RISE Austin 2013 Session at Tech Ranch Austin, May 13, 2013 Most start-up companies begin with what they think is a brilliant idea and they immediately jump to building the product, and many of these products suck. Creating innovative products that result in market breakthrough requires a process of multiple iterations of discovery that drive you deeper into understanding the market problems and how to solve them with a differentiated solution. Breakthrough products are based upon solving a significant Market Problem with a Product and Business Model that create a competitive advantage, and a Market Strategy that motivates buyers to purchase your product. In this session, learn this iterative discovery process that leads to breakthrough products and how to apply it to your own products.

1. Welcome to
RISE WEEK 2013
How to Create Products That Don’t Suck
Hosted by
Tom Evans
The Lûcrum Group
@napkintorevenue
www.napkintorevenue.com

2. High New Product Failure Rate
• Robert G Cooper: One out of four
development projects succeeds commercially.
(i.e., 75% failure rate)
• Jack Gordon: In the world we live in,
somewhere between 80 percent and 95
percent of new product introductions fail.
Copyright 2012 - LÛCRUM

3. Why Do So Many Products Suck?
1. Idea to Product
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

4. Why Do So Many Products Suck?
1. Idea to Product
2. One point of market evidence to idea to
product
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

5. Why Do So Many Products Suck?
1. Idea to Product
2. One point of market evidence to idea to product
3. Market evidence & validation to product
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

6. Why Do So Many Products Suck?
1. Idea to Product
2. One point of market evidence to idea to product
3. Market evidence & validation to product
4. Market evidence & validation, product
validation, no clear market strategy
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

7. Why Do So Many Products Suck?
1. Idea to Product
2. One point of market evidence to idea to product
3. Market evidence & validation to product
4. Market evidence & validation, product validation, no clear market
strategy
5. Market evidence & validation, product
validation, no profitable business model
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

8. Keys to Products That Don’t Suck
• Compelling Market Opportunity
– Big painful issues
– That many in your target market
– Are willing to pay to solve
• Compelling Solution
– Differentiated Value Proposition
– Profitable business model
– Time to market
• Compelling Market Strategy
– Motivates target market
– To solve problem with your solution
Discovery
+
Validation

9. Model for Discovery
Four Key Steps of Discovery
Validate
Hypothesis
Validate
Opportunity
Validate Solution Validate Market
FourKeyPillars
Market Problem
Product
Business Model
Market Strategy
Validation Valid Hypothesis
Valid Market
Opportunity
Ready to Launch Market Growth
From Napkin to Revenue™ Discovery Model
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

10. Four Key Pillars
• Market Problem – if you’re not solving a
problem, there is no need for a product!
• Product – How do you solve the market problem
in a valuable and differentiated manner?
• Business Model – How do you deliver the
product and profitably capture the value?
• Market Strategy – Who is going to buy it and
why?
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

11. Model for Discovery
Four Key Steps of Discovery
Validate
Hypothesis
Validate
Opportunity
Validate Solution Validate Market
FourKeyPillars
Market Problem
Product
Business Model
Market Strategy
Validation Valid Hypothesis
Valid Market
Opportunity
Ready to Launch Market Growth
From Napkin to Revenue™ Discovery Model
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

12. Market Evidence (of Market Problem)
• Sources of Market Evidence
– Customers
– Non-customers
– Market trends/shifts
– Unexpected occurrences
– New technologies
– Competitors
– Personal experience
– Etc.
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

13. Market Evidence (of Market Problem)
• Sources of Market Evidence
– Customers
– Non-customers
– Market trends/shifts
– Unexpected occurrences
– New technologies
– Competitors
– Personal experience
– Etc.
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

14. Market Evidence (of Market Problem)
• Sources of Market Evidence
– Customers
– Non-customers
– Market trends/shifts
– Unexpected occurrences
– New technologies
– Competitors
– Personal experience
– Etc.
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

