Surface Assumptions

Test each of the individual key assumptions and the envisaged value propositions.

All the substance of a business plan without the months of writing, with 9 essential elements that transform customer needs into money-making ventures.

A one-page business model template designed specifically for new product concepts, focusing on customer problems and solutions delivered through a unique value proposition.

The goal of articulating your high-level Economic Logic is to show sponsors and funders that you understand what drives growth and profitability.

A strategic approach to defining the minimal feature set needed to deliver value to customers, test market assumptions, and validate business potential with minimal investment.

Want to build a successful product without spending months on planning? Meet Lean Startup - your guide to smarter, faster product development! This approach helps you test your ideas quickly by creating simple prototypes, getting real customer feedback, and learning what works. Instead of getting caught up in endless planning, you'll focus on building just enough to test your ideas and make sure you're on the right track. Lean Startup is the scientific method applied to entrepreneurship. It is a methodology for developing businesses and products, which aims to shorten product development cycles and rapidly discover if a proposed business model is viable. This is achieved by adopting a combination of business-hypothesis-driven experimentation, iterative product releases, and validated learning. 'Lean Startup' as it is known today is largely due to the success of Eric Ries' book, 'The Lean Startup' – which was heavily influenced by the work of Steve Blank, who pioneered the Lean Startup movement with his Customer Development concept, and his books, 'The Startup Manual, and '4 Steps to Epiphany', as well as the Lean Production System from Toyota. Central to the lean startup methodology is the assumption that when startup companies invest their time into iteratively building products or services to meet the specific needs of early customers – and using the least amount of resources possible – the company can reduce market risks and sidestep the need for large amounts of initial project funding and expensive product launches and failures. Customer feedback during the development of products or services is integral to the lean startup process, and ensures that the company does not invest time designing features or services that consumers do not want. Similar to the precepts of Lean Manufacturing and lean software development, the Lean Startup methodology seeks to eliminate wasteful practices and increase value-producing practices during the earliest phases of a company so that the company can have a better chance of success without requiring large amounts of outside funding, elaborate business plans, or a perfect product.

Want a smarter way to bring your ideas to life? Meet Stage Gate - your friendly guide to innovation. Think of it as a journey with helpful checkpoints along the way. At each "gate," you get to pause, evaluate your progress, and make sure you're on the right track. This practical approach helps teams focus their energy on the most promising ideas, manage risks effectively, and bring great innovations to life faster.