GA Innovating in The Enterprise Idea 1

INNOVATING IN
THE ENTERPRISE
PUTTING YOUR IDEAS IN MOTION
Alex Cowan
ABOUT ME
Entrepreneur (5x)
Intrapreneur (1x)
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Copyright 2014 COWAN+
ABOUT ME
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
ABOUT ME
www.alexandercowan.com
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
SCALE-FRIENDLY VS. INNOVATION-FRIENDLY
Scale
$ !?
Friendly
Innovation
? ! ? ? ?
Friendly

SCALE-FRIENDLY VS. INNOVATION-FRIENDLY
$
#4: Test early, test often !?
#2: Anchor to #5: Learn first, scale second
problems,
not solutions #6: Go see
#7: Kill zombie

#1: Start with the ideas
individual
? ! ? ? ?
#3: Become a #8: Innovate for your

better storyteller business type

1
Start with the individual
DESIGN THINKING
Empathy Creativity
DESIGN THINKING- APPLICATIONS
ALEX COWAN
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@cowanSF
1 Entry
2 Urinate as they go
3 Edges preferred
4 Speedy
5 PB > cheese
Empathy ALEX COWAN

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@cowanSF
Check & Repair 1
UV Validation 2
Relevant Placement 3
A Better Mouse Trap 4
Powered by Better Bait 5
Creativity ALEX COWAN

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@cowanSF
DESIGN THINKING- PERSONAS
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DESIGN THINKING- PERSONAS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
NOT A GOOD PERSONA
• Women
• Age 28-45
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be more
organized
• 70% said they’d use an
application that organizes them

NOT A GOOD PERSONA
This is a huge
population- not exact • Women
• Age 28-45 Bullet points are almost
never vivid or detailed
• Has kids
• Socialize with other mom’s
• Online with Facebook
• 86% said they’d like to be more
These responses are ‘fake organized
actionable’- survey responses • 70% said they’d use an
like this are unreliable
application that organizes them
Stock photo- not real
THE ART OF CUSTOMER DISCOVERY

A BETTER PERSONA
Mary the Mom

Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in accounting,
but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. She loves it.
But it’s not like having kids purged her creative, social instincts. She
wants to connect, she wants to learn, she wants to interact. Being a
mom is a job and she wants to do it well. That means corresponding
with other mom’s on child education and keeping track of what works.
She posts to Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other
moms’ items more often than that.
She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…

A BETTER PERSONA
the use of a first name helps
w/ vividness (a little) Mary the Mom
Mary is a mom by choice. She had a successful career in accounting,
but welcomed the opportunity to be a stay at home mom. She loves it.
But it’s not like having kids purged her creative, social instincts. She
these full sentences look like a
wants to connect, she wants to learn, she wants to interact. Being a
good start towards something
vivid and detailed mom is a job and she wants to do it well. That means corresponding
with other mom’s on child education and keeping track of what works.
She posts to Facebook at least twice a week and responds to other
moms’ items more often than that.
She has a few blogs and publications she reads regularly…
this is a real photo of a
relevant person taken with an
iPhone in the real world
DISCOVERY & LEARNING: THINK-SEE-FEEL-DO
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Vivid The persona
A should make
anyone who reads
R it feel like they’ve

actually met this
I person.
E
D ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Copyright 2014 Cowan Publishing
Vivid
Actionable If the persona
doesn’t inform
R how you sell stuff
and build stuff,
I why bother?
E
D ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Vivid
Actionable
Real Good personas
aren’t created in
I cubicles. Go
where the persona
E is and observe.
D ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Vivid Make sure you
Actionable can identify and
target these
Real personas, or you
won’t be able to
I dentifiable find a use for
them.
E
D ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Vivid
Actionable ‘Everyone’ is not
your customer.
Real Make sure the
personas are
I dentifiable distinct so you can
apply relevant
Exact focus.
D ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Vivid
Actionable
Real
I dentifiable People are
complicated and
Exact so good personas
are usually pretty
Detailed substantial.
EXERCISE- PERSONA CREATION
List at least 3 personas for a project you’re working
Mary the Working Mom

Susan the Stay-at-Home Mom
Douglas the Dad
Nathan the Nanny
use 1 index card/
Ivan the Infant persona
(4 min)
A LITTLE GAME FOR BETTER PERSONA DISCOVERY
Day in the Life

we look at a few photos for a given persona
(not a full picture, just snippets)
you make some guesses about them
there are no right answers BUT
there is a right process: observe and infer
OBJECTIVE: get a feel for what’s real; start to create something vivid

(RUN DIL)

Which are buyers? Users? Both?
Note with a ‘B’ and/or a ‘U’ on the Index Card
Mary the Working Mom (B, U)

Susan the Stay-at-Home Mom (B, U)
Douglas the Dad (U)
Nathan the Nanny (U)
Ivan the Infant (U)
(1 min)
Can you think of 5 real examples for each?
Use the back of your index cards
(2 min)
Which have the most compelling need, desire?
If you could only pitch 1 persona type, which? Sort top to bottom
(1 min)
PERSONAS: THINK-SEE-FEEL-DO
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AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
EXERCISE- PERSONA CREATION (6 MIN)
For your top person, complete Think-See-Feel-Do
EXAMPLE: HELEN THE HR MANAGER
Thinks: Helen thinks the hiring process should be so much better- more systematic, fewer bad hires. Professional
development is something they’ve identified that they want to do better, but the functional managers aren’t engaged
enough to get the whole thing started.
Sees: Helen is at the tail end of every bad hire and sees the damage it does to the employee and company, alike.
Helen sees that online learning has rocketed forward in the last few years. If someone wants to learn a specific skill,
there’s a number of high quality options online, many of them free. They just need a way to help employees organize
select into these courses.
Feels: Helen feels like crap whenever they have to let someone go. She hates it. The employee hates it. The manager
hates it. It’s incredibly destructive and de-motivating for everyone involved. Helen would love to be more involved,
more included in functional skills evaluation and improvement. She’s love to have a success story to talk about. Most
HR departments don’t do a whole lot in this area.
Does: Helen’s relatively responsive to new ideas, particularly if someone knowledgeable is willing to come in and talk
about it. If she likes it, she’ll bring it to the functional managers, who are usually the ultimate decision makers since
without their support she can’t get the system online and working. Post-sale, Helen will help keep the program
organized, moving, and otherwise on the functional managers radar. All this is predicated on Helen being equipped
with the right messages, facts, and best practices to make the purchase and use of Enable Quiz effective.
PERSONA MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“So, I think feature [xyz] should “Yeah?

really be at the top of our list”
Tell me about the user.
Who are they? What
are they doing right
now?”

