Tech startup founders workshop to help develop business vision. Targeting early stage startups eg first few weeks of the found institute course.

1. Founder Vision
As a tech startup founder I want to be able to communicate a clear,
compelling vision to my co-founders, team, investors and other
stakeholders.
Pete Cooper - twitter.com/pc0
Cooper & Co / The Start Society
Sydney Australia & Yangon Myanmar

2. Today’s
10
Agenda
Mission vs Vision - an unnecessary obsession for now?
Why do you need a vision?
Elements Of A Great Vision
Problem vs Solution Centric Visions
Problem Chain vs. Concept and Timing Apple vs Tesla
Stir The Heart
Market vs Approach
Team Vision
30 Second Exercise
Iterate / Experiment
Clarity - Language Timing Tips

3. Mission statement:
Your company’s
mission blah goes
here

4. A Mission Statement defines the company's
business, its objectives and its approach to
reach those objectives.
A Vision Statement describes the desired
future position of the company. Elements of
Mission and Vision Statements are often
combined to provide a statement of the
company's purposes, goals and values.
- BAIN & CO

5. WHY?
Does my startup / product need a vision?
No. Especially if you are highly commoditized. But -
- Differentiation makes selling product and attracting talent,
investors, advocates much easier… Do you really want to be the
4th best paperclip saleswoman in Kansas? Or cure cancer?
- Inspire. Be Remarkable. PR largely free - at a time when you
have no capital
- Influence. Leadership. True North. Guide rails. Focus. Energy
Energy Energy.
- Culture eats strategy for breakfast. Vision shapes culture and
brand essence.

6. VISION
ELEMENTS
Crystalise the Dream
Potential.
Path.
Unique.
Differentiated clearly.
Often defined by what it is not. But is that enough?
Often centred around a personal experience or first hand
problem visibility or insight
Clarity
Emotive / Aspirational
Remarkable
Learn from the greats - to do. From competitors maybe.

7. The problem
Frame the problem for the audience.
Quantify the scope of the problem
and connect it to your audience.
20XX 20XX 20XX 20XX

8. The solution
Show how you solve the
problem you identified.
What will be different when
the problem is solved (by
you)?

9. Tesla
Problem Chain Centric Example
Climate -> Electric
American Love of Freedom -> Electric
Car and Boring Co
Home -> Battery
Out And About -> Charger
Battery Challenges -> Solar and Mesh
Home + Solar -> Solar Tiles

10. Apple
Problem Chain Centric Example ?
Opportunity of new innovation / talent
Status and problem centric vision
Technology looking for a problem for
the first decade?
Obsession with particular art forms and
the innovation at the intersection.
Passion!
e.g Calligraphy - > fonts and screen
resolution and drivers and integrated
electronics and OS and now chips

11. Stir The Heart

12. PASSION
Big Visions Create Momentum
Let’s do something remarkable
Perhaps it is scale but it could equally but
exceptional UI/UX/CX or solving an old but
unresolved problem or at unique price /
quality / cost / time / channel point.
e.g. Coco Card is the free open source
medical record system for the 5 billion
people mainly from developing nations that
do not have reliable or accurate medical
records.

13. Bigger Is
Often Better
- Scale
- Differentiation
- Problem Soln

14. MARKET
Big Visions Create Momentum
Let’s do something remarkable
Perhaps it is scale but it could equally but
exceptional UI/UX/CX or solving an old but
unresolved problem or at unique price /
quality / cost / time / channel point.
e.g. Coco Card is the free open source
medical record system for the 5 billion
people mainly from developing nations that
do not have reliable or accurate medical
records.

15. Market
vs.
Approach/
Structure
B2C
B2B B2b
B2B2C
How do you get there?
Sometimes not necessary for early vision
statement. Sometimes core to the design of the
business though. Eg shopify plugin?
Distribution strategy <> vision
DM <> customer <> user <> PO
Decision maker
Problem Owner/Experienc’er’
E.g. Tesla sells many things direct online to
maintain CX/brand control but also customer
insight and margin. It is reasonable to expect that
like Apple once that is established they will open
stores [done] and use resellers [watch this space]
and installers [ditto].

16. The team vision
Answer the question, “Why are we the ones to solve the problem we identified?”
or more likely “How do we become the ones?”
Wendy Writer
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Ronny Reader Abby Author
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Berry Books
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17. EXERCISE
30 Seconds
FAVOURITES
In This Room?
Who has already impressed you?
Why?
Vision or ‘just’ inspirational.
Real vision has inspirational side AND a
rational side.
Best ones often have an inevitability
about them AND a now is the time
aspect.

18. ITERATE
Learn. Refine. Repeat.
Fractal Loop concept.
Stay wide early.
Narrow in gradually with data and
experiments and real results.
Consider parallel businesses.
Prioritise.
Don’t be afraid to park or pursue.
Value ‘time to test’ highly.

19. CLARITY
IS
CRUCIAL
Language. How. Why.
Why is most important eg problem or motivation
Refining the how makes the why most compelling.
Language and key concepts crucial.
Custom vs Standardised Product vs Service vs
Customers vs Productised Service
Channel vs Capability
Benefit vs Feature
Stakeholder Roles eg DM vs customer vs user vs
distributor vs partner vs team vs community vs
regulator
Next 6 slides are examples of questions you will
have already answered if you get your vision right.

20. Benefits
vs.
Features

21. Visions May Change Over Time / Milestones
Show where you are in the process and what’s left to tackle - more believable
January 20XX
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March 20XX
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June 20XX
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July 20XX
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October 20XX
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Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

22. Power of simplicity - How it works
Step 1
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Step 3
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23. Revenue model
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Consumer
Venue
Artist

24. Why now?
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25. THANKS
Founder Vision
As a tech startup founder I want to be able to communicate a clear
vision to my co-founders, team, investors and other stakeholders.
Pete Cooper - linkedin.com/in/petecooper
Cooper & Co / The Start Society
Sydney & Yangon