Don’t ask ‘Can we build this?’ Ask ‘Should we build this?’

What is a Startup?  Ask ten people this question and you’ll get twenty different answers.

No matter the definition, a Startup has one specific characteristic that distinguishes it from an established business. It is an organisation still in search of Product-Market fit.

Typically a Startup emerges when it’s founders spot an under-served opportunity that they can address. They run their idea past some friends, maybe consult a mentor or two and then rush on to build the solution.

Stats show 9 out of 10 startups fail. We’ve just seen why.

What is missing above is a key step between having the idea and building the solution. Once you spot an opportunity, the next question to ask is not ‘Can we build this?’ but ‘Should we build this?’.

Enter Lean Startup.

Lean Startup is a set of tools developed by Eric Reis. It enables ‘validated learning’ through customer conversations and quick experiments to drive continuous innovation.

Being able to quickly validate hypotheses about your business is one way to improve your chances of success; and you don’t waste energy building things people don’t want.

Lean Startup works in the oddest of industries and roles. You can apply the Build-Measure-Learn cycle in any situation that involves untested waters and a risky environment.

• Bootstrappers and startups
• Corporate intrapreneurs
• Educators
• Government innovators
• Non-profit and social impact leaders
• Developers

At the end of the day, Lean Startup is about speed. About quickly testing hypotheses against customer needs. About finding the revenue sweet spot early, before the big expenses kick in. About beating the odds and giving your startup a better chance to succeed.