2
Anchor to Problems, Not Solutions
NEEDFINDING
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NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
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NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
What job(s) are you doing for
X
the customer?
What existing need or
behavior are you fulfilling?
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@cowanSF
NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
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AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
ALTERNATIVE(S)
If they currently use
?
spreadsheets, watch them
use it and get a copy of it.
If they currently put notes on the ALEX COWAN
family fridge, ask about it, AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
photograph it. Copyright 2014 COWAN+
EXERCISE- VALUE PROPOSITIONS
Brainstorm Problem Scenario-

PROBLEM SCENARIO Alternative-Value Proposition
X Trios.
Problem: Mary would like to be more
structured and consistent in her use of
allowances to teach the link between work
?
and financial rewards.
ALTERNATIVE(S)
Alternative: Track the completion of chores,
homework, etc. manually using paper, boards,
notes on her phone.
(7 min.)
NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS
! ALEX COWAN
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@cowanSF
NEEDFINDING
PROBLEM SCENARIO
X
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
YOUR VALUE PROPOSITIONS
Are they better enough than the
! ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
alternative(s)? @cowanSF
Add Value Propositions to

PROBLEM SCENARIO your top Problem Scenario +
X Alternative Pairs
Problem: Mary would like to be more
structured and consistent in her use of
allowances to teach the link between work
? ALTERNATIVE(S) and financial rewards.

Alternative: Track the completion of chores,
homework, etc. manually using paper, boards,
notes on her phone.
Value Proposition: Use our app to easily and
YOUR VALUE consistently implement best practices tailored
! PROPOSITIONS
to your situation.
(3 min.)
Prioritize your value propositions-

if you could only pitch one, which?
After that? Etc.
(2 min.)
NEEDFINDING: THE PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
A certain PERSONA exists…

… and they have a certain
PROBLEMS(S) … X
… where they’re currently using
certain ALTERNATIVE(S) … ?
… and I have a VALUE
PROPOSITION that’s better enough
than the alternatives to cause the !
persona to act (purchase, use, etc.).
EXERCISE: YOUR PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
Enable Quiz example:
‘HR and functional managers are in charge of
A certain PERSONA exists… technical hires
and they struggle to effectively screen for
technical skill sets, making the hiring process
PROBLEMS(S) … slower and more labor intensive and
producing worse outcomes than they should
reasonably expect.
Currently they implement a patchwork of
certain ALTERNATIVE(S) … calling references and asking a few probing
questions.
PROPOSITION that’s better By offering an easy, affordable, lightweight
enough than the alternatives to technical quizzing solution, Enable Quiz can
acquire and retain these customer personas,
cause the persona to act
delivering material value.’ (4 min.)
(purchase, use, etc.). Copyright 2014 COWAN+
THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS
(Key (Key (Value (Customer (Customer

Partners) Activities) Propositions) Relationships) Segments)
(Key (Channels)
Resources)
(Cost Structure) (Revenue Streams)
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
The templates here are made available on the same CC license terms as the original canvas. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
@cowanSF
SEGMENT TO VALUE PROPOSITION MAPPING
Partner_1 Activity_1 Proposition_1 Relationship_1 Segment_1

Resource_1 Channel_1
Cost_1 Revenue_1
Cost_2 Revenue_2
Cost_3 Revenue_3
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
Value Customer
Propositions Segments
(Key (Key (Value (Customer (Customer

Partners) Activities) Propositions) Relationships) Segments)
(Key (Channels)
Resources)
(Cost Structure) (Revenue Streams)
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
CUSTOMER SEGMENTS VS. PERSONAS
reCustomer
motsuC Personas
Segments
stnemgeS
≈
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
EXERCISE- MAPPING PERSONAS, VALUE PROP’S
1. List your prioritized personas
Activity_1 Proposition_1 Persona_1
(Customer Segments block) Activity_2
Activity_3
Proposition_2
Proposition_3
Persona_2
Persona_3
and Value Propositions

2. Map your personas to your
Value Propositions
(3 min)
PEER PRESENTATIONS PREP!
For [target customer] who [statement of the need or opportunity], the

[product name] is a [product category] that [statement of key benefit/
key reason to buy]. Unlike [primary alternative], our product [statement
of primary differentiation].
EXAMPLE
For [hiring managers] who [need to evaluate technical talent], [Enable
Quiz] is a [talent assessment system] that [allows for quick and easy
assessment of topical understanding in key engineering topics]. Unlike
[formal certifications or ad hoc questions], our product [allows for
lightweight but consistent assessments of technical talent].
(4 min.)
EXERCISE: PEER PRESENTATION
As As
Presenter Audience
1) What is this? (Use positioning - Focus on the process; avoid editorial
statement) - Ask a lot of questions
2) Who is the persona? What kind of shoes - Think about it like an investor
do they wear?
3) What problem scenario(s) are you
looking at? What alternatives does the
persona use now?
4) What’s your value proposition?
5) What’s your product hypothesis?
6) What do you need to learn more about? (5 min./ each)
AVOID THE TWIN ANTI-POLES OF DESIGN FAILURE
P !
N A
S
Doing precisely Assuming you know what’s

what the user asks best and ignoring the user
NEEDFINDING MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“Here are a list of SEO “What problems does

keywords related to the this solve for the
exciting new solution we built” customer? What words
do they use to describe
it?”

