Startup Library Full Day Workshop: OCULA Spring Conference 2013

ocula 2013 fall conference ottawa public librarym.j. d’elia

the startup library

image: (cc) Manzabar http://www.flickr.com/photos/manzabar/5317712005/

welcome

about• librarian / manager • instructor • designer • problem solver

think like a startup• startups condition us for constant

change • startups are about building a platform • startup is a culture

(mathews, 2012, p. 4)

startup library: an experiment

• process over product • action-based networking • making over talking • stretching ourselves

(startuplibrary.ca)

outlineexplore foundations

find problems brainstorm solutions

apply startup methodology present results

objectivespractice entrepreneurial thinking understand startup terminology

encourage risk-taking have fun

workbook• notes • key concepts • worksheets • references

foundation

creative problem solving

design thinking

lean thinking

innovative / creative thinking

startup thinking

seeking novel solutions to problems

considering end-to-end customer experience

gathering customer input for rapid deployment

applying techniques to break assumptions

searching for repeatable, sustainable solutions

+

+

+

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entrepreneurial thought + action

desire

smart step

act

resultlearn / reflect

bring others along stay within acceptable loss

act quickly with means at hand

gather data observe customers

(c) Babson College

eta: key points• begin with desire (not passion) • iterative process • learn by doing • act with what you have • primary data vs secondary data

eta: smart step• means at hand

• who are you? • what do you know? • whom do you know?

• acceptable loss • not more than you are willing to lose

roadmap

roadmap• morning

• problem finding • patron discovery • problem framing

• lunch

roadmap (continued)

• afternoon 1 • solution finding • hypotheses testing • build-measure-learn

• break

roadmap (continued)

• afternoon 2 • minimum viable product • criteria for evaluation • pivot or persevere

• presentations & wrap-up

tip 1

tip 1: noticethe verb you want to be using with respect to startup ideas is not ‘think up’ but ‘notice.’

(graham, 2012)

hot spots

hot spots [materials]

• marker (each member) • flip chart paper (per table)

hot spot [definition]

“...an area of high information density, clutter, stress, disorganization, or any place that has a suboptimal solution.”

~ Matt Cutts

tip 2

tip 2: few, not many!

develop for the few, not the many.

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 57)

patron discovery

patron discovery• search for problem/solution fit • seek patron input

!

• problem validation = is your problem really a problem? for whom?

earlyvangelists• she has a problem • she knows she has a problem • she is looking for a solution • she assembled a solution out of parts • she has a budget

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 58-60)

who / how

who / how (materials)

• markers • flip chart papers with three hot spots

who / how (instructions)

• who would be most interested in each hot spot you identified?

• how would you determine the problem-solution fit? • write your ideas on the chart paper

• time: 7-10 minutes

who / how (debrief)

• what did you come up with for the “how” question?

tip 3

tip 3: re-framegetting the right question is the key - phrase it for possibility

(brown, 2009)

framing

framing: how might we• how might we

• how - creative confidence • might - looking for possible solutions • we - the need to work together

• action-oriented

(brown, 2009)

how might we

how might we 1 (instructions)

• generate h.m.w. statements for your three hot spots • write your ideas on your chart paper

• time: 10 minutes

how might we 2 (instructions)

• choose the h.m.w question you want to work with

• write it out on a new piece of paper • tape it up near your table

how might we (alternatives)

• hmw make eBooks a more attractive option to patrons?

• hmw scale IL/library instruction to the entire campus?

• hmw deliver library content and services to mobile devices?

how might we (alternatives)

• hmw make the middle seat in the airplane the most desirable seat? !

• hmw make it easier to find hard-to-locate products in the grocery store?

checkpoint1 hmw statement

recap• problem finding • customer finding (problem/solution fit) • problem framing

debrief• what was the easiest step? • what was the hardest step? • does this feel different?

up next• solution finding • hypotheses testing • build-measure-learn

lunch breakstartup library

divergent thinking

divergent thinking (overview)

• generating ideas and options • brainstorming / ideation • anything is possible

divergent thinking (activities)

• sticky note brainstorm • forced connections

!

