The Lean Startup Conference 2015
November 16 - 19, 2015 - San Francisco, CA
2015 Lean Startup Conference Program Details
Monday, November 16, 2015
Workshops12:00 PM - 5:30 PM
For Platinum and Gold Passes only.
- Lean Startup 10112:00-1:30 PMPhil Dillard, Black Ant , @PhilD0210Room: C205
The objective of the Lean Startup 101 training is to introduce the concepts, terminology and approaches — and, to help organizations overcome resistance accepting the new approach so that exploration and learning can begin. This practical, interactive session will provide a solid foundation for advanced sessions, including the Lean Startup 201 & 301. This training is designed for practitioners in both the enterprise and in startups who are relatively new to the Lean Startup approach or who are seeking a quick refresher. Lean Startup 101 is a perfect way to kick off your week of Lean Startup!
Thanks to Lean Startup Co.’s law firm, Orrick, for being the sponsor for this track.
- The Leader’s Guide Workshop Part 112:00-1:30 PMJanice Fraser, Pivotal , @clevergirlRoom: Cowell
Since his record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in March of this year, Eric Ries has been hard at work assembling the Lean Startup Leaders’ Guide — the first-ever collection of the techniques and lessons he has learned first-hand from GE, Intuit, and dozens of other Lean Startup. This is the debut of the official Leader’s Guide Workshop—a hands-on (and minds-on) set of nine 30-minute working sessions that activate most important lessons from the book. This workshop is for any leader, team, or company wanting to embrace Lean Startup. *This workshop is limited to backers of the Leader’s Guide Kickstarter campaign, plus Platinum & Gold badge holders
In this workshop, we will cover 9 critical steps to implementing Lean Startup in your organization, with activities in each to put these concepts to practical use. As Eric says, “All of these ideas and concepts are academic exercises until your own resources or jobs are on the line,” so please bring a real-world situation that you would like to work on during the day. It can come from your day job, your side hustle, or your volunteer work.
PART 1: CULTURE
- How to Refocus on what Matters: Your Vision is your destination.
- How to Lead: Entrepreneurship is Management
- How to set up teams to be efficient and successful: Startup teams are collaborative, cross-functional, and fully dedicated
- From Inspiration to Innovation - Using Design Thinking to Build Creative New Products12:00-1:30 PMChristina Wodtke, Wodtke Consulting , @cwodtkeLaura Klein, Users Know , @laurakleinRoom: C210
In this hands-on workshop, Christina Wodtke and Laura Klein will teach you useful Design Thinking techniques like Storyboarding, Empathy Mapping, and Generative Research that will help you better understand your users and build more innovative products.
- Lean Analytics: Using Data to Build a Better Business Faster12:00-1:30 PMAlistair Croll, Solve for Interesting , @acrollRoom: BATSAt the core of Lean Startup approaches is a continuous cycle of measurement and learning. But what should you measure? To find the right metric, you need to understand the stage you’re at and the business model you’re in, as well as where to draw the line so you know when to cut your losses—and when to step on the gas. In these two sessions, entrepreneur and best-selling author of Lean Analytics Alistair Croll will show you how to put data to work.
- How to think about data and what makes a good metric
- The importance of cohorts and proper analysis
- The five stages every startup goes through
- Six business model archetypes and how to find your own
- What “good enough” looks like and how to run experiments
- What works for larger organizations trying to change and innovate.
This session is relevant for both early-stage founders and intrapreneurs in large organizations. Based on interviews with over 130 analysts, entrepreneurs, and investors, this session is packed with practical information, hard numbers, and concrete steps you can put to work immediately. Attendees need not be technical but should come armed with a basic understanding of web analytics, business metrics, and their current business model, plus a willingness to share with one another.This workshop is sponsored by Amplitude. - Measuring Learning in Dollars: A Finance-Approved Approach to Innovation Accounting12:00-1:30 PMDavid Binetti, Dinadesa , @dbinettiRoom: Southside
One of the most popular workshops from last year, David Binetti joins us again to lead a workshop on innovation accounting. In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Calculate the ROI of your innovation project without fabricating revenue projections.
- Produce a Valuation in Dollars that adjusts as you learn about your market.
- Assess Risk using normalized metrics comparable to other projects and industry standards.
- Set KPIs that focus on value-creation and not just cost-accounting.