3
Become a Better Storyteller
STORYBOARDING: ORIGINS
copyright Fred Moore & Disney Pictures
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STORYBOARDING EXAMPLE
Personas ALEX COWAN

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STORYBOARDING EXAMPLE
Personas ALEX COWAN

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ENABLE QUIZ: EXAMPLE PROBLEM SCENARIOS
PERSONA Helen the HR Manager Frank the Functional Manager
“It’s hard for me to screen on “I have limited time and I don’t

PROBLEM
X
SCENARIO
technical skill sets and I end up
sending Frank unqualified
recruits.”
want to be a jerk. It’s hard to
screen for all the relevant
technical skill sets.”
- Call references - A few probing questions

?
ALTERNATIVE(S) - Take their word for it - Take their word for it
New ability for meaningful

VALUE
!
PROPOSITIONS
screening of technical
candidates, increasing % of
successful hires and lowering
Less time doing interviews, and
better hires sooner.
Frank’s workload on recruiting.
Copyright
Copyright 20142014 Cowan
Cowan Publishing
Publishing
STORYBOARDING A PROBLEM SCENARIO
BEFORE
BEFORE
(using the
Alternative)
AFTER
AFTER
(with the Value
Proposition)

SKETCHING YOUR NARRATIVE
TRIGGER ACTION REWARD
How does the problem How is the alternative How is the persona
scenario initiate? executed? gratified?
source: adapted from Nir Eyal’s Hook Framework

STORYBOARDING A PROBLEM SCENARIO
}
}
Storyboard
Area
1 Panel
Optional notes here to

supplement your storyboard
} Notes
Area

EXERCISE: BEFORE AND AFTER BOARDS
Using the squares, create a before and then after
storyboard- 3 panels each
BEFORE
(using the
Alternative) STORY ARC
Trigger
Action
AFTER Reward
(with the Value
Proposition) (10 min.)
source: adapted from Nir Eyal’s Hook Framework

Attention How do they first
I nterest find out that you,

your proposition
D esire exist?
How do you break
A ction through the noise

floor?
Onboarding
R etention Copyright 2014 COWAN+
Attention
I nterest What is it that
engages them with
D esire your proposition?
How will you
A ction connect?
Onboarding
Attention
I nterest
D esire Are you connecting
with an important
A ction problem scenario?
Is your VP better
Onboarding enough than the
R etention alternative?
Attention What is absolute
I nterest minimum set of

actions required by
D esire the customer to

have you deliver on
A ction their problem?
Onboarding
Attention
I nterest How do they
D esire become a regular,
A ction habitual user? How

will you know if
Onboarding that’s happening?

Attention
I nterest
D esire How do you
A ction deepen their

involvement?
Onboarding Investment? How

do you get them
R etention talking about it?
STORYBOARDING AIDA(OR)


Thinks: I care about evaluating tech hires but I’m
busy- I’ll take a quick look if I can.
Sees: A post on social media from a peer she
regards well.
Feels: There’s a twinkling in the distance but I’m still
firmly rooted in my to-do list in the present.
Does: Calls or emails her peer to hear about her
experience.

Thinks: This sounds interesting-
can I make it work here (at my
company).
Sees: A clear proposition and
narrative on next steps towards a
successful outcome (on the Enable
Quiz site).
Feels: Initially suspect, her
excitement about racking up a
meaningful win in an important area
grows.
Does: Puts it on her to-do list as a
set of items. Mentions it to
colleagues. Copyright 2014 COWAN+
Thinks: I understand the proposition and
I keep seeing wins for it here at work.
Sees: Situations where she really wishes
she had a quiz to use instead of the
hodge podge she uses.
Feels: This could be one of her major
wins for the year- exciting!
Does: Move Enable Quiz to the top of her
list.

Thinks: I need Frank’s buy-in: they’re his candidates

and he’ll need to help me create the quizzes.
Sees: Frank struggling to find time to interview
candidates. Having trouble with skill sets on his team.
Feels: Nervous and excited to bring it to Frank.
Does: Gets in front of Frank with a simple proposal to
just try the system out for their next open position.
Thinks: Here we go- I hope this

works.
Sees: A job description and a set of
quiz options she needs to pair.
Feels: A little uneasy- like playing
scrabble in a language she’s just
learning.
Does: Creates a draft and then
goes to Frank with questions that
she makes as specific asCopyright
possible.
2014 COWAN+
Thinks: This was a win- it’s part of our

routine and it works great.
Sees: That her screening process and
hiring outcomes are measurably
improved.
Feels: I love this thing- everyone should
use it.
Does: Shares about her win on social
media and is willing to try new things.
EXERCISE: AIDA STORYBOARD (10 MIN)
Using the
squares, create
a 6-panel
AIDA(OR)
storyboard
(10 min)
DESIGN THINKING- USING PERSONAS
MAKING SELLING
STUFF STUFF
What does the What does the Who are we Who’s buying?
user (most) want? user actually do? selling to?
Where do we Where?
reach them?
With what Why?

proposition?
Personas Problem Scenarios Foundation in

Alternatives Design Thinking
Your Value Propositions

WHY IS DESIGN THINKING HARD?
Then Now
Survival Design Thinking
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
NEEDFINDING MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“We have an amazing new “Cool. Who does this?

thing now where users can [x] What’s the trigger?
their [y]”
What’s the first thing
that happens?
…
Then what?
…
How do we know if
they have a good
outcome?”

4
Test Early, Test Often
EVIDENCE-BASED INNOVATION VIA ‘LEAN STARTUP’
Do I have real evidence from my buyer 01 IDEA!
that this is compelling?
What are the key assumptions required 02 HYPOTHESIS

to make this business work? 6.a YES
results
How do I definitely prove or disprove the disprove 03 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
assumptions with a minimum of time hypothesis
and effort?
Am I reacting or am I focused on 04 EXPERIMENTATION
validating my pivotal assumptions?
‘Pivot or persevere?’ 05 REVISE?
6.b NO
we appear to
have a valid
hypothesis Copyright 2014 COWAN+
Do I have real evidence from my buyer 01 IDEA!
that this is compelling?
02 HYPOTHESIS
6.a YES
results
disprove 03 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
hypothesis
04 EXPERIMENTATION
05 REVISE?
6.b NO
we appear to
have a valid
01 IDEA!
What are the key assumptions required 02 HYPOTHESIS

to make this business work? 6.a YES
results
How do I definitely prove or disprove the disprove 03 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
assumptions with a minimum of time hypothesis
and effort?
04 EXPERIMENTATION
05 REVISE?
6.b NO
we appear to
have a valid
NEEDFINDING: THE PRODUCT HYPOTHESIS
A certain PERSONA exists…

PROBLEMS(S) … X
certain ALTERNATIVE(S) … ?
PROPOSITION that’s better enough
than the alternatives to cause the !
persona to act (purchase, use, etc.).
ASSUMPTIONS: ORGANIZED AND PRIORITIZED
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
[A key assumption about the [Whether it needs [Experiment to

