Building stuff that sells

BUILDING STUFFTHAT SELLS

WHO AMI?

My Background

18 months

Discovered

Lean Startup

ThingsWeStart

Success

Startup Accelerators

Curriculum

Mentor & Speaker

FOCUS Framework

?’s

Agenda1. Who am I?2. 5 Steps to Sales3. Who do you Interview?4. How to Ask for Interviews5. Better Startup Marketing6. Wrap Up

75%FUNDEDSTARTUPS

FAIL

WHY?

BUILDGREATPRODUCTS

CUSTOMERS DON’T BUYproductsCUSTOMERS BUY SOLUTIONS TOproblems

75%FUNDEDSTARTUPS

FAIL

CUSTOMERS DON’T BUYproductsCUSTOMERS BUY SOLUTIONS TOproblems

BUILD STUFFTHAT SELLS

BUILD SOLUTIONSCUSTOMERS BUY

5 STEPS

Assumption

AssumptionAssumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

Assumption

52

13 3

144 2

The 5 Steps

You’ll Learn

AssumptionYou can find

people trying to solve the problem

They want your help solving it

They will "pay" you to solve it

You can solve it

You will achieve Product-Market

Fit

AssumptionYou can find

people trying to solve the problem

They want your help solving it

They will "pay" you to solve it

You can solve it

You will achieve Product-Market

Fit

Test

Manual solution

Cold Outreach, AdsLanding Page,Pre-Sales, LOIs

Product, large segments, etc.

CustomerInterviews

Utility Testing

Offer Testing

Currency Testing

Scaling to Fit

Finding Early Adopters

Step

FOCUS Framework

CASE STUDIES

Started as:

100’s of Providers:

Demo Day: Raised $800k

Team Size:14

Customers:1000’s

Social Enterprise

Tried to Raise: $350k

Raised: $372k (Oversubscribed)

MarketplaceProfitable

Enterprise Customers:

AssumptionYou can find

people trying to solve the problem

They want your help solving it

They will "pay" you to solve it

You can solve it

You will achieve Product-Market

Fit

Test

Manual solution

Cold Outreach, AdsLanding Page,Pre-Sales, LOIs

Product, large segments, etc.

CustomerInterviews

Utility Testing

Offer Testing

Currency Testing

Scaling to Fit

Finding Early Adopters

Step

?’s

Agenda1. Who am I?2. 5 Steps to Sales3. Who do you Interview?4. How to Ask for Interviews5. Better Startup Marketing6. Wrap Up

AssumptionYou can find

people trying to solve the problem

They want your help solving it

They will "pay" you to solve it

You can solve it

You will achieve Product-Market

Fit

Test

Manual solution

Cold Outreach, AdsLanding Page,Pre-Sales, LOIs

Product, large segments, etc.

CustomerInterviews

Utility Testing

Offer Testing

Currency Testing

Scaling to Fit

Finding Early Adopters

Step

Riskiet AssumptionWho do you Interview?

Riskiet AssumptionHow do youFind Them?

ADOPTIONBEHAVIORCURVE

Diffusion of Innovations

EarlyAdopters

EarlyMajority

LateMajority Laggards

Victory

Y

YYY

YY

Startup founders

“Not sure how to apply Lean Startup”

VictoryStart

Y

YYY

YY

“Not sure how to apply Lean Startup”

Goes to Lean Startup MachinePays for online coursesGoes to Lean Startup Conf.Makes calls on ClarityBuy’s Ash’s BookEnrolls in Founder Institute

Tweets about Lean Startup MachineReviews online courses

Leaves feedback on Clarity

Amazon review for Ash’s BookJoins Founder Institute Meetup Group

What are Early Adopters?

“Paying” to Solve It Know they Have ItHave the problem

Customers who…

Where are yours?

Externally Observable Behavior

Tweets about Lean Startup MachineReviews online coursesLeaves feedback on ClarityAmazon review for Ash’s BookJoins Founder Institute Meetup Group

?’s

SUMMARIZE

WHAT DOCUSTOMERSBUY?

5STEPS OFFOCUS?

WHAT’S THE DIFF.EARLY ADOPTERSVS EARLY MAJORITY?

Agenda1. Who am I?2. 5 Steps to Sales3. Who do you Interview?4. How to Ask for Interviews5. Better Startup Marketing6. Wrap Up

ASKING FOR INTERVIEWS

PROBLEM IT SOLVES

1. UNSURE HOW TO ASK?

2. INCREASE YOUR CONVERSION RATE

3. GIVE YOURSELF A TIMELINE

HOW TO ASK

1. COLD CONTACT

2. IN-PERSON

3 Rules of Cold Contacts

1. Email2. LinkedIn3. Twitter4. Facebook

3 Rules of Cold Contacts

1. Personal

SPAM

3 Rules of Cold Emails

1. Personal2. Short – 5 sentences

5 Sentence Cold Email

1. About them2. About both of you3. What you’re doing4. What you’re offering5. The ask

3 Rules of Cold Emails

1. Personal2. Short – 5 sentences3. Valuable

140 Characters

#1 People are Waiting- Public Transit- Long lines (amusement park, concert tickets, movies, sporting events)- Airports

In-Person Interviews

#2 Props Can Help

LET’S ASK FOR INTERVIEWS!

