Bildungs-Brandstifter: A Primer

• Incendario educativo?• Pyromane éducation

• Yeats? Plutarch?• Hudnut!

Obligatory title slide ;)

Accelerating Ideas into Reality:The most (?) important lessons of the

“lean startup phenomenon

Norris Krueger, PhD, B-B.Entrepreneurship NorthwestExternal Fellow, Max Planck Institute

Action into Thought?

• Two key objectives in this short window–#1: If learning is cognitive change,

what exactly does that mean? And how does it happen? How can we accelerate it?

–#2: A primer on the Lean Startup Cult, er, Model & how it encourages entrepreneurial thinking

Moving from novice toward expert

• Intent... or Informed Intent• Incremental versus Transformational

• So how do we do it?

Key Tenets of Transformative Learning

• Book Throwing– Constructivist versus Behaviorist

• Neuro-entrepreneurship?*– Neuroplasticity– Emotions– Deep beliefs (Neo, take the...)

• Centrality of Action * http://www.slideshare.net/norriskrueger/icsb-2010-

neuroentrepreneurship

Accelerating Learning

• Problem-Based Learning (“authentic” questions)

• Two overlapping themes -we have heard much about this conference!

• IMMERSION – Action before thinking• MENTORING – Learn the right lessons

– Expert mentors– Peer mentors

LEAN Startups: a primer

LLearnEEntrepreneurial

AAgilityNNow!

the “Lean” movement

• … just a few key names:• Eric Ries • Steve Blank • Dave McClure and other cool cats

• …BUT… Is this really that new?• Isn’t this what smart entrepreneurs ALREADY

do? How smart entrepreneurs ALREADY think?

What is a “Startup”..really?

• A startup is simply the vehicle for figuring out a sustainable, repeatable, scalable business model

• This is no time for a business plan… takes very different planning (and thinking)

• Finding your Scalable Business Model:– Test each critical assumption in your model– Measure (qual & quant) ruthlessly– “Pivot” quickly– Iterate

A few quick thoughts…• “Lean” doesn’t mean cheap.. It means FAST• “Lean” could just as easily be called “Learn”!

WHEN to be Lean?• Extreme uncertainty• Significant ambiguity (Type III errors)• Startups – scalable startups• Social / Sustainable / BOTP• New Product Development

The Process

• from Steve Blank: The search (SBM) we can call “Customer Development”

• Implementing SBM = “Agile Development”

Minimize TOTAL time through the loop

LEARN BUILD

MEASURE

IDEAS

CODEDATA

Source: Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Build Measure Learn

• BUILD: Identify & Test• Minimum Feature Set• Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

• MEASURE: • Find out what customers love… and especially hate

(Kathy Sierra vs Dave McClure)

• LISTEN! (to your metrics & your customers)• LEARN:

• Pivot quickly & decisively

• “Failing fast” is also a misnomer – “fail FORWARD” which means…

• Better your assumptions fail… than your biz

• Disrupts the “Inventor Mentality” -forces attention on Value

(benefits>>features)

• Build Test/Measure Learn (L,R,R)

Get Out of the *%^$#@ Building!

What’s a Business Model?

• Three key questions to answer – identify all key assumptions for each:

– 1) Value Proposition

– 2) Value Delivery

– 3) Value Capture

Implications for us?

• “Lean” epitomizes entrepreneurial mindset [Entrepreneurial thinking opposite of BT:

Assume & embrace uncertainty & ambiguity!]

• Mindset focuses on:–Benefits, not features… (not ‘inventors syndrome’)

–Value proposition & value delivery co-evolve–Customer, et al. as true partner

• Iterative, Co-Evolving Process–Not exactly a stage-gate (eg, early Goldsmith)–BUT... WAIT! (expert mentoring)

More implications…

• New insights into expert entrepreneurial mindset (needed by mentors, ecosytem)

• Experiential = Essential (>>hands-on)• Problem-Based Learning• Incubating Immersion

– Startup Weekend– AND????

Counseling Mentoring– TechStars, Accelerators (Y-Combinator)

Still more implications…

• Why business plan contests underachieve..

• Biz MODEL competition (Nathan Furr, BYU)

• UT-Austin's Idea to Product – national & global [www.IdeaToProduct.org]

Celebrate & Educate!

for more info…The 'Lean' Gurus & Key Links:• Eric Ries (@ericries, www.startuplessonslearned.com)• Steve Blank (@sgblank, www.steveblank.com)• Alex Osterwalder (@business_design)

WATCH ME!! http://goo.gl/DyqRv

• www.StartupWeekend.org• www.TechStars.org• Www.gewusa.org; www.unleashingideas.org• Www.ideatoproduct.org (Idea to Product)

for more info… Key Dates?

Lean: May 23, 2011 – SLL 2011 (likely simulcast)

Www.sllconf.org [tons of slides & videos)

+ BYU's contest (early 2012?)

SW: Startup Weekends

I2P: (Steve?)

GEW: Mid/late November 2012

Or... just ping me

Norris Krueger (@entrep_thinking,

norris.krueger@gmail.com)

Get Out of the *%^$#@ Building!• Form pairs• Group into sets of four pairs, numbered 1-4.• #1 is the Brilliant Entrepreneur• #2-##14 are Demanding Customers/Clients• #1 specifies a product/service then makes

plausible assumption in each category then...• In turn, asks #2, #3, #4 for feedback• “Customers” give plausible but DISconfirming

feedback• #1 pivots