1 proving
business] prove or disprove]
Hiring managers would * Customer interviews on problem
prefer a lightweight quiz app scenario
1 Yes
over calling references and * Value testing through ‘minimum
ad hoc probing. viable product’
Managers want to be able to * Show prototypes with choices
2 Yes
add their questions as well * Test in beta
2 Parents have smart phones No n/a
Focus on strategic,
pivotal assumptions Copyright 2014 COWAN+
FOCUS AND THE LEAN STARTUP
Crossing t’s
Dotting i’s
Doesn’t matter unless it
helps prove (or disprove)
your pivotal assumptions
FOCUS AND THE LEAN STARTUP
Subject
all your
activities +
metrics to
that litmus
test.
4 TYPES OF LEAN HYPOTHESES
PERSONA
HYPOTHESIS
ALEX COWAN
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@cowanSF
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
Does this person exist?

Can you identify them?
Do you understand them really well?
What do they think-see-feel-do in your area?
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS- CHECKLIST
! Hypothesis Experiment
✔︎ - Can
This persona exists (in non-trivial you think of 5-10 examples?
numbers) and you can identify them. - Can you set up discovery interviews with them?
- Can you connect with them in the market at large?
✔︎ You understand this persona well. - What kind of shoes do they wear?
- Are you hearing, seeing the same things across your discovery
interviews?
✔︎ Do you understand what they Think in - What do you they mention as important? Difficult? Rewarding?
your area of interest? - Do they see the work (or habit) as you do?
- What would they like to do better? To be better?
✔︎ Do you understand what they See in - Where do they get their information? Peers? Publications?
your area of interest? - How do they decide what’s OK? What’s aspirational?
✔︎ How do they Feel about your area of - What are their triggers for this area? Motivations?
interest? - What rewards do they seek? How do they view past actions?
✔︎ Do you understand what they Do in your - What do you actually observe them doing?
area of interest? - How can you directly or indirectly validate that’s what they do?

PERSONA HYPOTHESIS- OUTPUTS & PIVOTS
Outputs Common Pivots

1) Re-segmentation (more granular)
2) Revision of area of interest/
problem space
3) Strategic pivot
Template: bit.ly/personast
EARLY MARKET VS. LATER MARKET

EARLY MARKET VS. LATER MARKET

EXERCISE: WHO’S YOUR EARLY MARKET?
Answer each as best you can: ~ 1 min/each
1) How do they differ within your existing persona definitions?
Example: At Enable Quiz, they’re startup’s doing lots of hiring

2) How will you locate them?
Example: At Enable Quiz, they’ll read tech rags to see who just got funded.
3) How will they help you transition to your next segment?
Example: At Enable Quiz, via case studies, references, and incented posts on LinkedIn.
(4 min.)

PERSONA PROBLEM
HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS
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PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
Have you identified a discrete problem/need?

How important is it to the target persona(s)?
What alternatives do they use today? How?
ALEX COWAN
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@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS- CHECKLIST
✔︎ - Can
You’ve identified at least one discrete you describe it in a sentence? Do others get it?
problem (job, desire, etc.) - Can you identify current alternatives?
✔︎ - Do
The problem is important subjects mention it unprompted in discovery interviews?
- Do they respond to solicitation (see also value and customer creation
hypotheses)?
✔︎ You understand current alternatives - Have you seen them in action?
- Do you have ‘artifacts’ (spreadsheets, photos, posts, notes, whiteboard
scribbles, screen shots)?

PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS- OUTPUTS & PIVOTS

1) Pivot to a more material problem area
PROBLEM
SCENARIO(S) X 2) Strategic pivot
ALTERNATIVE(S)
?
01 IDEA!
02 HYPOTHESIS
6.a YES
results
disprove 03 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
hypothesis
Am I reacting or am I focused on 04 EXPERIMENTATION

validating my pivotal assumptions?
‘Pivot or persevere?’ 05 REVISE?
6.b NO
we appear to
have a valid
PERSONA PROBLEM VALUE

HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS
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@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
Do you have a value proposition that’s better

enough than the current alternatives?
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@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS- CHECKLIST
✔︎ - You
Your product is better enough than the successful execute a (paid?) concierge MVP
alternative to make sales (traffic, etc.) or
- You successfully pre-sell the product
or
- You successfully drive drive sign-up’s online
✔︎ Customers will readily perceive this - (see above)
superiority if you [x]!

PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS- OUTPUTS & PIVOTS

1) Pivot from pre-conceived solution/
X proposition
2) Pivot to new problem area
3) Strategic pivot
VALUE
PROPOSITION(S) !
?
PERSONA PROBLEM VALUE CUSTOMER CREATION

HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
CUSTOMER CREATION HYPOTHESIS
Do you have a profitable, repeatable recipe

for acquiring and retaining customers?
Do you have a system for monitoring it and
trying new things?
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
03 PROPOSING TESTABLE SOLUTIONS
DOES IT WORK? DOES IT STICK? DID IT MATTER?
Deep testing on real Post deploy, are Is it delivering on the
data with a very users engaged at target propositions?
small set of users. expected levels? If If not, why not?
not, why not?
0 Day 30 Day 90 Day ID

LEAN STARTUP MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“I’m super excited about [this “Sound neat.

idea]. I’m working on the
business case to sell What’s the central
management so we can start proposition? Maybe
building” there’s a way we can
bootstrap some proof
points.
That would super

charge your business
case.”

5
Learn First, Scale Second
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Product-Market
MVP Fit(?) Scale
PIVOTAL Test, revise, Validated- now Validated- now

ASSUMPTIONS Nascent
test... tactical tactical
Focus: efficiency, What would a

PRODUCT N/A MVP
extension startup do??
ORG. Founders Customer dev. Full functional Scalable

team organization organization
PARTNERS, Probably too Probably too

CHANNELS Yeah, maybe? Yeah, definitely!
soon soon

LEAN STARTUP MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“Management is really excited “Wow, thanks.

about your project. I’m
allocating your 50 FTE’s for But I don’t need 50
next year.” FTE’s, yet. I’d just be
finding them stuff to do.
Here’s what I need and

how I’ll stay
accountable for those
resources.”