- Avoid Traps such as NPV and other traditional accounting methods that doom the entrepreneur before she even begins.
Whether you are in Finance — or just report to Finance — you’ll want to participate in this workshop to learn how to get Finance and Product speaking the same language to achieve their common goal.
- Lean Startup 2012:00-3:30 PMJonathan Bertfield, Jonathan Bertfield Consulting & Pearson, @bertersRoom: C205
In this training, the Lean Startup Company extends on the 101 training and shares practical applications and additional relevant examples to solidify the basics and show in detail how other companies have benefited from the approach. We will introduce the scientific method and dig deeper into assumptions, how to identify which ones to test and how to turn those risky assumptions into testable hypotheses. Additionally the training will introduce proven, practical tools that will enable the attendees to adopt the new approaches more quickly and resolve common challenges that have been previously identified by other organizations.
Thanks to Lean Startup Co.’s law firm, Orrick, for being the sponsor for this track.
- The Leader’s Guide Workshop Part 22:00-3:30 PMJanice Fraser, Pivotal , @clevergirlRoom: Cowell
Since his record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in March of this year, Eric Ries has been hard at work assembling the Lean Startup Leaders’ Guide — the first-ever collection of the techniques and lessons he has learned first-hand from GE, Intuit, and dozens of other Lean Startup. This is the debut of the official Leader’s Guide Workshop—a hands-on (and minds-on) set of nine 30-minute working sessions that activate most important lessons from the book. This workshop is for any leader, team, or company wanting to embrace Lean Startup. *This workshop is limited to backers of the Leader’s Guide Kickstarter campaign, plus Platinum & Gold badge holders
In this workshop, we will cover 9 critical steps to implementing Lean Startup in your organization, with activities in each to put these concepts to practical use. As Eric says, “All of these ideas and concepts are academic exercises until your own resources or jobs are on the line,” so please bring a real-world situation that you would like to work on during the day. It can come from your day job, your side hustle, or your volunteer work.
PART 2: PROCESS
- How to Do It: Lean Startup Experimentation Basics
- How to get good Results: What customers do is more important than what they say
- How to be Efficient: Remove any feature, process or effort that does not directly contribute to the learning you seek.
- Lean Analytics: Using Data to Build a Better Business Faster2:00-3:30 PMAlistair Croll, Solve for Interesting , @acrollRoom: BATSAt the core of Lean Startup approaches is a continuous cycle of measurement and learning. But what should you measure? To find the right metric, you need to understand the stage you’re at and the business model you’re in, as well as where to draw the line so you know when to cut your losses—and when to step on the gas. In these two sessions, entrepreneur and best-selling author of Lean Analytics Alistair Croll will show you how to put data to work.
- How to think about data and what makes a good metric
- The importance of cohorts and proper analysis
- The five stages every startup goes through
- Six business model archetypes and how to find your own
- What “good enough” looks like and how to run experiments
- What works for larger organizations trying to change and innovate.
This session is relevant for both early-stage founders and intrapreneurs in large organizations. Based on interviews with over 130 analysts, entrepreneurs, and investors, this session is packed with practical information, hard numbers, and concrete steps you can put to work immediately. Attendees need not be technical but should come armed with a basic understanding of web analytics, business metrics, and their current business model, plus a willingness to share with one another.This workshop is sponsored by Amplitude. - Lightning-fast Customer Insights2:00-3:30 PMAmy Jo Kim, Shufflebrain , @amyjokimRoom: C210
Do you want to:
- radically accelerate your customer discovery process?
- identify EXACTLY the right 5-7 people to test your idea?
- quickly turn research insights into design-ready stories?
If you answered YES, this workshop is for you. We’ll teach you a proven, step-by-step system for generating actionable customer insights in 1-2 weeks. You’ll learn how to:
- Quickly identify EXACTLY the right people to test your idea
- Surface their most relevant habits & needs
- Transform those insights into design-ready stories
This workshop is targeted at anyone involved in early design – startup CEOs, product manageres, designers, researchers, etc. Teams are strongly encouraged to attend together.
- Measuring Learning in Dollars: A Finance-Approved Approach to Innovation Accounting2:00-3:30 PMDavid Binetti, Dinadesa , @dbinettiRoom: Southside
One of the most popular workshops from last year, David Binetti joins us again to lead a workshop on innovation accounting. In this session, you’ll learn how to:
- Calculate the ROI of your innovation project without fabricating revenue projections.
