View from Seed

MARCH 24, 2021

” Below are our favorite pieces from the past few years, divided in to a few key categories: fundraising, company building, product development, industry trends, and the life of a VC. Finance is about reporting on historical performance and future planning through the lens of financial metrics.” ” (Melody Koh).

Seed Stage 177

Seed Stage Hiring IPO Analytics 177

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 15, 2009

There are a whole range of valid reasons why non-developers would want to dictate the production release schedule (Seasonal/timing issues, marketing, fulfillment concerns, documentation/training, revenue controls, legal/regulatory. It lets the customer and development team spot problems with calculations almost immediately.

Continuous Deployment 167

Continuous Deployment Software Review San Francisco Lean 167

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2016

The days of lengthy, text-heavy, business plan documents prepared by expensive experts are behind us. Building your public image and presence should start even before product development, through your website, logo, and blogging. Establishing your brand with interactive social media. The cost of social media done well is low.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 120

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 16, 2013

But we couldn''t have identified this without having clear metrics (that high bug count) to assess our development process. The Product Navigators are responsible for understanding the use cases that are covered by our products--the gaps, what new features we need, what''s working, what''s not.

Lean 167

Lean Startup Software Engineering Agile 167

Startup Lessons Learned

JUNE 17, 2010

But according to the theory, this should have been covered by the various specs and documentation we were rigorous about producing. Instead, we spent time making sure the exact behavior of the tools were well documented – by engineers, naturally. This led to some pretty bizarre situations.

Technical Review 164

Technical Review San Francisco Lean Software Review 164

The Next Web

AUGUST 26, 2012

For this reason you should find out as quickly as possible if the product is indeed offering real value to your customers by looking at real data. The metrics that matter the most are returning customers (user retention), turnover per customer and viral growth (k-factor). Develop a strong backbone. Most start-ups fail.

Bankruptcy 121

Bankruptcy Technical Review Intellectual Property Due Diligence 121

Startup Lessons Learned

MARCH 27, 2009

In fact, every single lean transformation documented in books like Lean Thinking took place in the midst of serious external threats. Customer Development : a disciplined approach to finding out if there is a market for your product before its too late. The hardest costs to cut are those that are embodied in sacred cows.

San Francisco 117

San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment DC 117

Startup Lessons Learned

NOVEMBER 6, 2008

They take things like unit testing, design documents and code reviews more seriously than any other company Ive even heard about. Startup Visa update ► February (5) Kiwi lean startup + Australia next Why diversity matters (the meritocracy business) Beware of Vanity Metrics (for Harvard Business Rev.

Agile 76

Agile San Francisco Software Review Continuous Deployment 76

Startup Lessons Learned

MAY 31, 2010

Startup Visa update ► February (5) Kiwi lean startup + Australia next Why diversity matters (the meritocracy business) Beware of Vanity Metrics (for Harvard Business Rev. Startup Lessons Learned - the Conference (April 23. Tell your Startup Visa story Speaking 2010: Webstock, GDC, Web 2.0,

San Francisco 133

San Francisco Lean Technical Review Software Review 133

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 6, 2009

Slides are below: The Lean Startup fbFund Edition View more documents from Eric Ries. Startup Visa update ► February (5) Kiwi lean startup + Australia next Why diversity matters (the meritocracy business) Beware of Vanity Metrics (for Harvard Business Rev. If you want to see the original video, use the link above.

Lean 115

Lean Video San Francisco Continuous Deployment 115

Startup Lessons Learned

AUGUST 8, 2009

We owe a lot to this seminal document. The economics of these process trade-offs are discussed in the Principles of Product Development Flow.) Heres an excerpt: In a previous article, we called Toyota’s product development system the “second Toyota paradox.&# it is very helpful for me.

Software Review 87

Software Review Design Software San Francisco 87

Startup Lessons Learned

FEBRUARY 22, 2009

That data is completely consonant with the people I know who are successful technologists today, and similar patterns are documented in each recent wave of technology innovation. I documented the lesson plans etc on [link] March 4, 2009 5:25 AM Eric said. I offered a programming class at the local school and. only two kids took it up!