Lean Startup Founders “How do I do Lean Startup?”

Lean Startup LinkedIn Group

LSM Facebook group members

Blog readers 8/198/128/7

8/10 8/15 8/22

9/78/298/24

PROBLEM IT SOLVES

1. UNSURE HOW TO ASK?

2. INCREASE YOUR CONVERSION RATE

3. GIVE YOURSELF A TIMELINE

ASKING FOR INTERVIEWS

TAKEAWAYS

Agenda1. Who am I?2. 5 Steps to Sales3. Who do you Interview?4. How to Ask for Interviews5. Better Startup Marketing6. Wrap Up

BETTER STARTUP MARKETING

OFFER DESIGN

AssumptionYou can find

people trying to solve the problem

They want your help solving it

They will "pay" you to solve it

You can solve it

You will achieve Product-Market

Fit

Test

Manual solution

Cold Outreach, AdsLanding Page,Pre-Sales, LOIs

Product, large segments, etc.

CustomerInterviews

Utility Testing

Offer Testing

Currency Testing

Scaling to Fit

Finding Early Adopters

Step1. Problem2. Marketing Copy3. Marketing Channels

Why?

PROBLEMS IT SOLVES1. WHY DO WE INTERVIEW?

2. DEVELOP MARKETING STRATEGY

3. WHERE TO MARKET, WHAT TO SAY

AN OFFER IS…1. CHANNEL

2. PROBLEM-ORIENTED MESSAGE

3. CALL TO ACTION

Channel

Message

Call to Action

AN OFFER IS…

Blog

Facebook ads

Lean Conference

Cold emails

Founder Institute

?

TIME

1. HOURS2. DAYS3. WEEKS

MONEY1. FREE2. < $1003. < $5004. < $10005. >= $1000

Blog

Facebook ads

Lean Conference

Cold emails

Founder Institute

1

1

3

2

2

1

2

3

1

1

1

2

9

2

2

1050

11000

250

200

1000

1050

11K

250

200

1000

1

2

9

2

2

1050

5500

27.7

100

500

PROBLEM-CENTRIC MESSAGING1. PROBLEMS - NOT SOLUTIONS2. EMOTIONAL3. SHORT4. ASK QUESTIONS5. IT’S ABOUT “YOU”

Blog

Facebook ads

Lean Conference

Cold emails

Founder Institute

Overwhelmed? What to do Next and HOW to do itOverwhelmed? HOW to do Lean StartupOverwhelmed? HOW to find your Product-Market FitWant Focus? Step-by-Step Lean Startup InstructionsWant Focus? HOW to do Lean Startup

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1

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2

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2

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9

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1050

11000

250

200

1000

1050

11K

250

200

1000

1

2

9

2

2

1050

5500

27.7

100

500

?

Blog

Facebook ads

Lean Conference

Cold emails

Founder Institute

Overwhelmed? What to do Next and HOW to do itOverwhelmed? HOW to do Lean StartupOverwhelmed? HOW to find your Product-Market FitWant Focus? Step-by-Step Lean Startup InstructionsWant Focus? HOW to do Lean Startup

Get 1-on-1 Mentoring Now

Facebook Ads Overwhelmed? HOW to find your Product-Market Fit Get 1-on-1 Mentoring Now

1

1

3

2

2

1

2

3

1

1

1

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9

2

2

1050

11000

250

200

1000

1050

11K

250

200

1000

1

2

9

2

2

1050

5500

27.7

100

500

Start your Lean Video CourseGet the Cust. Dev Workbook

Facebook Ads Overwhelmed? HOW to find your Product-Market Fit Start your Lean Video Course

?

OFFER DESIGN

PROBLEMS IT SOLVES1. WHY DO WE INTERVIEW?

2. DEVELOP MARKETING STRATEGY

3. WHERE TO MARKET, WHAT TO SAY

BETTER STARTUP MARKETING

?’s

SUMMARIZE

Channel

Message

Call to Action

AN OFFER IS…

PROBLEM-CENTRIC MESSAGING1. PROBLEMS - NOT SOLUTIONS2. EMOTIONAL3. SHORT4. ASK QUESTIONS5. IT’S ABOUT “YOU”

TAKEAWAYS

SUMMARIZE

CUSTOMERSBUYWHAT?

5STEPS OFFOCUS?

WHICH STEPTESTSMARKETING?

WHICH STEPTESTSSALES?

WHAT’S THE DIFF.EARLY ADOPTERSVS EARLY MAJORITY?

HOW/WHERE DO YOUFINDFIND YOUREARLY ADOPTERS?

WHO DESIGNSYOUR MARKETINGSTRATEGY?

WHEN WILLTHEY DESIGN IT FOR YOU?

TAKEAWAYS

FOCUS Framework

BUILDING STUFFTHAT SELLS