- Produce a Valuation in Dollars that adjusts as you learn about your market.
- Assess Risk using normalized metrics comparable to other projects and industry standards.
- Set KPIs that focus on value-creation and not just cost-accounting.
- Avoid Traps such as NPV and other traditional accounting methods that doom the entrepreneur before she even begins.
Whether you are in Finance — or just report to Finance — you’ll want to participate in this workshop to learn how to get Finance and Product speaking the same language to achieve their common goal.
- Lean Startup 3014:00-5:30 PMAubrey Smith, Sparked AdvisoryRoom: C205
In this training, we will build on the foundation established in Lean Startup 101 and 201 by delving into examples and cases of the Lean Startup concepts in action. Attendees of Lean Startup 301 will be exposed to cutting edge work from thought leaders and experts using Lean Startup in practice today — at startups and within the enterprise. Participation in this session is essential: You will be asked to help design an MVP and experiment to test critical Leap of Faith Assumption(s) in groups and will be encourage to share experiences. The session is designed to allow attendees to stretch their skills and to push one-another to ‘learn by doing’. The session will also include:
- Sample cases and live interviews with practitioners highlighting the application of core concepts;
- Exercises designed to bring the concepts to life and challenge participants to deepen their skills;
- Discussion of advanced topics such organizational culture and governance as well as industry-specific concepts such as using Lean Startup in heavily regulated markets.
Thanks to Lean Startup Co.’s law firm, Orrick, for being the sponsor for this track.
- The Leader’s Guide Workshop Part 34:00-5:30 PM
Janice Fraser, Pivotal , @clevergirlRoom: CowellSince his record-breaking Kickstarter campaign in March of this year, Eric Ries has been hard at work assembling the Lean Startup Leaders’ Guide — the first-ever collection of the techniques and lessons he has learned first-hand from GE, Intuit, and dozens of other Lean Startup. This is the debut of the official Leader’s Guide Workshop—a hands-on (and minds-on) set of nine 30-minute working sessions that activate most important lessons from the book. This workshop is for any leader, team, or company wanting to embrace Lean Startup. *This workshop is limited to backers of the Leader’s Guide Kickstarter campaign, plus Platinum & Gold badge holders. In this workshop, we will cover 9 critical steps to implementing Lean Startup in your organization, with activities in each to put these concepts to practical use. As Eric says, “All of these ideas and concepts are academic exercises until your own resources or jobs are on the line,” so please bring a real-world situation that you would like to work on during the day. It can come from your day job, your side hustle, or your volunteer work.
PART 3: ACCOUNTABILITY
- How to Monitor Progress: Innovation begins with accountability
- How to Manage Risk: Startup speed is about learning faster
- How to Measure Effectiveness: Innovation accounting is the way to translate learning into financial terms.
- Secrets of Game Thinking4:00-5:30 PM
Amy Jo Kim, Shufflebrain , @amyjokimRoom: C210Do you want to:
- understand how games leverage skill-building to drive long-term engagement?
- create an experience that engages your customers throughout their life cycle?
- build a simple, compelling MVP that drives engagement and promotes skill-building?
If you answered YES, this workshop is for you. We’ll pull back the curtain, and reveal how successful games and game-like products engage players for months – even years – with skill-building systems, progressive challenges, and unlockable powers. You will learn to:
- design a 4-stage Customer Narrative that captures your end-to-end experience
- build a simple, compelling Core Loop that engages your super-fans
- create a development roadmap outlining what to build first – and why
This lively, hands-on design workshop is targeted at anyone who wants to understand how to harness game design insights to drive long-term engagement. Product teams are strongly encouraged to attend together.
- Winning MVPs - Using Data From Your MVP to Win Support For Your Idea4:00-5:30 PM
Hugh Molotsi, Hummingbill, VoiceLots, Delighterr , @hughmolotsiBennett Blank, Intuit , @BlankBenRoom: SouthsideHugh Molotsi and Bennett Blank from Intuit will share what they have discovered creating MVPs via Intuit’s innovation hub, Intuit Labs. Intuit Labs helps teams develop their ideas from early stage concept to funded initiative, building innovation capabilities in each employee along the way. Hugh and Ben will share a few tricks they learned in their journey, pitfalls to avoid and case studies you can apply to your own innovation program or project.
