClubbingDo new couples have fear about STD’s?
Should the team have anticipated getting into a fight?
Gay sceneProve you are STD free
They get weekly checkups, for free
The promiscuousProve you are STD free
Bingo
Text
But most of all
It is realityThe red pill
“Put your ideas into practise, they will improve if you take note of what happens next”
“Put your ideas into practise, they will improve if you take note of what happens next”
- Leon Pals
So why do we see so many peers struggling?
So why do we see so many peers struggling?
Fear
“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure”
Sven Goran Eriksson
Three tipsTo flip the switch
Run a Marshmallow challenge
Do the work
“Do a little, see if it works”- Tendayi Viki, last night
Enjoy yourself
It is okay to start like this
Theorising/debating/planningMight make you sound smart, or not
Lessons learned
Gain credibility
You might create something
Red pill
Assumptions Meetings Theory
Your comfort zone
Blue pill
Validated learnings Running tests
Experience
Where the magic happens
Thank you. Any questions?
@LeonPalsThank you. Any questions?