• goal: 75 ideas

tip 4

tip 4: diverge• Defer judgment • Combine and build ideas • Seek wild ideas • Go for quantity

(osborn, 1953)

sticky note

sticky note (materials)

• markers (for each member) • sticky notes (for each member) • pre-numbered flip chart paper

sticky note (instructions)

• brainstorm solutions to hmw question • one idea / sticky note • speak to the group • hand it to facilitator • post it to the flip chart paper

• time: 15 minutes

sticky note (debrief)

• ideas flow more freely • clear objective • verbalizing helps members build on

previous ideas

forced connections

forced connections (materials)

• markers • sticky notes • pre-numbered flip chart paper • random images

forced connections (instructions)

• look at random images • talk about them as a group

• what do they suggest? • force yourself to make connections

between images and your problem • time: 10 minutes

forced connections (debrief)

• stimulates lateral thinking • encourages cross-pollination • focuses on the image, not the problem

scamper

scamper (materials)

• markers (for each member) • sticky notes (for each member) • pre-numbered flip chart paper • scamper question cards

scamper (instructions)

• review questions on cards • talk about them as a group • add new ideas to the flip chart paper • time: 15 minutes

scamper (debrief)

• covers different angles on the problem • question prompts expand the

brainstorming

checkpoint75 + ideas

recap• sticky note brainstorming • forced connections • scamper

debrief• what was the easiest technique? • what was the hardest technique? • what did you notice?

convergent thinking

convergent thinking (overview)

• selecting the best ideas and options • determine potential value • apply criteria

convergent thinking (activities)

• highlighting • three ‘i’s

tip 5

tip 5: converge• be deliberate • check your objectives • improve your ideas • be affirmative • consider novelty

(osborn, 1953)

highlighting

highlighting (materials)

• 75+ ideas from divergent thinking • sticky dots (2 per member)

highlighting (instructions)

• survey your list of ideas • each member: choose two of the most

promising ideas • place your sticky dots on each idea

• time: 10 minutes

highlighting (debrief)

• allows everyone to contribute • identifies popular ideas • encourages discussion

three ‘i’s

three ‘i’s (materials)

• ideas with sticky dots • from highlighting activity

• three ‘i’s matrix flip chart • markers

three ‘i’s (instructions)

• place chosen ideas in the left column • evaluate ideas according to:

• imagination • impact • influence

• time: 10 minutes

three ‘i’s (debrief)

• evaluate ideas according to realistic criteria

• generate team “buy-in”

checkpoint2-3 promising ideas

recap• highlighting • three ‘i’s

questions• what worked with these techniques?

what didn’t? • which is easier: divergent or

convergent thinking?

tip 6

tip 6: get outsidethere are no facts inside your building, so get outside.

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 31)

hypotheses

hypotheses• educated guesses about the solution • objectives:

• acknowledge assumptions • design ways to test assumptions

hypotheses (early stage)

• market size • how many people will use your idea?

• value proposition • why will they choose your solution?

hypotheses (early stage)

• patron segments • who really needs your solution?

• patron relationships/channels • how will you communicate with them?

hypotheses (early stage)

• key resources • what does your solution rely on?

• key partners • who does your solution rely on?

hypotheses

hypotheses (materials)

• flip chart paper • markers

hypotheses (instructions)

• create two columns • list hypotheses associated with your

idea on the left • consider all angles • time: 10 mins

tip 7

tip 7: build, measure, learndetermine what you want to learn before you build

(ries, 2011)

b-m-l

entrepreneurial thought + action

desire

smart step

act

resultlearn / reflect

bring others along stay within acceptable loss

act quickly with means at hand

gather data observe customers

(c) Babson College

build, measure, learn• action steps

• build • measure • learn

build, measure, learn• planning steps

• learn - what do you want to know? • measure - how will you evaluate it? • build - what do you need to build?

b-m-l

b-m-l (materials)

• markers • flip chart paper with hypotheses

b-m-l (instructions)

• discuss the hypotheses you listed • add your testing strategies in the right

column • who could you talk to? • how would you learn?

• time: 10 mins

checkpointhypotheses + tests

recap• hypotheses testing • build-measure-learn

debrief• what do you think about hypotheses

testing? • how is this different than regular

approaches?

up next• minimum viable product • criteria for evaluation • pivot or proceed • presentations • flawed approaches

breakstartup library

tip 8

tip 8: mvpbuild a minimum viable product with the smallest possible feature set

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 60)

mvp

minimum viable product• just the features that allow the product

to reach the market • bare bones • aimed at early adopters • helps avoid building products that

people don’t want

minimum viable product• reduce amount of wasted effort • iterate until you find the mvp • low-fidelity

• does the customer care? • high-fidelity

• watch adoption and use patterns

customer validation• attempts to attract early adopters

• “test sell” at every sage • testing the entire model (as opposed

to individual parts) • validating your hypotheses related to

customers

mvp

mvp (materials)

• markers • flip chart

mvp (instructions)

• describe an mvp for your idea • what would you build? • what features would it have? • who would you “test sell” it to?