During this hands-on, interactive session you’ll learn:
- Important factors to consider for a successful MVP
- The key metrics that matter for your MVP
- How to use your MVP to create a winning “inside pitch”
- Live audience Q&A from Ben and Hugh
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Morning Plenary9:45 AM - 12:30 PM
- Lean Startup at GEMark Little, GERoom: Herbst
As GE’s Chief Technology Officer and Leader of GE’s nine Global Research Centers, Mark Little embraced the Lean Startup methodology to improve business outcomes. Mark will describe specific examples where he helped the organization use Lean Startup to help drive speed and innovation with cross functional teams across GE.
- Managing Through Hyper-Growth
Aditya Agarwal, Dropbox , @adityaagRoom: HerbstTechnology is moving faster than ever before. Traditional methods for technology management, recruiting, and product development are increasingly irrelevant. How do you grow and manage your team/company through periods of hyper-growth? A talk by Aditya Agarwal, VP of Engineering at Dropbox and former Facebook Directer of Engineering.
- The Building Blocks of Community
Ryan Hoover, Product Hunt, @rrhooverRoom: HerbstCommunities don’t form by accident; they require constant cultivation and hard work to grow. For many businesses, community is an essential differentiator or even a core component to its success. Ryan Hoover started Product Hunt nearly two years ago as an email list. It’s now become a place for enthusiasts and makers across the world to share and geek out about their next favorite thing. In this talk, Ryan will share the strategy and tactics they used to build a strong and growing community.
- How to Become an Innovation Leader
Bennett Blank, Intuit , @BlankBenRoom: HerbstMastering lean startup principles takes practice, but teaching an entire company how to do it at scale is a entirely different leadership challenge altogether. Meet Bennett Blank, who was responsible for scaling Lean Startup at Intuit. Bennett will share what he discovered along Intuit’s journey, and best practices for making the leap from individual ability to organizational capability. You’ll learn tips and tricks for leading change, transforming your organization and your career in the process.
- So You Want to Build the Next Facebook
Laura Klein, Users Know , @laurakleinRoom: HerbstMost founders want to build a billion dollar business, but they sometimes forget that giants like Facebook didn’t start out as giants. In this talk, Laura Klein, author of UX for Lean Startups, outlines some of the most important strategies that companies used to build and learn before they grew. .
- Intro to USDS and 18F
Hillary Hartley, 18F, @hillaryEmily Wright-Moore, United States Digital Service - Department of Veterans AffairsErica Deahl, 18F, @edeahlLeah Bannon, 18F, @leahbannonRoom: HerbstHillary Hartley introduces us to USDS and 18F. She will also faciliate three brief case studies including:
— Vets.gov, VA, Emily Wright Moore
— MyUSCIS, Immigration + 18F + USDS, Erica Deahl
— betaFEC, FEC + 18F, Leah BannonAfternoon Breakouts2:00 PM - 4:45 PM
- A Playbook for Achieving Product-Market Fit2:00 - 3:00 PMRoom: C260
Everyone working on a new product is trying to achieve the same goal: product-market fit. Although product-market fit is one of the most important Lean Startup concepts, it’s also the least well defined. Dan Olsen shares the top advice from his book The Lean Product Playbook, including the Product-Market Fit Pyramid: an actionable model that breaks product-market fit down into 5 key elements. Dan also explains the Lean Product Process, a 6-step methodology with practical guidance on how to achieve product-market fit, illustrated with a real-world case study.
- Lean Startup Case Study: Hotel Tonight2:00 - 2:30 PMAmanda Richardson, HotelTonight , @amandarich01Room: BATS
Amanda Richardson, VP of Product for last minute booking app Hotel Tonight joins us to talk about how they’re reinventing hotel booking, and the travel experience, for the mobile era.
- How to Build Products Your Customers will Love2:30 - 3:00 PMTom Nguyen, Adobe , @tomngRoom: BATS
Tom Nguyen, Principal Product Manager at Adobe, reveals the lessons he learned introducing Lean Startup to create one of Adobe’s most successful mobile apps – which would inspire a new product family and be named by Apple as one of the Best Apps of the Year. Whether you’re bootstrapping or want to know how to make lean work in a big corporation, learn how empathetic design, radical simplicity, and iteration can help you build products that bring people joy.
