In this idea talk I looked at how startups get started. Rather than assuming you're right, startup founders and entrepreneurs assume they're wrong and set out on a journey of value discovery.

1. STARTUPS GETTING
@JeremiahGardner
STARTED
IDEA TALKS:

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STARTUP
NARRATIVE
got my logo & business cards
this is gonna be huge!
pitch, pitch, pitch
gotta hire that CTO
business plan
of course I’m right
eureka! an idea
grandma loved it
success!
we’re a startup now

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what is a startup?
“A ‘startup’ is a company that is
confused about -
1. What its product is.
2. Who its customers are.
3. How to make money.”
~ Dave McClure

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66% chance you’re
wrong
“Of the 26 companies that I
consider realized, 17 of them
made complete transformations
or partial transformations of their
businesses between the time we
invested and the time we sold.
That means there’s a 2/3 chance
you’ll have to significantly
reinvent your business…”~ Fred Wilson

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FOUNDERS
/ IDEAS
FOUNDER IDEA>

6. 3 THINGSGREAT FOUNDERS DO

7. FIND THE FLAMES
Great founders are firefighters.

8. (paint job) (leaky roof) (the house is on fire!)

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STARTUP
MINDSET
CAN WE BUILD IT? vs
what can I do? what does the customer need?
SHOULD WE BUILD IT?

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empathy
Personally experience your
customers’ perspective
Seeing what people really do, not
just what they say.
Understanding why people say
what they say.

11. IDEA SEARCHING
FOR A PROBLEM
don’t be an

12. FAIL LEARN FAST
Great founders are explorers.

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search vs execute
A startup inherently operates in
the unknown. You can’t execute
your way to value discovery.

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STARTUP
DEFINED
STARTUP PAIN ELIMINATOR=

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BUILD MEASURE LEARN
FEEDBACK LOOP

16. PROCESS OF DISCOVERY

17. FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
Great founders are detectives.

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startup path
• Identify assumptions
• Run effective behavioral
experiments testing
assumptions
• Make evidence-based
decisions

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HOW TO
LEARN

20. ENJOY THE JOURNEY

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REAL STARTUP
JOURNEY
empathy
wow, I understand
really!?
another opportunity
nope!
hit a wall
nope!
hit a wall
learn more!
iterate
big signal
on the right path

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ASSUME YOU’RE WRONG –
TRIANGULATION

23. GOODBYE, OLD-SCHOOL BRANDING.
HELLO, INNOVATION
#TheLeanBrand @JeremiahGardner

24. @JeremiahGardner
www.MovesTheNeedle.com
jeremiah@movestheneedle.com
We’ve advised the innovation practices of:
www.JeremiahGardner.com
•Author, The Lean Brand
•Principal, Moves The Needle
•Startup Mentor & Advisor
•Enterprise Innovation
Catalyst