Founders Master Class: 7 Essential Steps for Startups

What you'll learn

Discover which of your assumptions are wrong (and which are right!)
Understand what your customer really needs
Hone a value proposition that combines user needs with your business vision
Measure your product's effectiveness
Make key decisions efficiently
Decide what NOT to build
Learn new techniques that you can use forever to make progress quickly

Requirements

Sticky notes (3" square)
Sharpie (fine point recommended)
White printer paper
Colored dots or colored marker
Blue painter's tape
Critical thinking, empathy for you customer, drive, and commitment

Description

This Founders' Master Class walks you step-by-step through the hard work that business founders must do to prove out their ideas and launch a successful product.

This is a premier program, currently in use by accelerators and incubators around the world. It is endorsed by Lean Startup creator Eric Ries, and has been use by 500 Startups, Singularity University, and the Obama White House. Whether you're a tech entrepreneur or simply learning how to apply the principles of Lean Startup, this course will set you on a productive path.

This is a HANDS-ON workshop, not just talks — Allow yourself extra time at the end of each step to do the work and move your company forward. A complete set of handouts and worksheets is downloadable as PDF files.

–-If you're an active entrepreneur, there is no better online resource for getting started and moving forward efficiently.–-

The seven workshops in Startup How To cover:

Document your assumptions about your customer

Do GOOD customer development interviews

Figure out the key learnings from customer development

Hone your value proposition based on what you've discovered

Use that value proposition to prioritize your product features

Identify which metrics clearly show your product's success

Root your whole business, and your product in a statement of vision and values.

This isn't a "how to" curriculum, it's an active experience, rooted in the principles of Lean Startup. Our promise is that if you give us an hour, we'll save you a week.

“Teams using the Janice's curriculum will understand Lean Startup at a fundamental level.”—Eric Ries, Author The Lean Startup, and Luxr advisor

"If we'd had this material six months ago, we would have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions." —Bill Gross, Idealab

Who this course is for:

Active entrepreneurs
Corporate innovators
Business founders
Product managers