How can you use a startup development framework to outperform your competition?

Here's why it rocks: Build lean, learn fast: Focus on core features early, get feedback from real users, and adapt quickly. No point building a Titanic nobody wants! Reduce risk, save cash: Validate ideas before investing heavily. Think small wins, not major meltdowns. Build what matters: Listen to user feedback, iterate based on what resonates, and avoid pouring energy into features nobody cares about. Fail fast, fail cheap: Learn from mistakes quickly and cheaply, instead of getting stuck with a product nobody wants to use.

It's often missed that pivoting isn't just about small tweaks but sometimes about a complete change in direction. Imagine realizing your business can soar if you shift focus entirely based on feedback. It's bold, but it can turn potential failure into success. This strategy is not about starting over but steering towards where you're truly needed, which might require more effort but promises more significant rewards. Perfect for when initial paths don't pan out, showing it's smart to be flexible.

I've mentored at several startup accelerators. Lean Canvas is a gold standard in all of those accelerators. The problem with most beginner lean canvas is that they are too general. They don't niche down to a specific problem or customer. For example, if you are plastic surgeon with a problem for a patient, then a sample customer description is: women, disposable income, geographic range. My response is always, well what else, because every other plastic surgeon is targeting the same market. So, pro-tip is niche down further.

it’s very important to have a version of the product you wish to sell to your customers (MVP), it must have the core features or functionality of the final product fully defined, it is used to collect enough feedback from your potential earl adopters (or you can run marketing campaigns like Focus Groups), the feedback is used in iterative way to build the final product (must be scalable). If you get a niche market with some of your potential earl adopters, then you have found yourself a (Product-Market-Fit) although it may be too earl to say! There are lots of things that can happen in the landscape of startups, particularly those involved with hardware or embedded systems.

I took a design thinking class my senior year for life coaching lol. Design Thinking is a dynamic framework in entrepreneurship, drawing inspiration from the creative essence of designers. 🎨 Rooted in empathy, it involves understanding customer needs, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing iteratively. 🔄 This collaborative process engages diverse perspectives to ensure the creation of human-centered products or services. 💡 The ultimate aim is to develop offerings that are desirable, feasible, and viable in the market. 🌟 Design Thinking facilitates a deep understanding of customers, fosters innovation, and enables rapid and cost-effective testing of ideas. 🚀

It is often used to tackle complex or ill-defined problems that require out-of-the-box thinking. Design thinking typically consists of five stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test it. These stages are not linear, but iterative, meaning that teams can go back and forth between them as they learn from their experiments and feedback. Design thinking can be applied to any domain or industry, and it can help teams create products, services, or experiences that are desirable, feasible, and viable. If you want to learn more about design thinking, you can check out some of these resources:

There is no one magical framework that will solve all your startup challenges and questions. It's important to look into the various frameworks and find what works for you. It might end up being a combination. Keep your final framework as simple and practical as possible so it is easy to be understood and communicated to the rest of the company for taking action. Over time as your startup grows and evolves, you may need to explore new frameworks as the one you've been relying on might not be adequate for the next stage of your business. It's important to not lean on the framework you used to predict success as a permanent solution without regularly reviewing if an alternative framework could work better.

Here is a framework that works amazingly well. It's called Kickstarter. Don't put your product on that platform, but the think about the concept. "I have an idea for a product. I need you to give me money for it. And in 6 to 12 months, you'll the product. Maybe..." If all startups took this approach and focus on interest and solution alignment, then you're more likely to succeed.

Choosing a framework without considering scalability and adaptability short-sights the future. Think of selecting a framework as planting a tree - you want one that grows with you. This foresight doesn’t cost extra but requires envisioning your business's future landscape. It’s essential for ensuring your chosen path not only fits your current needs but also adapts and scales with your aspirations. A strategic choice for enduring success.