- How Lean Startup Accelerates (open) Innovation2:00 - 2:20 PMVincent Thamm, Transavia , @Vincent_ThammRoom: C210
This presentation looks at the learnings and challenges faced when Transavia started using Lean Startup to accelerate customer experience innovation, how we engaged the Transavia Management Team, how we scaled Lean Startup for other business ideas, how we combined different methods of work into a continuous innovation process and how we apply Lean Startup in an Open innovation context.
- Lean Startup Accelerator for Enterprises to Create New Businesses2:20 - 2:40 PMTakashi Tsutsumi, Learning Entrepreneur's Lab , @t_tutuMasato Lino, Learning Entrepreneur's Lab , @CraqueRoom: C210
Learning Entrepreneur’s Lab is a Lean Startup accelerator for a variety of enterprises in Japan, ranging from a top-notch consumer electronics company to an industrial equipment manufacturer to the leading company in the food and beverage industry. In their presentation, Takashi and Masato will share lessons learned and a case study of how Lean Startup Accelerator is conducted in Japan.
- The Next Silicon Valley is the World2:40 - 3:00 PMRoom: C210
Startup Foundation is on a quest to build a global startup community, but the non-profit didn’t start out like that. This case study shows how you can unlock new sources of growth by applying Lean Startup and by becoming segment focused. It shows it is possible to deliver completely different products and services, as long as they adhere to your mission, and your segment shows the demand. Expect an interesting story, with practical advice and a dash of purpose.
- Don't Listen to Users, Sample Their Experience!3:30 - 4:00 PMTomer Sharon, WeWork, @tsharonRoom: Herbst
Uncovering true user needs is one of the most challenging aspects of product development. Oh-so-many organizations develop products and services that nobody needs. The Experience Sampling Method is a simple research technique for uncovering user needs. In a typical Experience Sampling study, research participants are interrupted several times a day to note their experience in real time. In this talk, Tomer Sharon will demonstrate the method with conference attendees, show how it can help shape product roadmap priorities, describe how it serves as Google Search’s secret weapon, and demonstrate live, onstage data analysis.
- Irrational Products4:00 - 4:30 PMAmir Shevat, Slack, @ashevatRoom: Herbst
As product managers and founders we know failing can be a good learning experience – and that is true, unless you fail because of something common or stupid that could have been avoided by simple methodologies. Many times we simply make irrational product decisions that prevent us from actually running valuable experiments. Avoiding common mistakes and taking better product decisions, by using easy hacks, could make or break your product and startup. In this session we will go over a few common product failures, as well as demonstrate simple methods and tricks to avoid these failures.
- Harvard Business Review’s Digital Transformation3:30 - 4:00 PMEric Hellweg, Harvard Business Review , @ehellwegRoom: BATS
Eric Hellweg, HBR’s Executive Director of Product Management and Digital Strategy, will discuss how the team at HBR has transformed the brand from a primarily print product to one with digital at its core, using lean principles and by instilling a “product management mindset” –and a true product management function—inside this traditional media organization.
- The Hidden Burden of Iteration4:00 - 4:30 PMWinnie J. Kao, Seth Godin's altMBA , @winniekaoRoom: BATS
There are a lot of useful hacks, scripts, marketing hooks, and tactics. This talk doesn’t offer any of those things. Iteration, by definition, means change–and change is something that our brains are hard-wired to avoid at all costs. When you choose to run lean, you sign up for a lifetime of fighting your natural instincts. In this talk, you’ll learn a framework to leverage the anxiety of never knowing the answer, and to confidently move forward through chaos.
- Prototyping Your Experiences3:30 - 4:30 PMChris Luomanen, Thing Tank LLCRoom: C260
How can we understand disruptive experiences, that nobody has tried yet, because we just invented them? You could ask users to guess what they think they would think. Or you could find a way to bring key aspects of that experience to life for users as quickly and cheaply as possible. This talk will cover why we build experience prototypes, and how to figure out what experience prototypes might help you to develop your product or service.
Closing Session5:00 - 6:00 PM
- A Conversation with Eric Ries and Chris DixonChris Dixon, Andreessen Horowitz , @cdixonRoom: Herbst
Closing conversation
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Morning Plenary9:45 AM - 12:30 PM
- How to Intentionally Design a (Lean Startup) CultureAlexander Osterwalder, Strategyzer , @AlexOsterwalderRoom: Herbst
The ability to test and launch new value propositions and business models is essential to grow and thrive. Creating such a Lean Startup culture is exceptionally hard for existing organizations, especially for large ones. They are streamlined to execute known and proven business models. They are not optimized to invent new ones.
