Cauvin

The “Science” of Lean Startup Lean startup practitioners embrace the scientific method, seeking the "truth" about what business model and strategy will lead to product success. We do so by: Formulating hypotheses Crafting and running experiments to test them Learning from the experiments Iteratively feeding our learnings back into revised hypotheses Sounds pretty scientific, at least in spirit, doesn't it? Yet this process actually neglects a key ingredient in the scientists' mode of operation. To identify what’s missing, let’s examine “customer development”. Customer Development Steve Blank is one of the pioneers of the lean startup movement. He introduced into the lean startup lexicon the term “customer development”. Customer development consists of sessions and interactions with customers to test hypotheses. For example, a product manager might interview a prospect, asking if she agrees with the product manager’s hypotheses about the problems she faces or the ...

UPDATE: The presentation won "Best Session" at ProductCamp Austin 13. Check out the slides here . Join me Saturday, August 2nd, 2014 for ProductCamp Austin 13. I think  I missed only one ProductCamp Austin "unconference" since helping to organize the first event. At ProductCamp, product management and marketing professionals teach, learn, and network. For the upcoming event, I've proposed a session called "Google or search.com? Why We Suck at Naming Products and Companies". What the heck is a hopdoddy? Did you know that scientists have studied what makes a great brand name? The findings may surprise you. Our intuitions about brand names are the opposite of what the science tells us. In the session, we’ll answer: What goals should you strive to achieve when choosing a name for your product or company? What does the science say about what types of names best accomplish these goals? How should you choose a name? Prepare to chal...