Programming 143

Programming San Francisco Lean Continuous Deployment 143

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 21, 2021

Switch your focus from product development to sales. Explosive growth to an enterprise normally requires a scalable sales model, a well-documented process with incentives, training, and metrics for tracking and management. Formal documentation of strategy and progress will be expected by investors.

Merger 379

Merger Due Diligence SEC IPO 379

Up and Running

JULY 6, 2016

They are used for different things, such as: Some business plans are intended for outsiders, as summary and description of the business, to serve the purpose of raising money with investors, backing up a commercial loan document, and so forth. I don’t, however, wade through scientific documentation.

Technical Review 72

Technical Review Software Review Business Plan Development Team Review 72

Up and Running

MAY 23, 2016

In this section, you really just want to document how your business will make money. In this section, you really just want to document how your business will make money. Another great way to test your idea is to create a minimum viable product, or MVP. This is the simplest version of your product minus the frills and frosting.

Software Review 74

Software Review Software Delaware Forecast 74

View from Seed

OCTOBER 15, 2014

Regardless, this document is a viable alternative to creating decks at the seed stage, and we wanted to deconstruct what that might look like below. A seed-stage mobile startup’s housekeeping section might look something like this: Section 3: Core Metrics. At this point, the document starts to wrap up.

Seed Stage 331

Seed Stage Cap Table Metrics Burn Rate 331

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 4, 2014

Like it or not, you are now entering the dreaded realm of specifying and documenting “formal business processes.” This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Funding process.

Startup 268

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 268

Startup Lessons Learned

JULY 3, 2009

The Lean Startup fbFund Edition View more documents from Eric Ries. The power of A/B testing is so under-exploited in product development, that Im trying new ways to explain its benefits. I had a flip cam with me, and the organizers captured their own video with a tripod and everything. Without further ado. Now for the feedback.

Lean 60

Lean San Francisco Continuous Deployment Cofounder 60

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

To create this first year in business checklist, I turned to our in-house experts here at Palo Alto Software: Sabrina Parsons, CEO; Noah Parsons, COO; Josh Cochrane, Vice President of Product Development; and Josh Fegles, Academic and Government Channel Sales Director, and founder of gluten-free cookie company Jude’s Foods.

Forecast 60

Forecast Software Review Lean Finance 60

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Product development process. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Funding process.

Startup 255

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 255

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 31, 2013

Like it or not, you are now entering the dreaded realm of specifying and documenting “formal business processes.” This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Funding process.

Institutional Investors 230

Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping Database 230

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 1, 2010

This will include the first version of many critical processes that can be split out later, including market opportunity, requirements, product definition, business model, sales process, and organization. Product development process. If you are contracting or outsourcing, this is even more important. Funding process.

Startup 239

Startup Institutional Investors Angel Investor Bootstrapping 239

Startup Lessons Learned

DECEMBER 6, 2008

When youve mastered that, consider adding operations, customer service, marketing, product management, business development - the idea is that when the team needs to get approval or support from another department, they already have an "insider" who can make it happen. Startup Lessons Learned - the Conference (April 23.

San Francisco 74

San Francisco SCRUM Lean Continuous Deployment 74

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2010

It’s human nature to prioritize the metrics that get measured, so the simple act of keeping track is often enough to have a significant positive impact. Products: You obviously can’t create value without a viable product (or service) to sell. Use your Venture Value Scorecard to summarize your major risk management initiatives.

Intellectual Property 223

Intellectual Property .Net Valuation Distribution 223

Steve Blank

AUGUST 18, 2010

More importantly, we’d witnessed Customer Development’s massive success at another local startup. We bought Steve’s book , started product development and began reaching out to customers ins search of our first earlyvangelists. It’s the only reliable metric for success. Make Money or Take Money?