In this talk Alex Osterwalder shows you how to intentionally design an innovation culture alongside a solid execution culture. The inventor of the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas introduces Strategyzer’s latest tool, the Culture Map.
This practical tool was co-developed with entrepreneur and author Dave Gray. It helps teams and companies asses their existing organizational culture and intentionally design a desired one.
- How Data Can Save HollywoodPrerna Gupta, Telepathic , @prernaguptaRoom: Herbst
Remember when companies would launch massive software projects without A/B testing? It sucked! Believe it or not, there is a multi-billion dollar industry that still produces products like that today. That industry is Hollywood. Join me as I explore the final frontier of analytics: creativity. Creative geniuses often have an aversion to incorporating data into the creative process. Creativity is driven by intuition, they argue, and cannot be analyzed. Data kills creativity! But this is a fundamental misunderstanding of analytics, which is costing Hollywood billions of dollars a year. In this talk, I’ll discuss some of Hollywood’s greatest big-budget flops, and how analytics could have saved them. I’ll also provide examples of how innovative storytellers are breaking with tradition and using Lean principles to create modern blockbusters for tremendous gain. Join me in discovering the role Lean Startup can play in revolutionizing Hollywood.
- Eliminating Your Ego: Product Market FitGagan Biyani, Sprig , @gaganbiyaniRoom: Herbst
Gagan Biyani joins us to talk about applying Lean Startup to launch Sprig, a dine-on-demand meal service. He’ll discuss learnings from his previous company, Udemy, to the challenges he faced when building a food service startup, and the multiple pivots they made in order to get to the right product-market fit.
- Turbo-Charge Your Early Product DevelopmentAmy Jo Kim, Shufflebrain , @amyjokimRoom: Herbst
It’s easier than ever to create a new, innovative product, game, app or service. But most innovative projects never take off and reach their intended audience. What differentiates the ones that DO? What do teams who create genre-defining hits do differently? In this talk, you’ll learn 5 early design hacks that will help you find and delight your aspirational audience – illustrated with front-line stories from eBay, Ultima Online, The Sims, Rock Band, Covet Fashion, Happify and Pley. You’ll come away with a smarter approach to early product design – and 5 practical, actionable hacks that will increase your odds of success.
- Lean Startup for Finance: Using Innovation Accounting for Valuation and Risk ManagementDavid Binetti, Dinadesa , @dbinettiRoom: Herbst
Whether you’re in Finance — or just report *to* Finance — you’ll want to catch David Binetti’s talk on Innovation Accounting. David will show how to calculate the ROI and Risk of innovation projects while avoiding common traps that can doom entrepreneurs before they begin. TAGS: Enterprise, Startups, Analytics
- Mindfulness MeditationStacy Conlon, The Zen Girl, @TheZenGirlRoom: Herbst
Before we break for lunch, Zen GIrl Stacy Conlon will lead a brief mindfulness exercise to help everyone process the morning sessions and get ready for the afternoon.
Afternoon Breakouts2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
- Being a Lean Startup Entrepreneur: A Conversation with Frank Chen, Tejal Shah and Reshma Khilnani.2:00 - 3:00 PMFrank Chen, Andreessen Horowitz , @withfries2Reshma Khilnani, Box, Inc., @ReshmaKhilnaniTejal Shah, KidAdmit, Inc., @tejaltshahRoom: Southside
Frank Chen, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, shares his insights and expertise with the Lean Startup community about what it takes to start and build a successful business. He’ll then sit down with Reshma Khilnani and Tejal Shah to discuss the challenges of being an entrepreneur, what they’ve learned on the road to success, and how they applied Lean Startup to help get them there.
- How to Intentionally Design a (Lean Startup) Culture2:00 - 3:00 PMAlexander Osterwalder, Strategyzer , @AlexOsterwalderRoom: BATS
The ability to test and launch new value propositions and business models is essential to grow and thrive. Creating such an Lean Startup culture is exceptionally hard for existing organizations, especially for large ones. They are streamlined to execute known and proven business models. They are not optimized to invent new ones.
In this hands-on workshop Alex Osterwalder shows you how to intentionally design an innovation culture. You will learn how to use the Culture Map, Strategyzer’s latest tool after the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas. Through practical exercises Alex will show you how to asses your existing organizational culture and intentionally design and test a desired one.
