I prepared this talk to give at FailCon at the 2011 Web 2.0 Expo in SF. It tells the story of my last startup, Emmet Labs, which failed in the classic sense. Lessons here for every entrepreneur. I hope it gives you some insight.

1. startups
+
ux
4evr
clevergirl_fail
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2. BLOG IT!
Janice Fraser
www.luxr.co
@clevergirl
@luxrco
#LeanUX
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

3. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

4. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

5. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

6. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

7. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

8. Mistake #1
“this reduced the number and speed of
our iterations.”
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

9. CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

10. UX Cycles
THINK
GENERATIVE RESEARCH
IDEATION
MENTAL MODELS Reduce
BEHAVIOR MODELS time, n cycle
ot build
TEST RESULTS time
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
MAKE
PROTOTYPES
WIREFRAMES
VALUE PROP
LANDING PAGE
HYPOTHESES
COMPS
DEPLOYED CODE
CHECK
A/B TESTING
SITE ANALYTICS
USABILITY TESTING
FUNNEL
SIGN-UPS
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

11. Same thing, Lean Startup version
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

12. 21-month cycle time!
IDEA 4/07 LAUNCH 1/09
BUILD BUILD BUILD
2007 08 09
we had MEASURE!
working code
LEARN!
way back here!
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

13. The LEAN principle:
reduce INVENTORY, RISK, and WASTE
Nobody
Like this... clicked.
)
)
Make a design Discover that it
decision 21 MONTHS wasn’t right
21 HOURS
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

14. How do you do good user experience work
in a lean environment?
PROVE IMPROVE
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

15. Mistake #2
“This product needed to attract and support
contributors first; we focused instead on
demonstrating the consumer appeal.”
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

16. Lean UX Framework
USERS
1. BLAH
WHY
NEEDS 2. BLAH
3. BLAH
PLE
WHAT PEO
HOW
UCT
P ROD
(INSERT BUSINESS THINKING HERE)
BOB CAN...
USES
FEATURES
(CREATE SKETCHES,
WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
THIS WEEK
USER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

17. USERS
NEEDS
USES
FEATURES
(CREATE SKETCHES,
WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
USER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

18. USERS
NEEDS
USES
(SKETCHES,
WIREFRAMES FEATURES
& PIXELS) USER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

19. USERS
NEEDS
USES
FEATURES
(SKETCHES, WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
USER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

20. Mistake #3
We focused on revenue to
the detriment of the product.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

21. IDEA 4/07 LAUNCH 1/09
BUILD BUILD BUILD
2007 08 09
White Label
Freemium Advertising
TOTALLY DISTRACTED!
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

22. Launch early & often
Fail
)
Better
)
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

23. Instead, I should have been
building a capability.
1. Design + product management + development = 1
product team
2. Externalize
3. Research with users is the best source of information
4. Focus on solving the right problem
5. Generate many options and decide quickly which to
pursue
6. Recognize hypotheses & validate them
7. Rapid cycles: think/make/check
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

24. Mistake #4
I should have brought in an
interim CEO.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

25. 2007 08 09
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

26. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
2007 08 09
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

27. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev
firm.
2007 08 09
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

28. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev
firm.
2007 08 09
pass out at ballpark
while pitching vc.
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

29. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
pass out at ballpark
while pitching vc.
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

30. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER
pass out at ballpark
while pitching vc.
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

31. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev 1st angel
firm. funding
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER
pass out at ballpark
while pitching vc.
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

32. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev 1st angel
firm. funding
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER
pass out at ballpark successful
while pitching vc. treatment
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

33. TED conference &
the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev 1st angel
firm. funding
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful
while pitching vc. treatment
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

34. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
Hire dev 1st angel 2nd angel
firm. funding money
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful
while pitching vc. treatment
10 days bedrest.
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

35. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
Hire dev 1st angel 2nd angel
firm. funding money
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother
while pitching vc. treatment kills
10 days bedrest. himself
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

36. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual
Hire dev
funding money close
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother
while pitching vc. treatment kills
10 days bedrest. himself
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

37. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual
Hire dev
funding money close
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother global
while pitching vc. treatment kills financial
10 days bedrest. himself meltdown
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

38. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual series A
Hire dev
funding money close meetings
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother global
while pitching vc. treatment kills financial
10 days bedrest. himself meltdown
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

39. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual series A
Hire dev
funding money close meetings
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother global
while pitching vc. treatment kills financial
10 days bedrest. himself meltdown
nobody knows how the recession
is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

40. TED conference &
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual series A
Hire dev
funding money close meetings
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother global Funding
while pitching vc. treatment kills financial window
10 days bedrest. himself meltdown closed
nobody knows how the recession
is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

41. Public
launch of
TED conference &
the site
the first inkling of Scheduled
emmet close of
1st angel 2nd angel actual series A
Hire dev
funding money close meetings
firm.
mystery illness
2007 08 09
ER Dad Dies
pass out at ballpark successful Brother global Funding
while pitching vc. treatment kills financial window
10 days bedrest. himself meltdown closed
nobody knows how the recession
is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

42. Now I’m helping other
entrepreneurs...
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

43. So when are you
going to launch?
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

44. Thank You!
Janice Fraser
www.luxr.co
@clevergirl
@luxrco
#LeanUX
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 JANICE@LUXR.CO
Tuesday, March 29, 2011