6
Go See
PERSONA
HYPOTHESIS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
EXERCISE: PERSONA DISCOVERY QUESTIONS (5 MIN)
Question Form Examples Questions (‘Enable Quiz’)
Tell me about [yourself in the role of the persona]? - Tell me about being an HR manager?
- How did you choose that line of work? Why?
- What do you most, least like about the job?
- What are the hardest, easiest parts of the job?
- I’ve heard [x]- does that apply to you?
Tell me about [your area of interest]? - Do you do screen new candidates? If not, who?
- Can you tell me about the last time? What was the trigger?
- Who else was involved? What was it like?
Tell me your thoughts about [area]?! - How should it ideally be done?

- How is it actually done? Why?
What do you see in [area]?! - Where do you learn what’s new? What others do?
- Who do you think is doing it right?
- How did you make your last decision?
How do you feel about [area]? - What motivates you? What parts of it are most rewarding? Why?
Tell me about the last time?
- What would it be like in your perfect world?
What do you do in [area]? - Would you show me your interview guide? Example notes? - What
the vetting process was like on the last few candidates?
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
‘Everyone is my customer!’
Possibly true at some point, but

you need to nail early adopters
to get traction.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
‘There are a few customers to

focus on- I’m not sure which
one’.
Pick the one with the most
compelling need and choose.
Or guess. But don’t diffuse your
focus.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
‘I can’t find anyone to interview’
Then I would step back. This

almost certainly means you’ll
have trouble with the next steps
as well.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PERSONA HYPOTHESIS
‘I think I get this persona, but I’m not

sure about the whole think-see-feel-do
thing.’
Think-see-feel-do is not the only
way to go but it’s pretty good.
Solid personas are the stitch in
time that saves 9.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
KEY TO GOOD PERSONA DISCOVERY
1) Create a level of person-ability and comfort
2) Acclimate them to the idea that you’re not just

wondering about the ‘general picture’
PERSONA
3) Assure them by demonstration that you’re not
HYPOTHESIS selling anything or advocating a point of view
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PERSONA PROBLEM
HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
EXERCISE: PROBLEM DISCOVERY QUESTIONS
What are the top [5] hardest things about [area of - What are the top 5 most difficult things about making good tech
interest]?! hires? Why?
How do you currently [operate in area of interest- if - How do you currently screen for technical skill sets?
you don’t have that yet]? OR Here’s what I got on - Who does what?
[x]- is that right? - How does that work?
What’s [difficult, annoying] about [area of interest]? - What’sdifficult about screening technical candidates?
- How do you validate they have the right skill set?
- How are the actual outcomes? Examples?
What are the top 5 things you want to do better - What are the top 5 things you want to do better in technical
this year in [general area of interest]? recruiting and hiring?
Why is/isn’t [your specific area of interest on that - Why is/isn’t screening for technical candidates on that list?
list]?!
(5 min.)

PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘During customer discovery interviews, the

subjects consistently mentioned our problem
scenario’
Excellent! That’s a good
preliminary validation you’re on
the right track.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘We did a questionnaire and >80% of

subjects said they wish [our problem
area] was better.’
Don’t trust questionnaires,
especially with leading
questions. Focus on face-to-
face.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘I am in this business/I am one of these personas and I

know I have this problem- and I’m sure it exists for
most others like me.’
Good start but approach
discovery like you know nothing.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘Our product doesn’t really address a problem,

exactly, so this isn’t relevant for us.’
There are no new problems or

habits. Make sure you know
what you’re after.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘Our product is so fundamentally novel that

there are no current alternatives.’
(see previous)
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
PROBLEM HYPOTHESIS
‘We’ve mapped out the alternative and observed

or key personas in action with them.’
Excellent! You’re ready to
synthesize, tune and test your
value proposition!
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
KEY TO GOOD PROBLEM DISCOVERY
1) Avoid prompting, progressing to it only as a

last ditch effort
2) Get them in storytelling mode- focus on

specifics and details
PROBLEM
HYPOTHESIS 3) Focus on just getting them talking- mind the
time but be careful about interrupting for course
corrections
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESES
PERSONA PROBLEM VALUE

HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS HYPOTHESIS
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
EXERCISE: VALUE DISCOVERY QUESTIONS
[most of this needs to be obtained through direct experimentation (next
section); the following are useful but probably not pivotal]
How do you decide on and buy [stuff in general - How do you buy [access to recruiting services, resume
area of interest]? ! searches, HR software, training, prof. ed. books]?
- Who’s involved? What’s the scope of individual discretion?
How much did you spend [last period]?! - How much do you spend on [items of interest]?
(2 min.)

TESTING YOUR HYPOTHESIS VIA ‘MVP’
Minimum What is the fastest,
V cheapest way to
validate or
P invalidate this
option so we give
ourselves more
options on future
success? Copyright 2014 COWAN+
Minimum
Viable Will it give us a
definitive result?
P What are the
actionable metrics?

Minimum Does it really

require actual
Viable product? Can we
use alternative
Product brands, channels?

Minimum
is not necessarily actual software/product
(see concierge MVP)
Viable is a first and foremost learning vehicle …

vs. a project plan
vs. a product development project
Product (OK to do those things but always
subordinate them to the learning mission)

THE MVP LITMUS TEST
output !=
outcome
Is your MVP driving an
extraordinary outcome?
Or is it a vehicle to create output

as usual?

CASE STUDY: DROPBOX
OPPORTUNITY
Underlying demand and supporting
infrastructure ready for a great file sharing
app.
CHALLENGE
Building a great cross-platform app.
required VC funding. VC’s saw a space
with lots of existing competitors struggling
to get traction.

CASE STUDY: DROPBOX
Tom the Techie- early adopter who works on projects that require swapping a lot of files between a
Persona
shifting network of collaborators.
Problem It’s difficult to share files between a network of collaborators, particularly if they’re: big or numerous or
Scenario change a lot.
Many existing products, but none of them super compelling and widely adopted.
Alternatives
Also, custom setup’s which work but are cumbersome to set up and maintain.
A file sharing service that truly feels transparent to the user across all major platforms- OSX, iOS,
Value Prop.
Windows, etc.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
That you can bootstrap?
That doesn’t require software at all?

THE ‘WIZARD OF OZ’ MVP
Created a synthetic demo

tailored for early market
(techies), promoted it, and
measured email sign-up’s.
Result: Excellent traction and
conversion to sign-up’s.
Strong validation signal.

EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
OPPORTUNITY
Hiring quality technical talent is critical for
many companies, but screening for skill
sets is time consuming and awkward.
CHALLENGE
The founding team wants to bootstrap
without external funding so they need to
focus on a specific technical domain, one
that will get them strong early traction.

EXAMPLE: ENABLE QUIZ
Helen the HR Manager- responsible for sourcing and screening job candidates
Persona(s)
Frank the Functional Manager- hiring manager responsible for acquiring and managing talent
Problem Helen: hard to screen for technical skills

Scenario Frank: never has enough time for recruiting and doesn’t want to be a jerk during interviews
Helen: call references, take their word for it (on skills)
Alternatives
Frank: ask a few probing questions
Value Prop. A lightweight quizzing app that has Helen can use to do quick, effective screening.
What Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for deciding on the right first topics?

THE ‘PRE-SALES’ MVP
Ran Google AdWord

campaigns across top ranking
technical topics, measuring
click through rate and landing
page sign-up’s.
Target Outcome: Informed
selection of starter topics (and
baseline on initial conversions).
CASE STUDY: LEONID SYSTEMS
OPPORTUNITY
Major disruption and new product
opportunities among telecom providers
with introduction of voice-over-IP and cloud
communications.
IT systems need to be rethought.
CHALLENGE
As a one-person startup, Leonid had
actionable ideas but not enough resources
to execute an end-to-end solution.

CASE STUDY: LEONID SYSTEMS
Chris the CTO- has funding and mandate to transition the business towards hosted services; many
Persona
bases to cover
Problem
IT is the most expensive, most risky area when making changes to the business.
Scenario
1) Place large, risky bets on major new system upgrades. 2) Make small incremental updates (but risk
Alternatives
not keeping pace).
Leonid will offer modular, integration-friendly applications in two critical areas: 1) services provisioning
Value Prop.
and 2) end user self-service portals.

LEONID MVP’s: FROM CONSULTING TO PRODUCT
CONSULTING
Started with consulting as a
‘concierge’ vehicle to create
tactical solutions, evolving to
full-fledged product.
‘PRODUCTIZED’
CONSULTING
Result: Steady step-wise

growth with consistently better
understanding of key customer
PRODUCTS
problem scenarios.
CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
OPPORTUNITY
An observed problem scenario around the
difficulty of finding the right shoe at local
retail and a giant (but nascent) market in
online retail (1999).
CHALLENGE
Consumers still in the early stages of
adopting and habituating to online retail.
Founder (Nick Swinmurn) wanted to
bootstrap.

CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
Persona Sam the shoe-hound- knows what he wants but not where to get it.
Problem
Sam is unable to find the shoe he wants at local retailers, wasting time and getting frustrated.
Scenario
Alternatives Possibly mail order or wait until he’s in a bigger market to go to the store.
Make the shoe Sam wants accessible online and make sure he has a great experience so he’ll come
Value Prop.
back and not have to think about where to find the shoe he wants anymore.

CASE STUDY: ZAPPOS
Photographed shoes and put

them online to observe
whether anyone bought them.
Result: It worked and the rest

is history.

CASE STUDY: SPRIG
Startup looking for early traction for

investors: Whole Foods (deli) meets Uber.
OPPORTUNITY
Large opportunity to resegment and
disrupt food prep. and delivery business.
Desire to move fast and learn fast.
CHALLENGE
Some existing competitors and slow
fundraising process. Food prep. and
delivery requires infrastructure.
source: as told to Lean Startup Circle, SF (Jan 2014)

CASE STUDY: SPRIG
Paula the Professional- health conscious, short on time, moderate to high income, already uses
Persona*
similar services like Uber.
Problem
I want to have a nice, healthy dinner with no hassle and at a price I can afford (like $12).
Scenario
Alternatives Going to the store or an expensive, take-out, or a slow delivery service (>20 minutes).
A healthy meal like you would order a cab (on Uber): “Dinner on Demand … Prep Time is 3 Taps
Value Prop.
… Delectable Prices” (Sprig Home Page)
* This is me interpolating/guessing on an item; not part of the Sprig team’s explanation.
What MVP?

SPRIG MVP & EXPERIMENTATION
Hire a chef for the day, put the

offer on Eventbrite, email
friends - concierge MVP.
Result: Excellent uptake and

valuable observations on the
proposition and customer
journey.
CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
OPPORTUNITY
Lots of exciting things happening in the
photo-social space.
CHALLENGE
The team had several ideas but few
resources.

CASE STUDY: STEALTH PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP
Existing poster of photos. Personas: Martha the Mom, Pat the Party Planner, Teresa the Teen Social
Persona
Butterfly
Problem [I want to do something interesting with my photos so that my social graph rewards me with interest and
Scenario acclaim]
Alternatives Manually enhance photos, use alternative enhancers/amplifiers like Instagram
Value Prop. [This is something users can do with photos that will generate engaging content for their social graph]

USER JOURNEY: PHOTO-SOCIAL
What MVP?
That you can

bootstrap?
That doesn’t require

software at all?
ASSUMPTION
User’s social network
will like and share the
app’s output

PHOTO-SOCIAL STARTUP: MVP & EXPERIMENTATION
MVP
Create the target output
by hand (concierge
style)
Does anyone care?
ASSUMPTION
User’s social network
will like and share the
app’s output

CASE STUDY: RAPID EQUIPPING FORCE (REF)
OPPORTUNITY
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
creating extremely serious mental and
physical health issues for service
personnel and veterans.
CHALLENGE
Despite substantial spending, current
approaches to diagnosis and treatment
under-delivering.

CASE STUDY: RAPID EQUIPPING FORCE
Salem the Solider- receives relatively good treatment for acute injuries but concussive injuries that are
Persona
not immediately debilitating often go undiagnosed and/or untreated or under-treated.
The brain is a complex instrument- you can’t just patch it up. Concussions that are not immediately
Problem debilitating can still lead to serious conditions.
Scenario
It’s part of the culture to ignore or minimize injuries that don’t immediately put you out of commission.
The most common alternative is after-the-fact treatment within the Veteran’s Administration hospitals
Alternatives
where very little history is available.
Value Prop. Just about anything that would improve outcomes would improve many lives.