15. Start With Hypothesis
– Buyer/User ‘W’
– In Market Segment “X”
– Has problem “Y”
– That happens when “Z” occurs
– We can solve it by creating/delivering solution “A”
E.g.: Owners of small manufacturing operations that use
hot water & steam are unable to manage manufacturing
costs due to the volatility of fuel prices.
We can solve this by providing a high temperature solar
heating system under a lease agreement.
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

16. Exercise 1
• Create a Hypothesis for a New Opportunity
– Buyer/User
– Market Segment
– Market Problem

17. Validate the Hypothesis (1)
• Market problem and market segment(s)
• Speaking to potential customers (buyers & users)
– Most companies don’t and won’t do this
• Significant time investment
– Requires many conversations (cold calling)
• Minimum: 20 conversations
• May take over 100 conversations
• Iterate until validated or rejected
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

18. Henry Ford’s Quote
“If I had asked people what they wanted,
they would have said faster horses.”
Copyright 2011 - LÛCRUM

19. What Do They Need (To Do)?
“People don't want to
buy a
quarter-inch drill. They
want a quarter-inch
hole!”
–Theodore Levitt
Copyright 2011 - LÛCRUM

20. What We Want to Identify
• Problems, Goals, Needs
– What do they want to do that they can’t do?
– What do they want to improve (decrease/increase)?
• Why is this important?
• When does this happen (usage scenarios)
• How do you currently do this?
• What is your current satisfaction?
• What is the impact?
Copyright 2011 - LÛCRUM

21. Validate Hypothesis (2)
• Create product & business model concept
– Low cost way of presenting product concept
– Mockup, prototype, wire frame, story board, presentation,
product description
• Validate product & business model concept
– Present concept and receive feedback
• Does the problem still resonate?
• Does the approach solve the problem?
• What is the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
• Iterate until validated or rejected
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

22. Exercise 2
• How are we going to get someone to talk to
us?

23. Validate Opportunity
• Define & discover at greater depth
• Competitive research (strategy, position,
strength)
• Validate the market opportunity
– Business Case - Can it be profitable?
• Detailed design of product & business model
– Market requirements, product requirements, user
stories, etc.
– Pricing model, delivery mechanism, costs to deliver,
etc.
• Iterate until validated or rejected
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

24. Validate Solution
• Define Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
– Just enough functionality to solve the most
important market problems
– For small segment of market (early adopters, etc.)
– Willing to pay for this functionality
– Fast to market
– Learning
• Continue to discover, validate, refine!
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

25. Validate Market
• Sell your first customers
• Based upon market validation work
• Targeted Market Development Plan
– Well defined target market
– Clear understanding of buyer roles and their
challenges/goals/needs
– Compelling reason to buy from you
• Value Proposition – what we do for you
• Positioning & Differentiation – why buy our solution
• Continue to discover, validate, refine!
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

26. Model for Discovery
Four Key Steps of Discovery
Validate
Hypothesis
Validate
Opportunity
Validate Solution Validate Market
FourKeyPillars
Market Problem
Product
Business Model
Market Strategy
Validation Valid Hypothesis
Valid Market
Opportunity
Ready to Launch Market Growth
From Napkin to Revenue™ Discovery Model
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

27. Key Principles
• Hypothesis – Discovery – Validate
• Continuous engagement with target
market
–Validate important decisions
• Planning is good, but learning is better
• Fail fast – discover fast!
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

28. Thank You!
Tom Evans
The Lûcrum Group
tevans@napkintorevenue.com
@napkintorevenue
www.napkintorevenue.com
+1.512.961.5267
© Copyright 2012 to 2013, The Lûcrum Group, Inc

29. COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Did you enjoy this session?
Please support local entrepreneurs and help us to keep this conference free.
RISE is a non-profit, and your contributions help us continue delivering the
value of a high-dollar conference with an unbeatable price tag.
Please donate at www.riseglobal.org/donate
Be sure to check out our other sessions and special events
during RISE Week 2013 at www.riseglobal.org/austin!
The mission of RISE is to inspire and empower entrepreneurs at all stages.