Customer Development 231

Customer Development Developer Customer California 231

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 10, 2021

The business plan document itself isn’t what’s important to investors. A business plan provides the structure for thinking through these things and documents your answers so you’re prepared for the inevitable questions investors will ask about your business. What documents do investors want to see?

Business Plan 138

Business Plan Forecast Balance Sheet Exit Strategy 138

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 25, 2022

The structure of the meeting should follow some kind of document. Metrics around these efforts. Whether or not you were successful can be measured with not only objective metrics on the outcomes but also on the inputs and the effort. Very quickly, those bullets turn into a few things: One or more hypotheses.

Equity 133

Equity Metrics Widget Bandwidth 133

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2016

Most begin by doing the product development, marketing and sales alone, but struggle making the transition to hiring and coaching others, defining repeatable processes and focusing on future strategy. Trust your gut, and ignore naysayers. Others won’t adapt and won’t step aside and cause major or terminal damage to their business.

Social Network 120

Social Network Demand Valuation Acquisition 120

Seeing Both Sides

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

By viewing product development and marketing as integrated functions, not silos, leading tech companies like Facebook and Pinterest are rethinking their approach to driving growth and achieving breakthrough results. Second, the Growth Manager needs to help the company to quantify and understand progress against goals.

Management 20

Management Analytics Technical Review Silicon Valley 20

Seeing Both Sides

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

By viewing product development and marketing as integrated functions, not silos, leading tech companies like Facebook and Pinterest are rethinking their approach to driving growth and achieving breakthrough results. Second, the Growth Manager needs to help the company to quantify and understand progress against goals.

Management 20

Management Analytics Technical Review Silicon Valley 20

Steve Blank

OCTOBER 15, 2019

HR processes, legal processes, financial processes, acquisition and contracting processes, security processes, product development and management processes, and types of organizational forms etc. People who manage processes are not the same people as those who create product. are obstacles for innovation.

Government 322

Government Technical Review Acquisition Metrics 322

Up and Running

FEBRUARY 12, 2022

Just don’t invest the time in creating a lengthy version of your business plan with overly detailed metrics and milestones for the next five-plus years. Developing a long-range business plan is really just an extension of your regular business planning process. Will you introduce new products and services?

Business Plan 83

Business Plan Lean Forecast Exit Strategy 83

Startup Lessons Learned

NOVEMBER 5, 2008

You also need to know what each one cares about, which metrics they look at (or studiously ignore). Education Guideline Book (1st Edition) Sep 2006 View SlideShare document or Upload your own. If you want a piece of that very big pie, you need to know who the actors are, how they work with each other, and how they all get paid.

Advertising 60

Advertising San Francisco Media Continuous Deployment 60

Startup Lessons Learned

APRIL 9, 2015

The team felt good about the results and were hoping that their metrics would convince upper management to apply Lean Startup principles throughout the organization. They didn’t yet understand how these learnings could be applied to the mainstream product development process. They could see the potential, however.

Lean 60

Lean Technology Metrics Developer 60

K9 Ventures

OCTOBER 10, 2017

This post is intended to be a dynamic document, and I will attempt to update it from time to time with new questions that may arise or as financing trends evolve. If the Micro-VCs are looking for Series A-like metrics, what does a company do when it’s just getting started? If it doesn’t have the product fully baked yet?

Seed Stage 82

Seed Stage Finance Later Stage Equity 82

Software By Rob

APRIL 2, 2014

This is a common issue and the best mitigation strategy is to source an affordable, reliable, independent third party to work on the product for 3-6 months before the sale. Ensure they document everything they do in detail.

Affiliate 67

Affiliate Valuation Reputation Sales 67

Startup Lessons Learned

OCTOBER 20, 2008

Lessons Learned by Eric Ries Monday, October 20, 2008 The engineering managers lament I was inspired to write The product managers lament while meeting with a startup struggling to figure out what had gone wrong with their product development process. Good luck, engineering manager. It was painful for a lot of people.

Software Review 164

Software Review Engineer Management Technical Review 164