At Eric Ries’ fantastic Lean Startup Conference last Friday, I had the privilege of working the Customer Development panel. While the translation to video is a bit tough due to awkward dead air while questions were being asked (Sean Ellis thankfully repeats the questions), I’m proud we closed the day off with a full session’s worth of questions from the attendees. After all, that’s who the conference was for. Perhaps more of these can be sprinkled throughout the day in the future and even include a means for remote viewers to ask questions. What do you think?
I liked one question in particular, because it concerns something I’ve been thinking about recently. Erin Turner asked about landing pages as Minimum Viable Products (@23:05 in video). I didn’t opine, though I would have enjoyed challenging my friend David Binetti with an alternative take, and since the subject is covered in my new book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development, I missed an opportunity for shameless self-promotion. One that I will now partially remedy. ; ) Continue reading '“Intermediate” MVPs'»
Update: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development now available as an ebook. Print version coming soon.
I am excited about participating in Eric Ries’ Lean Startup conference tomorrow! (Friday 4/23/2010). Check out program schedule here and simulcast venues here.
Meanwhile, big announcement pending on the Customer Development eBook, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer Development. So stay tuned!
Here’s a sneak preview of what’s coming:
Minimally viable, a product evolved:
Early it was pliable,
Target market try-able;
few features, but reliable
In what makes it buy-able: problem is resolved.
I hear two schools of thoughts regarding the use of automated surveys: some prefer open text fields, others prefer buttons.
Assume you were asked to take a customer survey for a product you use or are considering using. The survey is short (fewer than 10 questions) and completely voluntary.
[poll id="1"]
(For those that prefer text fields, my apologies.) Please let me know why you prefer one over the other in comments.
Lean is not about the funding you take,
The size of your sales force, the money you make.
Lean is not how much money you spend,
That you like your product and so does your friend.
To test your guess and iterate,
To kill your favorite feature your customers hate,
To exercise ideas, removing the sheen,
That is what makes a startup lean.
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