Lean Startup in the High School Setting
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Erica Swallow, Noble Impact , @ericaswallow High schools across the nation are implementing Lean Startup methodology in entrepreneurship, business, and marketing courses. Erica Swallow, VP of Product at education non-profit Noble Impact, will share the story of how her team is empowering students to get out of the building and solve the problems they see in their communities.
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Lean Startup in the High School Setting
- 15. “The adults… take me more seriously than other high school students.” - Sydney Brazil, high school entrepreneur
- 16. “The adults… take me more seriously than other high school students.” - Sydney Brazil, high school entrepreneur
- 19. “Success is not delivering a feature. It is learning how to solve the customer’s problem.” - Eric Ries, The Lean Startup
- 20. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
Editor's Notes
- Hi, I’m Erica Swallow. I’m a first-generation college student. I grew up in Arkansas, went to school and worked on the East Coast for a decade, and am so incredibly happy to finally be back in my home state of Arkansas, working in the sector that changed my life: Education.
- Today, I’m here to chat with you about how some very innovative educators are bringing Lean Startup to the high school level. What does it look like to go Lean in high school? And what’s the potential for the education system with Lean?
- So, THIS is high school. This was the high school I experienced – and it’s the high school that still exists today. Sure, my high school English class was a ton of fun, as you can see here. I LOVED school! But I wanna call attention to what all schools share…
- … Namely, rows of desks. From kindergarten to senior year, most students in America find themselves seated chair behind chair, desk behind desk, in a seemingly endless matrix, wall to wall.
- And at the front of the class, someone like Mrs. Carpino, my 11th grade English teacher, commands the room, right after – of course – taking attendance. Today, we expect teachers, like Mrs. Carpino, to be the deliverer of all content presented in the classroom.
- But what would it look like if we flipped that equation and put students at the center of their education? What if we challenged students to determine the course of their own education, to customize it based on their interests and the problems they ultimately want to solve in the world?
- At Noble Impact, the education non-profit where I work, we believe that’s project-based learning – These are some of our students. And in our classes and out-of-school events, students work on projects that fit with their interests and passions, which leads to them feeling like school is more relevant and purpose-driven. Lean Startup is a natural fit, because it lets students get their hands dirty really quickly, so they can experience, pivot, innovate within their communities.
- At Noble Impact, the education non-profit where I work, we believe that’s project-based learning – These are some of our students. And in our classes and out-of-school events, students work on projects that fit with their interests and passions, which leads to them feeling like school is more relevant and purpose-driven. Lean Startup is a natural fit, because it lets students get their hands dirty really quickly, so they can experience, pivot, innovate within their communities.
- For some of our students, like Sydney Brazil, pictured here on her local news, class projects that start with frameworks like Lean Canvas can turn into businesses. Sydney is the founder of gourmet donut hole company The Hole Thing.
- What does she do? She makes donut holes – the most delicious donut holes to ever grace the earth. Lemon lavender, coconut crisp, chocolate chip cookie. And it all started in class, with Lean Startup. Well, to take it back a step, it started with her love of donuts or specifically, the donut hole. We ask students to dig within themselves and really understand who they are and what they like to do – and then apply that to how they can change and improve the world around them.
- What does she do? She makes donut holes – the most delicious donut holes to ever grace the earth. Lemon lavender, coconut crisp, chocolate chip cookie. And it all started in class, with Lean Startup. Well, to take it back a step, it started with her love of donuts or specifically, the donut hole. We ask students to dig within themselves and really understand who they are and what they like to do – and then apply that to how they can change and improve the world around them.
- In our class, students craft their business plans via the Lean Canvas, do customer research for validation, and pitch in class and to the local business community to get feedback. And those, like Sydney, who are really up for solving a problem, go forward with an MVP, a minimum viable product.
- Sydney’s MVP wasn’t a full-fledged “donut holery.” Instead, she partnered with local restaurant Copper Grill, and her donut holes were placed on the restaurant’s dessert menu. Copper Grill also let her use their professional grade kitchen to prepare the holes. This was a way for her to test her concept and actually collect sales data, to determine customer demand.
- Sydney’s MVP wasn’t a full-fledged “donut holery.” Instead, she partnered with local restaurant Copper Grill, and her donut holes were placed on the restaurant’s dessert menu. Copper Grill also let her use their professional grade kitchen to prepare the holes. This was a way for her to test her concept and actually collect sales data, to determine customer demand.
- In Sydney’s words, the “grown up business community” has completely embraced her, Copper Grill and beyond. That’s what excites me as an ed reformer. We need more connectivity between students and their communities, because business leaders and mentors are the ones who open up opportunities for students to learn and get experience. When a student has an idea for an MVP through a Lean Canvas exercise, it is local businesspeople who can help make that plan a reality.
- In Sydney’s words, the “grown up business community” has completely embraced her, Copper Grill and beyond. That’s what excites me as an ed reformer. We need more connectivity between students and their communities, because business leaders and mentors are the ones who open up opportunities for students to learn and get experience. When a student has an idea for an MVP through Lean Startup, it is local businesspeople who can help make that plan a reality.
- Noble Impact isn’t the only K-12 organization teaching Lean. DECA, one of the largest student club organizations, rolled out Lean this school year for all of its state and national competitions related to entrepreneurship. Students used to write full 20+ page business plans, and now they’re going lean.
- And then there’s Hawken School in Ohio, which actually trains teachers how to use and teach Lean Startup. Here’s a look at the Hawken School Entrepreneurship Educators’ Workshop that took place this summer.
- In the words of Lean Startup pioneer Eric Ries, "Success is not delivering a feature, it is learning how to solve the customer's problem.” For me, my customers are the students in the K-12 education system, who I occasionally snap selfies with, but am endlessly getting out of the building for.
- All in all, there are educators all across this country, focused on changing the education system, so that our students are prepared to change the world. Lean Startup, for many students, is the catalyst that gets them engaged and on that path. Thank you.