REF head Peter Newell got a tip

to look at what NASCAR was
doing to measure, diagnose,
and treat concussive injuries.
source: NASCAR
Soldier System Characteristics Vehicle System Characteristics
Vehicle System Characteristics
•  Pressure Sensors (4): 100 psi max at ~50kHz sample rate •  ATEC Data Recorder
•  3 Axis Accelerometer (Body and Head): 1250 G max at ~50 kHz •  Ethernet, CAN, Power, GPS,
sample rate and Removable Storage Media
•  3 Axis Gyro (Head): 2000 dps max gyro at 1-2 KHz sample rate •  Data Event Recorders
•  GPS: Time stamping of event data •  3 and 6 axis units to 6,000 Gs
•  Wireless Communication to the Working with R&D partners, REF
•  Various Interface Adapter (VIA)
• 
Vehicle Sensor System
VIA RFID - Uniquely identifies soldier
developed a prototype system for
•  Soldier position location in vehicle
•  Provide uplink to vehicle for
• 
position when in a vehicle
Battery Power – Self contained (2 each CR-123A)
soldiers to use on the front lines.
Soldier System
•  Single Board Computer to interface
system to ATEC Recorder
Prototype Vehicles
MATV
MaxxPro
source: adapted from Dash
Innovation Leadership Board and REF
MVP ARCHETYPES
The Concierge MVP:
‘manually’ provide the product experience you
want the customer to have
The Pre-Sales MVP:

hand sold and/or promoted online
The Focal Product:

minimal implementation focused only on
features required for core value proposition
ABOUT MVP’S AND PRODUCTS IN GENERAL
You have to put the magic in

the software.
(Not the other way around)
Concierge and other non-
software MVP’s can be pretty
magical.
Find 100 people that are really

into it and you can probably
grow. Copyright 2014 COWAN+
EXERCISE: YOUR (CONCIERGE) MVP
Component Notes
What is the experience you want to provide? - What are the preconditions and general steps?
What measurable outcome would validate - How will you know if it’s delivering value?
your value proposition? - Thiscould be: a) measurably better outcomes b) activity
levels c) follow-on interest
How will you find participants and what are - How will you know if the subjects are relevant to your
the core screening/qualification criteria? core hypothesis?
(5 min.)
LEAN AT LARGE
Priority Key Assumption Needs Proving? Experimentation
[A key assumption [Whether it needs [Experiment to

1 proving
about the business] prove or disprove]
Parents want to * Post the proposition in ads
1 organize the Yes online
distribution of * Measure sign-up’s on a landing page
allowances with an page
Parents want to link * Show prototypes with choices
2 app Yes
allowances to chores * Test in beta
Parents have smart
2 No n/a
phones

PLANNING WITH LEAN AT LARGE
Let’s not Let’s assume.

argue Then test.

PLANNING WITH LEAN AT LARGE

VALUE HYPOTHESIS
How much better than the best alternative is your

product?
How obvious is that to the customer?
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘Over 80% of the people we asked said they’d buy

our product!’
Can’t trust it- Yellow Walkman

data
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We did a concierge test and [got paid, got asked

by the customer when they could buy our
product].’
Excellent! You’re on the fast
track of iterating to a successful
outcome. Time to look at an
actual MVP.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We finished our concierge test. They liked it but as

a result it was a long way to conclusive.’
Now that you know how, could

you get paid for the next one?
Try other test and then if
negative, consider pivot.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We made a bunch of pre-release sales, but

they’re non-binding.’
That’s OK (as long as you made

the agreement with a real
decision maker). You’ve got a
reasonably good validation of
value hypothesis.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We couldn’t make any pre-release sales.’
Why not? No interest? That’s

bad. Need to sell real product
(and that’s really why), consider
what’s behind that.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We found a few AdWord-landing page combinations

that had better than expected click through and
conversion rates to email sign-up’s.’
Excellent! That’s a good
validation of your value
hypothesis and you’re gotten a
jump start on your Customer
Creation Hypotheses.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
VALUE HYPOTHESIS
‘We tried a few things with AdWords and landing

pages, but the results weren’t great.’
What happens when you try the

same thing out in the real
world? Search is a good way to
connect with existing demand
but not necessarily learn about
its fundamentals.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
How will you get the customer’s: attention, interest,

desire, action, onboarding, retention?
How will you know if it’s working?
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
Most of these results are pretty

definitive.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
OLD SCHOOL VS. NEW SCHOOL
Output vs. Outcome

Scaling vs. Learning

WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Product-Market
MVP Fit(?) Scale
PIVOTAL Test, revise, Validated- now Validated- now

ASSUMPTIONS Nascent
test... tactical tactical
Focus: efficiency, What would a

PRODUCT N/A MVP
extension startup do??
ORG. Founders Customer dev. Full functional Scalable

team organization organization
PARTNERS, Probably too Probably too

CHANNELS Yeah, maybe? Yeah, definitely!
soon soon

PLAY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE AT THE EARLY PHASES
DRAFT &
idea EXPERIMENT
wireframe
working design
A LOT
prototype
FLEXIBILITY working product

… with a few users
… with lots of users
EXPENSE Copyright 2014 COWAN+

PLAY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE AT THE EARLY PHASES
idea
wireframe
working design
prototype
FLEXIBILITY working product

… with a few users
play to your
strengths as as … with lots of users
startup/new product
in this zone
EXPENSE Copyright 2014 COWAN+

AGILE & THE BEAUTY OF SMALL BATCHES

DISCOVERY MEETS HALLWAY CONVERSATION
“I was thinking the team and I “I don’t want you to do

would summarize some reports that. I want you to go
from Gartner over the next out and talk to users.
couple of weeks.”
Here’s what I want you
to ask them
You guys can come

with me on a few
interviews then you’ll
be ready to do your
own.
You’ll finish this with

more skills!”

7
Kill Zombie Ideas
SOME ZOMBIE IDEA TYPES
THE R&D ZOMBIE THE TOP DOWN

1 x TIME Also known as the ‘solution
looking for a problem’ zombie.
ZOMBIE
We told the street we’re doing
it, so now …
THE ‘CUSTOMER THE CRUMBLING

SAID’ ZOMBIE ZOMBIE
Customers say they love it- So much time, so much money…
but are they actually buying? there’s gotta’ be something here.

