Bryan Starbuck April 22nd, 2014
Startup Learnings from the Trenches The counter-intuitive
@BryanStarbuck [email protected]
• Serial Founder and CEO
• TalentSpring Founder & CEO. Acquired in 2010 B2B Enterprise SaaS company with Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
• SPARKON Founder & CEO. B2C Online learning & Passion Discovery
• CTO at Crystal Commerce
About Me
• Big teams • No cash-flow pressure to
fast-to-market • Politics • Big visibility & less hands on
execution
Bigco vs. Startup
BigCo Startup • Miniscule team size • Fast-to-market due to cash flow • Validate deeply • Better strategy/positioning
needed • Better product needed
Timeline Segment #1: Validate Strategy & fit
Stages – of a Lean Startup
Timeline Segment #2: Build product
Timeline Segment #3: Post-launch GROWTH
Product build Post-launch growth
• Initial idea
• Craft Strategy
• Validate HEAVILY with customers
Stage #1: Validate
Timeline Segment #1: Validate Strategy & fit
Product build Post-launch growth
Validate by Pitch-Deck
" Force Planning in all Critical Areas"
" Brief enough for feedback from Customers, Employees, Advisors, Investors, etc. "
Pitch Deck PAIN finds your blind spots
Complete ALL of your Pitch-Deck!
He says, “This specific Pitch-Deck SLIDE is PAINFUL”""
Response, “You found a Blind Spot in your ANALYSIS skills…… or in your business”"
10x Healthy Business Problem
10x!SOLUTION!
10x!PROBLEM!
1! 2!
Transactions multiply to a Large
Market Size!
Great Single Transaction Economics!
3! 4!
“10-x” refers to the customer have a LARGE problem in their life, not just another small issue in their life.!
" Do NOT use your friends"" And do not use the startup community""
" Be willing to pay $25 to $50 for 60-minutes for B2C. $50-$100 for B2B professionals. PayPal, Amazon, iTunes"
" lets you record the dial-in conference call and share the screen. Cheaply"
Validating from Customers
People from"Your Social Group are BAD"
" Early Adopters"" White-Collar employees"" College educated"" A-Players or Type-A"" Advocate change & disruption"
The US and your customers are more like:"
" NOT Early Adopters"" NOT A-Players or Type-A"" NOT Advocating change & disruption"" Have a budget already fully spent"" Blue-Collar employees"" High School only, Community College…"
Dating start:
Validate on craigslist
B2C - Dating & CraigsList
B2B buyers have a budget in a spreadsheet
B2B buyers and their Budget Spreadsheet
Stages – of a Lean Startup Timeline Segment #2: Build product
Product build
80% = • Perfect strategy & need • Craft Product • Fast product building
20% = • Everything else: Branding, team building,
raising capital, etc.
Post-launch growth
Stages – of a Lean Startup
Product build Post-launch growth
Growth =
Success vs Failure
Timeline Segment #3: Post-launch GROWTH
Strategy
• Positioning is your top strategic skill
• Positioning is the battle for your mind
• See how…
Purple Cow
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!16
Your Positioning and Uniqueness M
anua
l So
lutio
n HIGH COST
Market Leader
LOW COST
Market Leader
Is Your Startup here or here
High Cost
Low Cost
Old generation New generation
Example of a problem with strategy
Example in the Recruiting industry
• Branding is important … but LEAN means fast to market
• 80% in stage #2 is: a) validating strategy & direction, b) brilliant product design, c) execute building product
• 20% = everything else. 5% of that is branding
Still branding is important. Get branding done – well – and quickly.
Branding
How Do We Find Them?
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!20
Dave McClure marketing Model
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!21
Hotmail.com GROWTH HACKING TO: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Sent by hotmail.com
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!22
AirBnB
Customer
Post to AirBnB
Post to CraigsList
GROWTH HACKING
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!23
Digg
Many Websites
Digg.com
GROWTH HACKING
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!
“X Problem” can be solved better by
“Y Solution” which we rock at
24
Blogging
“INBOUND” OR SEOMOZ STYLE
Facebook Articles
our unique uniquely
Questions? [email protected] @BryanStarbuck
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!
Next Steps for Learning (1 of 3) People often ask how to learn more. Here is the best way:" ABSOLUTE Must Read! Strategic Thinking or Execution!
Other!
Innovator’s Dilemma On Amazon"By: Clayton Christensen""Crossing the Chasm On Amazon"By: Geoffrey Moore""Blue Ocean Strategy On Amazon"By: W. Kim"""Good to Great On Amazon"By: Jim Collins""Maverick On Amazon"By: Ricardo Semier"""The Four Steps to the Epiphany On Amazon"By: Steven Blank""Inspiring Excellence On Amazon"By: Michael Schutzler"
The Ten-Day MBA On Amazon"By: Steven Silbiger""Founders at Work On Amazon"By: Jessica Livingston""""
ABSOLUTE Must Read"
Venture Deals On Amazon"By: Brad Feld"""Art of the Start On Amazon"By: Guy Kawasaki""""The Lean Startup On Amazon"By: Eric Ries""
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!
Next Steps for Learning (2 of 3) People often ask how to learn more. Here is the best way:" Marketing!
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding On Amazon"By: Al Ries"""Full Frontal PR On Amazon"By: Richard Laermer"""Positioning: The Battle for your Mind On Amazon"By: Jack Trout""The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing On Amazon"By: John Hogan"""Purple Cow On Amazon"By: Seth Godin"""
Other!Founders at Work On Amazon"By: Jessica Livingston"""Startup Weekend On Amazon"By: Marc Nager""Don’t Make Me Think On Amazon"By: Steve Krug"""
ABSOLUTE Must Read"
" BLOG: bryanstarbuck.typepad.com!
More Learning (3 of 3) " (My) Bryan Starbuck’s Blog on Company Building:"
" http://bit.ly/StarbuckBlog"" Dave McClure – Marketing Model for Startups: "
" http://500hats.typepad.com/500blogs/2007/06/internet-market.html"" http://vimeo.com/26277733"" http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/startup-metrics-for-pirates-long-version"" http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/startup-metrics-101-367863"
" More from Dave McClure:"" http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/why-not-to-do-a-startup"" http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/do-marketing-its-not-evil"
" Presenting to Investors:"" http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/how-to-pitch-a-vc-aka-startup-viagra-how-to-give-a-vc-a-hardon"
" Strategic economics of SaaS https://salesforce.adobeconnect.com/_a13852757/buildingasuccessfulsaasco/"" Startup Marketing: http://howtolaunchastartup.com/2011/06/20/21-must-read-resources-for-start-up-marketing/"" 57 Things I’ve Learned Founding 3 Tech Startups:
http://betashop.com/post/1417413108/57-things-ive-learned-founding-3-tech-companies"
ABSOLUTE Must Read"
The New Model for Startups