the blog
Semi-regular musings on all things marketing, data, product, and business.
Startup Bootcamp, Part 15: Building a Wizard of Oz MVP
you’ve gotten a few sign-ups and determined there’s general interest in your idea. You guessed it; there’s still work to be done. The good news? This is the best part of the process.
Startup Bootcamp, Part 14: Analyze Feedback and Iterate
Let’s reflect on what you just accomplished, because it’s pretty big. You built a simple, three-component landing page, drove at least 100 pairs of eyes to it, got email sign-ups, received generally positive feedback on your concept and tweaked your offering based on the feedback you received. Sheesh! Wipe that sweat off your brow; that’s a productive three hours.
Startup Bootcamp, Part 5: Identify your competitors
Have you discussed your exes with your current partner? Why do we do it? That was a rhetorical question! We know the answer; it’s to identify the competition. Deploy a similar strategy with your business idea. Prevent a false start by identifying the competitive landscape early in the process. Dedicate no more than 30 minutes by following these three rules:
Startup Bootcamp, Part 4: Framing your MVP like a science experiment
Remember your middle school science fair? Hastily designed tri-fold poster boards and the ribbons that had no monetary value, but carried more weight than gold? Channel your adolescence and apply the scientific method to your MVP. State your hypothesis, make your assumptions, outline how you’ll measure success and record your observations. Glue sticks not required (you’ll need those for a later section).