tech startup principles for creatives - camden collective
DESCRIPTION
Walking through principles and tools from Lean Startup and Effectuation that can be useful to get Creative business to the next level.TRANSCRIPT
Startup ThinkingHow tech startups get to traction.
Salim ViraniDirect Mail Agency - 5 Startups - Leancamp - Founder-Centric
www.saintsal.com @SaintSal
DO NOT OPENthe kit until I say GO!
You’ll have 18 minutes to build:- the tallest freestanding structure.- with the entire marshmallow must be on the very top.
Use as much or as little of the kit contents as you want, but nothing else!
EXERCISE
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“I wish I knew that sooner.”
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Our job is to spot the bad news sooner.
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Care about ideas & process.
1st timers
Care about opportunity cost & evidence.
Experienced founders
Choose the fastest approach based what you need to learn.
Principles, not process.
Seek the UnknownDo LessImprove the big pictureLearn, then confirmCourse-correction
What do you want to learn today?
POST UP
Do less.
Hard work masks inefficiency.
flickr - nolifebeforecoffeeflickr - _flood_
No time?No money?
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Grow with efficiency.
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Time limits.Letting go.Being picky about customers.Multiplying deliberately.Limiting work-in-progress.
How to do less.
sitemason.com
Tenacity isn’t always good!
artetessaitournai.com
Balancing focus & opportunity.
What I can do
What I’vegot
Small partnerships.
Affordable Loss.EXERCISE
noirfilm.com
Spring up in unexpected places.Grow quickly, or move on.
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Add a zero0110100100010000100000100000010000000100000000
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Early traction.
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EarlyvangelistsCan describe the need in their own words.Have invested time or money.Have tried something.Have looked for something.
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Earlyvangelists
EXERCISE
List 5 to 10 potential customers. Then, apply this checklist to each.
Can describe the need in their own words.Have invested time or money.Have tried something.
Slicing off segmentsThey are real people (not attributes!)
It’s clear where to find them.You’ll walk away if they aren’t a good fit.
Choose your customer.
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Vague customer definitions.Multiple customer definitions.
Lack of direction.
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Specific definitions allow for validation or invalidation.
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Zoom in! Find early adopters & compelling value propositions.
Specific value propositions are more compelling and help you get early traction.
Specific customer definitions help find them quickly, and point out scalable channels to reach them.
Product Market
Action Customer
Jobs Obstacles Goals Current Solution
Customer Slicing
Decision Trigger
Interest Trigger
How deep do you go?They are real people (not attributes!)It’s clear where to find them.You’ll walk away if they aren’t a good fit.
EXERCISE
Limit Your Work In Progress.
EXERCISE
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use a timer.DISCUSSIONInside the building,
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The Big Picture.
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Big Picture LensesNew Business Road TestBusiness Model DesignGrowth Engines
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Growth Engines,from The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
DISCUSSION
Sticky - Paid Acquisition - Viral
Startups are learning
organisations.
Observe.
Observe,then experiment.
Understand.
Understand,then verify.
Ask.
Ask,then sell.
Discover.
Discover,then validate.
Image by wstryderImage by wstryder
Image by wstryderImage by wstryder
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A customer wakes up, turns on their computer, logs in to their email using a new program they use and love.
Their free trial is over. The program asks them to pay. They say no.
Why?
One day...
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Your customers are full of shit.
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Know what doesn’t resonate.Learn the customers’ view.
Actual phrases used by customers. (Great for positioning & copywriting.)
A way to group interviews and analyse them as a team.
Where could 5 customer interviews get you?
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Past, not futureFact, not opinionSpecifics, not general
(Talk about their life, not your idea.)
How to get facts.
www.foundercentric.com
Good or bad questions?
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❞
Do you think it’s a good idea?
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Do you think it’s a good idea?
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Would you buy a product which solved this problem?
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Would you buy a product which solved this problem?
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How do you currently deal with this problem?
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How do you currently deal with this problem?
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How have you dealt with this problem?
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When does this problem pop up?
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When does this problem pop up?
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When’s the last time that happened?
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What makes this time-consuming or go off-track?
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What makes this time-consuming or go off-track?
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Has this ever been more time-consuming than normal or gone off-track?
EXERCISE
How’s it going with .... ?
Interesting. Tell me more about that.
Can we go back to what you were saying about...?
Hi!
EXERCISE
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❞
Please show me how you...
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Please show me how you...
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❞
Please tell me how... I’m trying to learn how you...
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Please tell me how... I’m trying to learn how you...
