The Lean Startup movement has focused on tech startups but the process can be used for virtually any new initiative. After teaching 24 software startups in the HTRLaunchPad Program in Rochester, NY we had our own epiphany. This deck describes that 'lightbulb moment' and what we did with it.

1. Can you improve your life in one
hour?
You can start to...

2. Starting new things is hard
You might fail.
You might get it wrong and waste your time.
You might get it right, but find out it’s not for you.
Or...
You can use customer discovery before these things
happen.

3. What’s ‘customer discovery’?
A guy in Silicon Valley named Steve Blank had successfully
started several companies.
Naturally, he made mistakes in the process.
Some were pretty costly.
Being an engineer, Steve thought there must be a better
way.
And over time he found it.

4. First, a little science...
The answer turned out to be right there in front of him.
It’s what we all know as the scientific method.
You create an idea (hypothesis) and you rigorously test it to
see if it’s viable.
During your testing, your hypothesis changes as you learn
more.
Steve wondered if business ideas could be similarly tested.

5. The result became a movement
It’s called the lean startup methodology.
It was developed to test ideas for technology startups
before you invest serious time and money into them.
You put together the most basic version of your idea: a
story, a napkin sketch, a mock-up.
Then you go talk to people.
About 120 people.

6. (this many)

7. ‘Get out of the building!’
That’s what Steve tells the startup teams he works with.
Get out and talk to a lot of people, in the field you’re
working in, and listen to what they say.
It’s called Customer Discovery.
He wrote a 566-page book about it*. And now there are lots
of other big books about it.
*with Bob Dorf

8. So, where are you going with this?
Last year a group of us started teaching Steve’s process to
twelve software startup teams in an accelerator program in
Rochester, NY*.
And it worked. Really well.
But being tinkerers, we thought we could write a more
concise and focused version based on our experience.
*www.htrlaunchpad.com

9. Wait, who are you?
We’re two serial entrepreneurs, Alex Zapesochny and
Martin Edic. Alex was an advisor to the program and I
(Martin) was one of the teaching team members.
Now that it’s 2014, we’ve taught another group of twelve,
and that verified something we hypothesized.

10. You can start anything with this
process!
Yes, anything:
● A new career
● A community project
● Create a new product
● Enter a new market
● Build a fanbase
● Train a sales team
You name it...

11. So, we wrote a book, a short book
It takes about an hour to read.
It tells you exactly how to implement the process for your
idea.
You do no selling. It’s alright to fail (better to fail fast and
cheap).
And,
it might bring you success and improve your life.

12. THE CUSTOMER DISCOVERY MATRIX:
A concise guide to starting
anything
Available in paperback and ebook for
Kindle
More info at:
www.customerdiscoverymatrix.com

13. “Any new startup of any kind that talked to 150 people in their
first three months would have a huge advantage over anyone
who didn’t. And imagine if those 150 people were specifically
targeted by their potential interest in what you are doing?
You’d have an intense learning experience as you acquire
knowledge, make changes, refine your ideas and align those
ideas with real customer needs, all before you spend money
and resources.
As simple as it sounds, The Customer Discovery Matrix
shows you exactly how to do it and how to make it work.”

14. One more thing
If you read the book and use it to start something, we want
to hear your story. We think a lot of people will want to hear
your story.
Just visit www.customerdiscoverymatrix.com and use the
Contact form.
Thanks!
Alex and Martin