1. Getting Started: Lean LaunchPad for Web Projects
Goal: Use the Lean LaunchPad process (Business Model Design + Customer
Development) to test the hypotheses of your web startup
Use the Startup Tools Page as a resource for more tool choices
1. Set up the logistics to manage your team
2. Craft company hypotheses
3. Set up the Website Logistics
4. Build a “low-fidelity web site
5. Get customers to the site
6. Add the backend code to make the site work
7. Test the “problem” with customer data
8. Test the “solution” by building the High-Fidelity website
Step 1: Set Up Team Logistics
• Read Business Model Generation pages 1-72, and The Four Steps to the
Epiphany Chapter 3
• Set up the Lean LaunchLab to document your Customer Development
progress
• Use Skype or Google+ Hangouts for team conversations
Step 2. Craft Your Company Hypotheses (use the Lean LaunchLab)
• Write down your 9-business model canvas hypothesis
• List key features/MVP plan
• Size market opportunity
• Pick market type (existing, new, resegmented)
• Prepare weekly 7-minute class progress summary: business model canvas
update + weekly Customer Development summary (see the appendix for
format.)
Step 3: Website Logistics
• Get a domain name for your company. To find an available domain quickly,
try Domize
• Then use godaddy or namecheap to register the name. (RetailMeNot usually
has ~ $8/year discount coupons for Godaddy You may want to register
many different domains (different possible brand names, or different
misspellings and variations of a brand name.)
• Once you have a domain, set up Google Apps on that domain (for free!) to
host your company name, email, calendar, etc
For coders: set up a web host
• use virtual private servers (VPS) like Slicehost or Linode (cheapest plans
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2. ~$20/month, and you can run multiple apps and websites)
• You can install Apache or Nginx with virtual hosting, and run several sites
plus other various tools of your choice (assuming you have the technical
skills of course) like a MySQL database
• If you are actually coding a real app, (rather than for class) use a "Platform
As A Service" (PAAS) like Heroku, DotCloud or Amazon Web Services if
your app development stack fits their offerings
BTW: You can see the hosting choices of YCombinator startups here
Step 4: Build a Low-Fidelity Web Site
For non-coders:
• Make a quick prototype in PowerPoint, or
• Use Unbounce, Google Sites, Weebly, Godaddy or Yola
For coders: build the U/I
• Pick a website wireframe prototyping tool, (JustinMind, Balsamiq, etc.)
• 99 Designs is great to get "good enough" graphic design and web design
work for very cheap using a contest format. Themeforest has great designs
• Create wireframes and simulate your “Low Fidelity” website
• Create a "viral" landing page, with LaunchRock or KickoffLabs
• Embed a slideshow on your site with Slideshare or embed a video/tour using
Youtube or Vimeo
Step 5: Customer Engagement (drive traffic to your preliminary website)
• Start showing the site to potential customers, testing customer segment and
value proposition
• Use Ads, textlinks or Google AdWords, Facebook ads and natural search to
drive people to your MVP web site
• Use Mailchimp,Postmark or Google Groups to send out emails and create
groups
• Create online surveys with Wufoo or Zoomerang
• Get feedback on your MVP features and U/I
Step 6: Build a more complete solution (Connect the U/I to code)
• Connect the UI to a web application framework (Node.js, Rubyon Rails,
Django, SproutCore, Jquery, Symfony, Sencha, etc.)
Step 7: Track your progress in driving traffic - Test the “Customer
Problem” by collecting Customer Data
• Use Analytics (Kissmetrics, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, etc.) to track hits,
time on site, source
• Create account to collect user satisfaction (GetSatisfaction, UserVoice, etc.)
from your product and get feedback and suggestions on new features -
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3. • analyze the behavior of your user in your website
Step 8: Test the “Customer Solution” by building a full featured High
Fidelity version of your website
• Update the Website with information learned in Step 4
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If youʼre Building a Company Rather Than a Class Project
• Search the US Patent Office (for free) for similar trademarks to yours
• When you confirmed your product and identity, and obtained a good domain
name, and a trademark you think you can own, register your company on
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, CrunchBase, and AngelList pages
• Incorporate the company
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Monitor and record changes week by week using the Lean LaunchLab
7-minute class progress summary
• Start by putting up your business model canvas
• Changes from the prior week should be highlighted in red
• Lessons Learned. This informs the group of what you learned and
changed week by week - Slides should describe:
o Hereʼs what we thought (going into the week)
o Hereʼs what we found (Customer Discovery during the week)
o Hereʼs what weʼre going to do (for next week)
• Emphasis should be on the discovery done for that weeks assigned
canvas component (channel, customer, revenue model) but include
other things you learned about the business model.
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