Bildungs-Brandstifter: A Primer

– Finnish: koulutus tuhopolttaja?– Spanish: Incendario educativo?– French: Pyromane éducation?– Easier still... Swede: pedagogiska arsonist

Yeats? Plutarch Hudnut! ( @BOPreneur)

– One more... at too many universities:– Troublemaker? ;)

p.s.hashtag #RedShoesRevolution!

Obligatory title slide ;)

Accelerating Ideas into Reality:The most (?) important lessons of the

“lean startup” phenomenon

Norris Krueger, PhD, B-B.Entrepreneurship NorthwestExternal Fellow, Max Planck Institute

• @entrep_thinking, LinkedIn, Facebook• norris.krueger@@gmail.com

Action into Thought?

Two key objectives in this short window–#1: If learning is cognitive change,

what exactly does that mean? How does it happen in our heads? And... how can we accelerate it?

–#2: A primer on the Lean Startup model & how it encourages entrepreneurial thinking through action

Moving from novice toward expert

• Intent... or Informed Intent• Incremental versus Transformational

• So how do we do it?

Transformative Learning

• There is excellent theory to support– Constructivism– Mental prototyping, role identity– Cognitive developmental psych– Cognitive & social neuroscience

• There is excellent empirical evidence– Even in entrepreneurial settings! – Changes in key mental prototypes• And a lot more data about to be released• 2011: ISEEO, GUESSS; 2012: Neergaard

Keys to Transformative Learning

• “Book Throwing”– Constructivist versus Behaviorist– Entrep educators have always been

constructivistic (cue Voltaire)• Neuro-entrepreneurship?*

– Neuroplasticity– Emotions– Deep beliefs (Neo, take the...)

• Centrality of Action * if curious http://www.slideshare.net/norriskrueger/icsb-

2010-neuroentrepreneurship

Accelerating Learning

• Problem-Based Learning (“authentic” questions)

• Two overlapping themes -we have heard much about this conference!

• IMMERSION – Action before thinking• MENTORING – Learn the right lessons

– Expert mentors– Peer mentors

LEAN Startups: a primer

LLearnEEntrepreneurial

AAgilityNNow!

the “Lean” movement

• … just a few key names:• Eric Ries • Steve Blank • Dave McClure and other cool cats

• …BUT… Is this really that new?• Isn’t this what smart entrepreneurs ALREADY

do? How smart entrepreneurs ALREADY think?• And how the best educators already work?

What is a “Startup”..really?

• A startup is simply the vehicle for figuring out a sustainable, repeatable, scalable business model

• This is no time for a business plan… takes very different planning (and thinking)

• Finding your Scalable Business Model:– Test each critical assumption in your model– Measure (qual & quant) ruthlessly– “Pivot” quickly– Iterate

A few quick thoughts…• “Lean” doesn’t mean cheap.. It means FAST• “Lean” could just as easily be called “Learn”!

WHEN to be Lean?• Extreme uncertainty• Significant ambiguity (Type III errors)• Startups – scalable startups• Social / Sustainable / BOTP• New Product Development

The Process

• from Steve Blank: The search (SBM) we can call “Customer Development”

• Implementing SBM = “Agile Development”

Minimize TOTAL time through the loop

LEARN BUILD

MEASURE

IDEAS

CODEDATA

Source: Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Build Measure Learn

• BUILD: Identify & Test• Minimum Feature Set• Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

• MEASURE: • Find out what customers love… and especially hate

(Kathy Sierra vs Dave McClure)

• LISTEN! (to your metrics & your customers)• LEARN:

• Pivot quickly & decisively

• “Failing fast” is also a misnomer – “fail FORWARD” which means…

• Better your assumptions fail… than your biz

• Disrupts the “Inventor Mentality” -forces attention on Value

(benefits>>features)

• Build Test/Measure Learn (L,R,R)

Get Out of the *%^$#@ Building!

What’s a Business Model?

• Three key questions to answer – identify all key assumptions for each:

– 1) Value Proposition

– 2) Value Delivery

– 3) Value Capture

(but how do we get started??)

Www.businessmodelgeneration.com

Implications for us?• “Lean” epitomizes entrepreneurial mindset

[Entrepreneurial thinking opposite of BT: Assume & embrace uncertainty & ambiguity!]

• Mindset focuses on:–Benefits, not features… (not ‘inventors syndrome’)

–Value proposition & value delivery co-evolve–Customer, et al. as true partner

• Iterative, Co-Evolving Process–Not exactly a stage-gate (eg, early Goldsmith)–BUT... WAIT*! (expert mentoring)

* to Build Useful Technology requires understanding We're All In this Together

More implications…

• New insights into expert entrepreneurial mindset (needed by mentors, ecosytem)

• Experiential = Essential (>>hands-on)• Problem-Based Learning• Incubating Immersion

– Startup Weekend– AND???? I want YOUR ideas (& your

counterexamples)Counseling Mentoring

– TechStars, Accelerators (Y-Combinator)

Still more implications…• Why business plan contests underachieve..

• Biz MODEL competition (Nathan Furr, BYU)

• Trickier, takes longer for physcial products (see SW Tulsa for parternship w/ FabLab!)

• UT-Austin's Idea to Product – national & global [www.IdeaToProduct.org]

p.s. Celebrate & Educate!

for more info…The 'Lean' Gurus & Key Links:• Eric Ries (@ericries, www.startuplessonslearned.com)• Steve Blank (@sgblank, www.steveblank.com)• Alex Osterwalder (@business_design)

WATCH THIS!! http://goo.gl/DyqRv

• www.StartupWeekend.org• www.TechStars.org• Www.gewusa.org; www.unleashingideas.org• Www.ideatoproduct.org (Idea to Product)

for more info… Key Dates?

Lean: May 23, 2011 – SLL 2011 (likely simulcast)

Www.sllconf.org [tons of slides & videos)

+ BYU's contest (early 2012?)

SW: Startup Weekends

I2P: (Steve Nichols, UT-Austin)

GEW: Mid/late November 2012

Or... just ping me

Norris Krueger (@entrep_thinking,

norris.krueger@@gmail.com

One exercise: Get Out of the *%^$#@ Building!

• Form pairs• Group into sets of four pairs, numbered 1-4.• #1 is the Brilliant Entrepreneur• #2-#4 are Demanding Customers/Clients• #1 specifies a product/service then makes

plausible assumption in each canvas category then...

• In turn, asks #2, #3, #4 separately for feedback –>“Customers” give plausible but DISconfirming feedback

• #1 pivots (can integrate with SRI's model)