• time: 10 minutes

tip 9

tip 9: desirability!

the best ideas answer the customer desirability question.

(brown, 2009)

criteria

criteria: desirability• understanding users’ current needs

• expressing latent customer desires • ethnographic techniques

• observation • interviewing extreme users

criteria: feasibility• considering the full project scope

• technical challenges • social possibility • ecological reality (sustainability)

• research + development • prototyping, testing, experimentation

criteria: viability• remembering the economic dimension

• affordable to users • generate healthy business return

• research • projections, prediction, risk analysis

criteria: venn versiondesirability feasibility

viability sweet spot

three questions• Do people want/desire this product or

service? • Is this product or service technically or

organizationally possible? • Does this product or service make

economic sense?

Adapted from: IDEO Human Centered Design: Toolkit

scorecard

scorecard (materials)

• dfv scorecard (in workbook) • pens / markers

scorecard (instructions)

• discuss each criteria as it relates to your overall solution • desirability, feasibility, viability

• give each category a score out of 10 • time: 10 minutes

tip 10

tip 10: visualize!

the best way to “translate” piles of data is to make it as visual as possible.

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 430)

pivot

pivot“A pivot requires that we keep one foot rooted in what we’ve learned so far, while making a fundamental change in strategy in order to seek even greater validated learning.”

~ Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

pivot or proceed (continued)

• pivot = change direction • not simply about change • focused on testing a new hypothesis

• proceed = stay on course • continue validating hypothesis

pivot (examples)

• zoom-in: a single feature becomes the whole product

• zoom-out: the product becomes a feature in a much larger product

• customer segment: switching targets to a different customer segment

(ries, 2009, p. 173)

pivot (examples)

• customer need: recognizing a different customer need than expected

• engine of growth: change the way the growth strategy of the solution

• channel pivot: determining a different way to deliver the same product

(ries, 2009, p. 173)

pivot

pivot / proceed (materials)

• pens / markers

pivot (instructions)

• list at least three potential ways you could pivot your idea • use list of pivots from workbook

• time: 10 minutes

checkpoint3 pivot options

recap• minimum viable product • evaluation criteria • pivot / proceed

debrief• what do you think of the mvp

concept? customer validation? • what do you think of the pivot?

up next• presentations • flawed approaches • wrap-up

reflection

instinct“There is no way to remove the human element--vision, intuition, judgment--from the practice of entrepreneurship, nor would that be desirable.”

~ Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

wrap-up

assumptions

flawed assumption 1

“i know what the patron wants”

you are not your patron

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

flawed assumption 2

“i know what features to build”

continuous patron contact

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

flawed assumption 3

focus on the launch date

understand who uses it and why

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

flawed assumption 4

emphasis on execution

hypothesize, test, learn, iterate

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

flawed assumption 5

measure with traditional metrics

adopt and expect trial and error

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

flawed assumption 6

build one-size-fits all solutions

develop for the few, not the many

(blank & dorf, 2012, p. 8-18)

think like a startup• startups condition us for constant

change • startups are about building a platform • startup is a culture

(mathews, 2012, p. 4)

thank you

!

m.j. d’elia mdelia@uoguelph.ca @mjdelia startuplibrary.ca

references

Berger, W. (2012, Sep 17). The secret phrase top innovators use [Blog post]. http://blogs.hbr.org/2012/09/the-secret-phrase-top-innovato/

Blank, S. & Dorf, B. (2012). The Startup Owner’s Manual. Pescadero, CA: K&S Ranch.

Brown, T. (2009). Change by Design. 2nd ed. New York: Harper Business.

Creative Education Foundation. (2010). The foundations of applied imagination (workbook). Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation Press.

Cutts, M. (2010, July 19). How to find start-up ideas. Matt Cutts Blog. Retrieved from http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/business-ideas/

Graham, P. (2012). How to get startup ideas [Blog post]. http://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html

references (continued)

Greenberg, D., McKone-Sweet, K. & Wilson, H. J. (2011). The New entrepreneurial leader. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

Kiefer, C. F., Schlesinger, L. A. & Brown, P. B. (2010). Action trumps everything. Duxbury, MA: Black Ink Press

IDEO. (2011). Human-Centered Design Toolkit. 2nd ed. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ideo.com

Mathews, B. (2013). Think Like a Startup [White paper]. http://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/18649

Osborn, A. (1953/1963). Applied Imagination. Amherst, MA: Creative Education Foundation.

Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Ries, E. (2011). The Lean Startup. New York: Crown Business.

the end.