8
Innovation for Your Business Type
IDENTIFYING YOUR TYPE
UTILITIES TELECOM COMMODITIES
Infrastructure-Driven
RETAIL BANKING CORP. LAW
Scope-Driven
PACKAGED GOODS APP. SOFTWARE MEDIA

Product-Driven

IDENTIFYING YOUR TYPE
INFRASTRUCTURE
Kimberly-Clark: paper pulp
DuPont: plastics and polymers
SCOPE
Procter & Gamble: cradle to grave products
Baby Store: everything for babies in one place
PRODUCT
EarthBaby, TinyTots, Honest Company:
compostable diapers and service

IDENTIFYING YOUR TYPE: QUIZ!

IDENTIFYING YOUR TYPE: IMPLICATIONS
INFRASTRUC SCOPE- PRODUCT-

EXAMPLE AREA
TURE-DRIVEN DRIVEN DRIVEN
Sales Process: relatively relatively flexible (ideally Channel
Highly standard or flexible? standardized sells)
Pricing & Packaging: relatively relatively relatively
Highly standardized or standardized customizable standardized
customizable?
Customer Support: relatively relatively relatively
How systematic vs. systematic customized systematic (non-
customized? channel)

VENTURE DESIGN
Scale?
Who? What? What if? Tell me…? How?
X ! /
Pivot?
PERSONAS PROBLEM VALUE CUSTOMER USER PRODUCT &

SCENARIOS & PROPOSITIONS DISCOVERY & STORIES & PROMOTION
ALTERNATIVES & ASSUMPTIONS EXPERIMENTS PROTOTYPES

VENTURE DESIGN (IN REVERSE)
Do we Is problem Was the How did the Did the implementation
understand this relevant? Is the implemented customer/user deliver on the story?
person? What proposition story relevant to react?
makes them better vs. the proposition?
tick? alternatives?
THINK SEE
FEEL DO X ! /
PERSONAS PROBLEM VALUE CUSTOMER USER PRODUCT &

SCENARIOS & PROPOSITIONS DISCOVERY & STORIES & PROMOTION
! ALTERNATIVES & ASSUMPTIONS EXPERIMENTS PROTOTYPES

VENTURE DESIGN
Foundation in
Design Thinking

VENTURE DESIGN
Lean Startup-
Hypothesize Style Assumptions
Learn Experiment
Foundation in
Design Thinking

VENTURE DESIGN
Lean Startup-
Business Model
Canvas
Learn Experiment
Foundation in
Design Thinking

VENTURE DESIGN
Lean Startup-
Business Model
Canvas
Learn Experiment
User Stories &
Test Cases
Foundation in
Design Thinking

VENTURE DESIGN
Lean Startup-
Business Model
Canvas
Learn Experiment
User Stories &
Test Cases
Product &
Promotion
Foundation in
Design Thinking

THE FULL STACK PRODUCT PERSON
ENTERPRISE SALES
UNIX SYSADMIN
DESIGN & UX
Specialties
ANALYTICS
PYTON
RUBY
JAVA
SEO
PHP
...
...
...
...
...
SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE ROLES &
Technical FUNDAMENTALS FUNDAMENTALS SYSTEMS
Literacy Model-View- App. & Platform In a Technical
Controller Integration Team
Foundation DESIGN CUSTOMER

LEAN AGILE
Skills THINKING DEV.
ALEX COWAN
AlexanderCowan.com
@cowanSF
WORK IT!
“Homework”
1. Draft a working set of personas
Pick the most important buyers and/or users. More is not necessarily better- you can always add
more (re-segment) later. Finish think-see-feel-do. Find a photo.
2. Draft a working set of problem scenario-alternative-value proposition trios.
3. Finish a working product hypothesis and positioning statement.
4. Finish a working interview guide to validate your persona and problem hypotheses.
5. Complete at least 5 customer interviews.
6. Draft a working set of assumptions
7. Design your experiments and execute.
GOOGLE DOC TEMPLATE: http://bit.ly/venturetemplate

RESOURCES: bit.ly/VDsprint1, bit.ly/VDsprint2 Copyright 2014 COWAN+
FINI
Slides: bit.ly/innoent
www.alexandercowan.com/venture-design
www.alexandercowan.com/startup-sprints
@cowanSF
acowan@alexandercowan.com

GA Innovating in The Enterprise Idea 1

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GA Innovating in The Enterprise Idea 1

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INNOVATING IN

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

#7: Kill zombie

#3: Become a #8: Innovate for your

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Empathy ALEX COWAN

A Better Mouse Trap 4

Powered by Better Bait 5

Creativity ALEX COWAN

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Mary the Mom

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R it feel like they’ve

Mary the Working Mom

Day in the Life

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Copyright 2014 Cowan Publishing

Mary the Working Mom (B, U)

“So, I think feature [xyz] should “Yeah?

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Brainstorm Problem Scenario-

Add Value Propositions to

? ALTERNATIVE(S) and financial rewards.

Prioritize your value propositions-

A certain PERSONA exists…

(Key (Key (Value (Customer (Customer

(Cost Structure) (Revenue Streams)

Partner_1 Activity_1 Proposition_1 Relationship_1 Segment_1

(Key (Key (Value (Customer (Customer

(Cost Structure) (Revenue Streams)

and Value Propositions

For [target customer] who [statement of the need or opportunity], the

Doing precisely Assuming you know what’s

“Here are a list of SEO “What problems does

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

copyright Fred Moore & Disney Pictures

Personas ALEX COWAN

Personas ALEX COWAN

PERSONA Helen the HR Manager Frank the Functional Manager

“It’s hard for me to screen on “I have limited time and I don’t

- Call references - A few probing questions

New ability for meaningful

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

source: adapted from Nir Eyal’s Hook Framework

Optional notes here to

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

source: adapted from Nir Eyal’s Hook Framework

I nterest find out that you,

A ction through the noise

I nterest minimum set of

D esire the customer to

A ction habitual user? How

Onboarding that’s happening?

R etention Copyright 2014 COWAN+

A ction deepen their

Onboarding Investment? How

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Copyright 2014 COWAN+

Thinks: I need Frank’s buy-in: they’re his candidates

Thinks: Here we go- I hope this

Thinks: This was a win- it’s part of our

With what Why?

Personas Problem Scenarios Foundation in