1. LeanCamp:
Minimizing
Your MVP"
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

2. PREREQUISITES
Hypothesize
Learn
Personas
Lean StartupStyle Assumptions
Experiment
Problem Scenarios
Alternatives
Your Value Propositions
Foundation in
Design Thinking
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

3. LEAN STARTUP-STYLE ASSUMPTIONS
Priority
Key Assumption
Needs Proving?
Experimentation
[1-10]
[A key assumption
about the business]
[Whether it needs
proving]
[Experiment to !
prove or disprove]
1
Parents want to
organize the distribution
Yes
of allowances with an
app
* Post the proposition in ads
online!
* Measure sign-up’s on a
landing
2
Parents want to link
allowances to chores
* Show prototypes with choices
* Test in beta
Yes
Focus on strategic,
pivotal assumptions
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

4. THE “MTP”
M"
inimum"
T"
estable
Product
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

5. PARING AWAY ASSUMPTIONS VIA MTP
Hypothesize
Learn
Tactical
assumptions
about
usability
Lean StartupStyle Assumptions
Experiment
Pivotal
assumptions
about
relevance
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

6. 3 EXAMPLES
LEONID SYSTEMS
Enterprise solutions for
communications providers
(cable companies, phone
companies).
PHOTO STARTUP
B2C solution for enhanced
photo sharing.
ENABLE QUIZ
Synthetic company building
technical quizzes for
candidates in job interviews.
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

7. LEONID MVP #1: CONSULTING
It pays
CONSULTING
It’s easy to scale
Consultants naturally do customer discovery
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

8. MVP #2: PRODUCTIZED CONSULTING
Customer empathymore scope, detail on
problem scenarios
It’s easier to sell
CONSULTING
‘PRODUCTIZED’
CONSULTING
It’s easier to staff
It’s easier to manage
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

9. LEONID MVP #3: SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Customer empathymore scope, detail on
problem scenarios
CONSULTING
Validated problem
scenarios with
substantial detail
‘PRODUCTIZED’
CONSULTING
PRODUCTS
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

10. LEONID MVP #3: SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
Validated problem scenarios
Existing customer relationships
PRODUCTS
Ability to pre-sell
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

11. USER JOURNEY: PHOTO-SOCIAL
ASSUMPTION
User’s social network
will like and share the
app’s output
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

12. PHOTO-SOCIAL MVP
MVP
Create the target
output by hand. !
!
Does anyone care?
ASSUMPTION
User’s social network
will like and share the
app’s output
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

13. ENABLE QUIZ: PROBLEM SCENARIO
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

14. PIVOTAL ASSUMPTIONS: ENABLE QUIZ
Priority
Key Assumption
Needs Proving?
Experimentation
[1-10]
[A key assumption
about the business]
[Whether it needs
proving]
[Experiment to !
prove or disprove]
1
Technical quizzes will
help firms make better
engineering hires;
better enough that
they’ll subscribe to a
service
Yes
* Customer interviews
(unprompted mention of the
problem)!
* Proposition via AdWords!
* Pre-selling!
* Field tests
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

15. CONCIERGE MVP: ENABLE QUIZ
Concierge MVP?
Sure: Hand craft quizzes on
paper on off-the-shelf tool.
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

16. IN CONCLUSION…
You have to put the magic in
the software.
(Not the other way around)
Concierge and other nonsoftware MVP’s can be pretty
magical.
ALEX COWAN"
AlexanderCowan.com!
@cowanSF
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

17. YOUR STORIES?
As
Presenter
1) What are the truly pivotal
assumptions?!
2) What could have been the MVP?!
3) What was?!
4) How were the experimental results?!
5) What next?
As
Audience
- Focus on the process; avoid editorial!
- Ask a lot of questions!
- Think about it like an investor
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing

18. www.alexandercowan.com/speaking
www.alexandercowan.com/venture-design
www.alexandercowan.com/startup-sprints
@cowanSF
acowan@alexandercowan.com
Copyright 2013 Cowan Publishing