The Culture Map is the result of a collaborative project between Strategyzer and entrepreneur and author Dave Gray.
- GE–Fuel Cells: Running a Lean Startup Inside a Big Corporation3:30 - 4:30 PMRoom: Herbst
In 2014, GE launched an internal start-up business, GE-Fuel Cells, inspired by an advanced manufacturing breakthrough at our research center. Specifically, we’re developing solid oxide fuel cell systems that will provide businesses and communities around the world the ability to efficiently generate clean, reliable power locally at the point of use in a factory, data center or small, remote neighborhood. Learn how we are applying lean startup principles in this long cycle, equipment based business in order to dramatically accelerate our path to commercialization and reduce risk. As part of this journey we have pushed the envelope with out-of-the-box opportunities to apply lean startup methodologies including a “Manufacturing MVP”.
- Lessons on Lean Collaborations in Health, Energy & Talent Markets3:30 - 4:30 PMAneesh Chopra, Hunch Analytics , @aneeshchopraLeighanne Levensaler, Workday, Inc. , @leighlevensalerKaren Austin, Pacific Gas and Electric Company , @karenaustincioRoom: BATS
Regulated sectors are not known for their speed or agility. As the former (and first) US Chief Technology Officer from 2009-2012, Aneesh Chopra, co-founder and EVP at Hunch Analytics, applied lean startup techniques in collaborations like the Argonaut Project (healthcare’s open API), and with entrepreneurial leaders like Karen Austin, PG&E’s CIO who introduced the Green Button, and Leighanne Levensaler, Workday’s SVP for Products, who worked to close the skills gap for unemployed veterans. Learn how to foster change through better public/private collaboration.
- Minimum Viable Taxes: Lessons Learned Building an MVP Inside the IRS3:30 - 4:30 PMAndrea Schneider, Internal Revenue Service , @AZSchneiderinMDLauren Gilchrist, Pivotal Labs, @gilchristRoom: General's Residence Dining Room
Although the IRS can process your refund quickly, it does not have a reputation for quick internal change; it still uses many applications from the Kennedy administration. But Andrea Schneider, Senior Manager of Product Management in Online Services, is helping the IRS launch a MVP early in next year’s filing season that will allow taxpayers to access basic tax information online, including their balance, tax records, and payment histories, as well as make a payment. She, along with Lauren Gilchrist, Product Manager at Pivotal Labs, who is partnering with the IRS to build the MVP, will discuss their biggest challenges along the way and share advice for experimenting and iterating inside large bureaucracies.
- Caution: Live Subjects! Lean Experiments for Services3:30 - 4:00 PMLauren Braun, gravitytank , @another_laurenRoom: C260
Testing apps, websites and digital services is pretty well-documented territory. But running lean experiments for services without a screen can seem daunting. In-person services are holistic experiences with lots of moving parts, which can easily make testing costs and timelines balloon. The biggest challenge is figuring out which parts of the service to make real and which parts to fake. At gravitytank, we work with organizations big and small to run lean experiments that focus on the most uncertain and risky element of a new service. Like any good test, our experiments generate useful quant data (i.e. throughput, sales, user preferences), but we also leverage them to collect meaningful qualitative feedback. We’ve used this approach to lean service MVPs for restaurant startups, huge CPG companies, global hotel chains and others. Across the board, the learnings have had significant impact on development. Caution: Live Subject! will take you through a few examples, offer some ‘pro tips’, and together, we’ll run a rapid-fire service experiment to bring it to life.
- Spanning the Schism: How Enterprises & Startups Can Accelerate Innovation Together4:00 - 4:30 PMGarrett Dunham, DunhamLabs , @garrettdunhamRoom: C260
Large corporations have capital, distribution, and brand. Small startups can innovate at lightspeed. Learn how to use Lean Startup methodologies to leverage each other effectively for absurd ROIs.
Closing Session5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Closing Remarks5:15 - 5:45 PMRoom: Herbst
The Lean Startup Team wraps up the conference, share some of their best practices for using what you learned at the conference when you get back home, and share their vision for the future of the Lean Startup Community.
Presenting Sponsor
Sponsors
Community Partners
- A Conversation with Eric Ries and Chris Dixon
- Managing Through Hyper-Growth