Applying Lean to existing teams and other lessons learned @ Lean Startup Machine London

#LSMLondon – @andreasklinger

Starting with lean

in existing projects.

Lessons Learned

@andreasklinger

#LSMLondon


My story so far.

First startup iteration “Garmz”

1,5 years building.

5 months live = cool! but houston, problem.

Pivot to LOOKK. This time we had a lot

of industry expert input.

Complete relaunch.

Pivot to LOOKK.

6 Months building.

After 3 months = by far better!

but still houston, problem.

This time we had a lot


Complete relaunch.

This time we had a lot


Complete relaunch.

Pivot to LOOKK.

6 Months building.

After 3 months = by far better!

but still houston, problem.

TOO SLOW…

TOO BIG…= TOO MANY UNPROVEN ASSUMPTIONS…

Slow launches are dangerous

We learn the most when launch.

Therefore we need to launch earlier/smaller/often…

Launch earlier…

Focus on the actual core of your product.

Example: Buffer linked their payment

submit to a 500 error page until

bug reports came.

Slow launches are dangerous…

You build baggage…

Why don't people launch earlier ?

Why don't people only talk to "right" customer ?

Why do startups always launch "in one month" ?

We want to stay in our comfort zone.

Our team wants to stay in the comfort zone.

#1

Before launch

“fluffy expectation land”

After launch

“bad mean reality”

our comfort zone

stuff weshould do

Let’s get investors first

i like networking

Let’s build this first i like coding

We decide our strategy based on our comfort zone.We want to excel in our comfort zone topics.

Perfection is the mother of procrastination

“people want to do the best they can”


Solutions we (tried to) apply:Timeboxed launches (for editorial teams).

A/B Launches (for development).Cultural Change (for everyone).


Solutions we (tried to) apply:Timeboxed launches (for editorial teams).

A/B Launches (for development).Cultural Change (for everyone). (we failed at that one)

Applying lean you sound like a douche.

#2

Use normal words:

“ask customers”“get feedback”

“look at numbers”“let’s doublecheck”

Also you have no idea what you do…

#3

Also you have no idea what you do…

#3

“it needs training…”

Discovery Validation Efficiency Scale

This process has not much to do with the

phase you are.

Apply lean and custdev to feature rollouts.

(And feature removals as we did it…)

“Ok we did custdev.Now back to real

business.”

#4


Our baby steps…

First step:

METRICS!

I ♥ it, but…

Presentation about it:

http://www.slideshare.net/

andreasklinger/metrics-lesson-

learned-leancamp-barcelona

TL;DR:

* Focus on Retention

* Use your database for insights

* CustDev > Metrics

http://www.slideshare.net/andreasklinger/metrics-lesson-learned-leancamp-barcelona






In early stage: CustDev eats

Metrics for breakfast.

Source: Custdev.com


QualitativeValidation(eg. customer interviews)

QuantitativeValidation

(eg. metrics)

CustDev in a team

All of the team brainstormed assumptions on pink post-its.

We clustered them to groups (topics).

Questions (green) for each group that should get people to mention our assumptions.

We did this for both user types (designers, users)

Source: Custdev.com

ExamplesThe questions should not be leading but open the possibility for someone to say those assumptions.

We wanted them to pass the “mother-test”.

ExamplesWe wanted to give them the opportunity to raise the assumption in the group without leading to it

We wanted them to pass the “mother-test”.

Build questionnaires and set up meetings.

Designer Example

User Example

We had help by a saintSalim Virani (of leanca.mp) helped us creating those topic maps.

If you can afford him get an external expert like him involved. Especially if you try to do this with a larger group.

Speeddating aka

Industry eventsWe slimmed down the questions to the most important ones and added basic “starter questions”.

I went to tradefairs in Paris and London and talked with several dozens of designers in one day.

How: * “I am doing a survey…” * Have respect for the reason why they are there * Write superfast or have someone second writing for you.* If you can have something phsyical to show with you. And “ask” about that.

Source: Custdev.com

We collected the answersAnd grouped them within the topic map.

We went back to our

assumptionsAnd moved all those down that have not been mentioned.We regrouped the rest in their new context.

Yellow is a new information…Roughly 90% of our assumptions turned out to be not true.

We went back to our

assumptionsAnd moved all those down that have not been mentioned.We regrouped the rest in their new context.

Yellow is a new information…Roughly 90% of our assumptions turned out to be not true.

But… some turned out to be by far bigger than expected.

Now we focus on that.


Bullshit to externals, but always know where

your startup really stands…

and act accordingly!

Read: The Startup Owners Manual - Steve Blank

Or: Custdev.com by Patrick Vlaskovits and Brant Cooper


Startups have different stages.





Problem/Solution





Problem/Solution

Product/Market





Problem/Solution

Product/Market

Acquisition

Company building





Problem/Solution

Product/Market

Acquisition

Company building

Magic Dragon Land

New business models





Problem/Solution

Product/Market

Acquisition

Company building

Magic Dragon Land

New business models

Source: Startup Genome Project Report

Source: Startup Genome Project Report

#1 Reason for startups dying:

The follow the patterns of later stage companies

(aka premature scaling)





Problem/Solution

Product/Market

Acquisition

Company building

Magic Dragon Land

New business models

Growth investments

B2B corporations

PR campaigns

Marketing Stunts

recommended presentations

by @robfitz on custdev/lean:

http://leanca.mp/2012/01/intro-to-lean-startup-with-no-buzzwords-by-robfitz/

http://thestartuptoolkit.com/blog/2012/05/how-to-do-and-what-to-expect-from-

early-stage-customer-development-sales/

by @serenestudios and @stueccles on metrics:

http://www.slideshare.net/danhilltch/cohort-analysis-leancamp

http://www.slideshare.net/stueccles/lean-startup-metrics



http://thestartuptoolkit.com/blog/2012/05/how-to-do-and-what-to-expect-from-early-stage-customer-development-sales/









And if they haven’t died they are lean

happily ever after…

Thanks,@andreasklinger

Now back to work! ;)

Business

Applying Lean to existing teams and other lessons learned @ Lean Startup Machine London