Every startup has to experiment with product, price and market to find the right combination that allows them to scale and win. But if you find yourself experimenting with all three at the same time, you need to take a step back and evaluate where you’re really at. Last week I wrote about product/market fit […]
Product/Market Fit and Lean Analytics
In the last couple weeks I’ve read a few great blog posts about product/market fit and the confusion that exists around what it really means. I’d say for many early stage startups, product/market fit is thought of as that point in time when you’ve finally built a product that people use and it’s time to […]
Lean Startup and Lean Analytics in the Enterprise
It’s clear that Lean Startup is shifting from startups to the enterprise. There’s still a lot to learn amongst early stage entrepreneurs, and a lot of discussion that’s needed around implementing Lean Startup, but attention has definitely shifted to applying the framework in large organizations. Alistair and I have been looking at how Lean Startup […]
Tiny, New, Addictive Behaviors (or How to Build an Awesome Minimum Viable Product)
Early on, once you’ve identified a problem genuinely worth solving, you need to build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and put it into the hands of early adopters. In Lean Analytics, we call this the Stickiness Stage. I recently wrote that most startups fail at this point–they simply don’t get the traction they need (in […]
Lean Startup Versus Raising Capital
Lean Startup is about experimentation and learning. It’s about being intellectually honest and methodical in your approach. It’s about going slow before going fast. It’s about moving backward before moving forward. Investing on the other hand is about storytelling and big vision. It’s also about proof and hockey stick traction. So when raising money how […]
6 Things You Need to Pivot Successfully
Pivot. We’re all familiar with the word — and many people now roll their eyes when they hear it. The word has been bastardized, overused, and taken out of context. But it doesn’t mean pivots aren’t important. Dont hate the word, hate the people that use it incorrectly and ignore its importance. Pivot. Say it […]
When is it Time to Pivot or Quit?
Entrepreneurs aren’t quitters. To succeed you need to be resilient, thick skinned and borderline crazy. You need to have just the right amount of delusion to believe you can succeed, spurring you on despite the absurd odds. But sometimes, you have to quit. On the other hand, sometimes you need to pivot. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs […]
The Difference Between Stealth Mode and Quiet Mode
A lot of companies still talk about being in stealth mode and aiming for a big hoorah type launch. It doesn’t usually work. Worse still, startups that are in stealth mode rarely talk to customers, prospects, users, partners or anyone else before their big reveal, which means they have little to no validation for what […]
Analysis Paralysis (and Blaming Lean Startup)
Lately, I’m getting more and more feedback from entrepreneurs that Lean Startup is holding them back. I’m seeing this in action as well; startups that are “stuck” in a permanent mode of analysis with little to no action. Entrepreneurs blame the Lean Startup process. They point out that the need to validate everything before moving […]
Running Lean by Ash Maurya
Seems these days I start almost every blog post talking about Lean Canvas. I’ve seen the Lean Canvas work effectively – as a planning, strategy and communication tool – and encourage any startup I’m working with to give it a try. Ultimately it’s about focus. Focus is incredibly elusive in a startup. A lack of […]
Founding Partner at 