What Works in Silicon Valley Doesn’t Work Everywhere – And What You Can Do...
The Lean Startup Conference hosted an amazing webinar today called Beyond Silicon Valley: Applying Lean Startup Around the Globe. Justin Wilcox, Takashi Tsutsumi (aka “The Steve Blank of Japan”), and...
View ArticleGet Startup Advice for Relationships – Not Answers
Summary: Most experienced entrepreneurs (1) know their top 2-3 challenges and (2) constantly ask for advice. Want to build your relationships & get instantly credibility? Ask for lots of advice....
View ArticleWhy Your MVP Should Be a Tool – Not a Network
Summary: Before building that network/platform/marketplace MVP solution, consider starting by building a tool for your customers. Your execution will be easier, chance of failure will be lower, and you...
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How to sell to customers who don’t have the problem
Summary: Customer Development on innovative products is hard because customers haven’t made the behavior changes necessary to get value from the solution. This dilemma is actually your opportunity: by...
View ArticleCrowdini case study: focus on value before growth
Can I get your advice on how to grow our customers? This is most frequent question entrepreneurs ask me. Whether it is day #1 of your startup or the night before your IPO, the challenge never ends: how...
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Presentation tips to win funding & customers
Updated 3/14/2014 – The post was an email I sent to my newsletter subscribers before speaking at the 2013 Lean Startup Conference (I actually wrote this on the flight from Beijing to San Francisco)....
View ArticleNEXT as a startup accelerator alternative
Are you thinking about applying to an accelerator and wondering if it is your best option? I recently had the honor of mentoring at Toronto NEXT organized by Nathan Monk, Chris Eben and Holly Knowlman...
View ArticleI just got fired – again
Yep. For the second time this year I just got fired from my job. My job – up until 2 hours ago – was to be the head writer/marketer for SoHelpful, my startup. I got the job 15 months ago when I started...
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How to simplify your startup’s TODO list with customer personas
[7/31/2014 Update] – We built a free product called the Helpful Canvas. You can use it to create and share your personas. Screenshot of “Founder Fran”: The real work for Lean Startups begins when we...
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Get your first 100 customers by being helpful
Are you reading this hoping I have a magic, quick secret for getting your first customers? If so, stop. This isn’t for you because… It’s different and requires you to THINK. It is hard work. It takes 3...
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Traction: A book for every founder’s library
tl dr; Traction belongs on every startup founder’s bookshelf. I’m buying copies for the CEOs of my current Angel Investments. Get it here. Traction Summarized Traction is one of those books that makes...
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I’m a founder. And I’m not depressed
Update: I received a number of appreciative, heartfelt emails from entrepreneurs thanking me for sharing my experiences. And a few friends also sent me messages like, “Hey Kevin, I know you mean well...
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Not selling? Check your positioning strategy
Can’t get your first customers? You’re not alone Whether you’re starting a product company, freelancing business, or writing a book the challenge is the same: getting initial customers. It’s easier...
View ArticleHow to handle unsolicited startup advice
Much of my time is consumed by writing my next book, Get Your First 100 Customers by Being Helpful (Download a free sample). In one chapter I talk about the importance of the first 100 customers – for...
View ArticleConcierge Onboarding is Continuous Customer Development
Do you run a SAAS subscription app (a website that charges a recurring fee, e.g. MailChimp )? You already know a good onboarding process is critical for getting customers to use (and pay for) your...
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Is blogging worth it? Content marketing for startups
“Should I even bother writing blog posts?” is one of the most common questions founders ask me. It’s a good question – some successful founders claim content marketing is essential for initial...
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