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Talk me through the last time you had this problem.
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Talk me through the last time you had this problem.
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What did you try to do about it?
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What did you try to do about it?
Why write it down?Highlights invalidation signals from both yourself and customers. Learning you’re wrong is actionable.
Customers’ exact wording tells you how they imagine the problem and what they search for.
Pivot smarter, without re-doing interviews.
screened.com
Their words - not yours!One phrase per card.Pair. One interviewer, one notetaker.
Recording the right stuff.
Jobs Obstacles Goals Current Solution
Important Signals
Decision Trigger
Interest Trigger
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❞
Please help me understand...
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Please help me understand...
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How much would you pay for this?
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How much would you pay for this?
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Can I ask why?
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Can I ask why?
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Talk me through how you decide.
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Talk me through how you decide.
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Talk me through how you decided.
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How much money does this problem cost you?
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How much money does this problem cost you?
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How much money does this problem cost you?
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How much should we charge?
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How much should we charge?
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What’s your budget?
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What’s your budget?
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How soon can you start?
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How soon can you start?
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What would need to happen before you could really start using it?
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What would need to happen before you could really start using it?
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Ever had any problems or delays getting something like this going/bought?
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Who else should I talk to?
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Who else should I talk to?
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Opinions areworthless.
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Always knowyour big 3.
Tweetable TextHow do authors pre-build their customer list?How do authors test copy and learn about their readers?How do authors prioritise their time when writing?
LeancampWhat awareness channels can we partner with?What do people learn at Leancamp that they apply?What do famous thought-leaders get out of conferences?
EXERCISEWhat are your Big 3 right now?Does it do what it says on the tin?Do people really, truly want it?What could kill you?
Take 3 minutes to write them down.Are they to learn or confirm?
EXERCISE
Discover.
Discover,then validate.
Facts.
Facts,then commitment.
❝
❞Claudia
Sounds great. I love it!
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❞Claudia
Sounds great. I love it!
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❞Jeremy
Brilliant -- let me know when it launches!
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❞Jeremy
Brilliant -- let me know when it launches!
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Don’t be fooled by compliments and stalling.
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❞Jeremy
There are a couple people I can intro you to, when you’re ready.
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❞Jeremy
There are a couple people I can intro you to, when you’re ready.
Partial commitment?
Validate by going for full commitment.
❝
❞Claudia
I would definitely buy that!
❝
❞Claudia
I would definitely buy that!
DANGER!
Time - Money - ReputationCommitment in
www.momtestbook.comwww.signal.ly
www.custdevcards.com
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Course-correction
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“I wish I knew that sooner.”
Building with a heartbeat.
Choose the fastest approach based what you need to learn.
Minimum ViableWhat’s the minimum thing I need to do to
prove or disprove this?
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Pick a learning goalWhat big make-or-break risks or idea can you nail down this week?
EXERCISE
Pick a learning goal.Pick a measurement.Draw your MVP on a blank sheet.
Seek the UnknownDo LessImprove the big pictureLearn, then confirmCourse-correction
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Make it your own.
Credit due!Ian Collingwood, Alex Osterwalder, Brant Cooper, Rob Fitzpatrick, Johanna Kollmann, Janice Fraser, Patrick Van
Der Pijl, Dave Gray, Alan Smith, Nicky Smyth, Steve Blank, Cindy Alvarez
Thanks!I’m Salim [email protected]
blog: www.saintsal.comtraining: www.foundercentric.com
Some strong questionsPlease show me how you... Please tell me what... I’m trying to learn... Please help me understand... Can I ask why? Can you please tell me more about that?
What has made this challenging, time-consuming, go off track, wasteful, unpredictable?
When does this happen? How recently/frequently does this come up? Can you think of other times this comes up? Who else is affected by this?
How do you decide? What is the process you go through? Give me a detailed play by play. What do you do before/after you do this?
If this were free... how long to install and who needs to approve it?
Other people have to told me that...
What else do you wish you could be doing? If you had a magic wand, what would you change? What else should I have asked?
SAYING
SEEING
THINKING & FEELING
HE
AR
ING
Boss says
Friends Say
Friends Say
Clients Say
Complaints
PraiseDOING
Process (left to right)
Visual layouts of interview cards(Cards can contain text, drawings, photos, etc.)
Topic Map
ExplorationAids
Empathy Map
Group cards from a set of interviews, based on :topic, emotional states, problem, alternatives ...
This is a discussion tool.Learn anything new?What hypotheses were invaldated? What new questions arise?
Analysing your interviews.