How to Build a Startup

Overview

In an introduction to the basics of the famous Customer Development Process, Steve Blank provides insight into the key steps needed to build a successful startup.

The main idea in this course is learning how to rapidly develop and test ideas by gathering massive amounts of customer and marketplace feedback. Many startups fail by not validating their ideas early on with real-life customers. In order to mitigate that, students will learn how to get out of the building and search for the real pain points and unmet needs of customers. Only with these can the entrepreneur find a proper solution and establish a suitable business model.

Building a startup is not simply building an execution plan for a business model that the entrepreneur thinks will work, but rather, a search for the actual business model itself.

Syllabus

What We Now Know

History of the Corporation,Startups Are Not Smaller Versions of Large Companies,Waterfall Development,Customer vs. Product Development,Entrepreneurial Education

Business Models and Customer Development

Value Proposition,Customer Segments,Revenue Streams,Key Resources,Customer Development Processes,Minimum Viable Product,Market Opportunity Analysis

Value Proposition

Value Proposition and the Minimum Viable Product,Customer Archetype,MVP Physical && Web/Mobile,Common Mistakes With Value Proposition

Customer Segments

Product Market Fit,Rank and Day in the Life,Multiple Customer Segments,Market Types Introduction: Existing, Resegmented, New, Clone,Consequences of Not Understanding a Market

Channels

Distribution Channels Overview,Web Distribution,Physical Distribution,Direct Channel Fit,Indirect Channel Economics,OEM Channel Economics

Customer Relationships

Paid Demand Creation,Earned Demand Creation,Get Physical,Viral Loop,Web Customer Acquisition Costs

Revenue Models

How Do You Make Money,Revenue Streams and Price,Direct and Ancillary Models,Common Startup Mistakes,Market Types and Pricing,Single and Multiple Side Markets,Revenue First Companies,Market Size and Share

Partners

Partner Definition,Partner Resources,Partner Types,Greatest Strategic Alliance,Joint Business Development

Resources, Activities and Costs

Four Critical Resources,Financial Resources,Human Resources,Qualified Employees and Culture,Intellectual Property Overview

Taught by

Steve Blank

Reviews

4.6 rating, based on 24 Class Central reviews

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Guarin

The interesting thing about this class was that it wasn’t really a course in the conventional sense I had seen them on other platforms (and even Udacity), but rather more of a seminar in MOOC form. The course is in 8 parts, and gives an introduction…

The interesting thing about this class was that it wasn’t really a course in the conventional sense I had seen them on other platforms (and even Udacity), but rather more of a seminar in MOOC form. The course is in 8 parts, and gives an introduction to important things such as Customer Development & Segments, the Value Proposition, Revenue Channels, and many more. Each of these subjects is central to Steve’s Lean Launchpad curriculum, and though he goes through them rather quickly – each video ‘lecture’ is on average between 1 and 3 minutes – and in little detail, he gets across the main point of any successful startup: the business needs to be run with customers in mind first. The startup needs customers to make money, and without money the startup will fail.
Olena Bosenok

I took this course in Fall 2012.

Video lectures are animated and real fun to watch.

Prof. Blank is a persuasive lecturer, and by the end of the course I was convinced, that I have to "get out of the building" to test my minimum viable product and meet my first customers :-)

It was a pleasant learning experience and interesting discussions.

However, it felt more like a webinar since there were no quizzes or exams.

I would recommend this course for the first- time-entrepreneurs. It may not be challenging enough for experienced business people.
Anonymous

A truly inspiring course: well paced, feels participative, perfectly designed learning for a MOOC platform. Made me flip my thinking, really forced me into action, to 'get out of the building ' and test and pivot the idea. Loved it.
Juan Diego Gomez Peña @juandiegomez

Although it is content from 12 years ago, it still remains current on many things. Good investment of time.
Anonymous

Innovative delivery and course design. The content is excellent and a "must have" for any entrepreneur. This can save you hundreds of hours of wasted time and potentially save you thousands of dollars, and perhaps save your start up. Follow me at http://twitter.com/audaciousinnov8
grace_4r

I loved this course. It's bright, high tech, and practical. Recommend this course for business students as well as business professionals.
Anonymous

I'm taking this class now, great lessons, discussions are very helpful too
Blink Course

Excellent content undermined by technical problems. The non-multiple-choice assignment (which involves analyzing a business plan) is particularly annoying. It requires uploading of screenshots but there is no "upload" feature is available. The assig…

Excellent content undermined by technical problems. The non-multiple-choice assignment (which involves analyzing a business plan) is particularly annoying. It requires uploading of screenshots but there is no "upload" feature is available. The assignment must be graded by "peers" -- which means, if you happen to take this course at a time when no one else is taking it, you're out of luck.

Re: content, I would discourage you from taking this course if you don't speak fluent French. Indeed, you even need to understand how the French sometimes mis-translate into English, because some words in the answers to the multiple-choice quizzes don't exist in any English dictionary -- you will only understand them if you can guess what French term inspired the bad translation. The pace of lecture-hall-style discourse in the videos is such that subtitles will not save you if you don't understand French.

These technical and minor content issues are unfortunate, because the core content i s really quite good.

Read more: https://www.BlinkCourse.Com
Anusuya K

The interesting thing about this class was that it wasn’t really a course in the conventional sense I had seen them on other platforms (and even Udacity), but rather more of a seminar in MOOC form. The course is in 8 parts, and gives an introduction…

The interesting thing about this class was that it wasn’t really a course in the conventional sense I had seen them on other platforms (and even Udacity), but rather more of a seminar in MOOC form. The course is in 8 parts, and gives an introduction to important things such as Customer Development & Segments, the Value Proposition, Revenue Channels, and many more. Each of these subjects is central to Steve’s Lean Launchpad curriculum, and though he goes through them rather quickly – each video ‘lecture’ is on average between 1 and 3 minutes – and in little detail, he gets across the main point of any successful startup: There are also some highly rated courses that you can start any time.Every day thousands of learners use Class Central to find free online courses. Thank you
Eric Wentworth

Taking the course right now. It's interesting and informative. The instructor, Steve Blank, a Silicon Valley legend, is great. Looking forward to finishing the course.
Anderson Tan
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