How Lean Is Your Startup?

Let's break down the steps to create a product that helps businesses discover and communicate their purpose, focusing on the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for the first iteration.

Product Development Steps:

  1. Research and Validation:

    • Conduct surveys, interviews, and focus groups with potential customers to understand their pain points, goals, and motivations.

    • Validate the assumption that businesses need help discovering and communicating their purpose.

  2. Define the Purpose Discovery Process:

    • Develop a clear, step-by-step process to help businesses discover their purpose (e.g., workshops, assessments, exercises).

    • Identify the key elements of a purpose statement (e.g., mission, vision, values).

  3. Design the User Journey:

    • Map out the user journey, including:

      • Onboarding: Introduction to the purpose discovery process

      • Education: Teaching businesses about the importance of purpose

      • Assessment: Guided exercises to help businesses discover their purpose

      • Crafting: Assisting businesses in crafting their purpose statement

      • Communication: Providing resources to help businesses communicate their purpose

  4. Build the MVP:

    • Create a basic, functional version of the product, focusing on the core features:

      • Purpose discovery exercises and assessments

      • Purpose statement crafting tools

      • Basic resources for communicating purpose

  5. Test and Refine:

    • Pilot-test the MVP with a small group of customers

    • Gather feedback, iterate, and refine the product

User Journey:

  1. Onboarding:

    • Welcome message introducing the purpose discovery process

    • Brief overview of the benefits and process

  2. Education:

    • Interactive modules teaching the importance of purpose

    • Real-life examples and case studies

  3. Assessment:

    • Guided exercises to help businesses identify their values, mission, and vision

    • Assessments to uncover their purpose

  4. Crafting:

    • Tools and templates to help businesses craft their purpose statement

    • Examples and inspiration to guide the process

  5. Communication:

    • Resources and guidance on how to communicate their purpose

    • Examples of successful purpose-driven businesses

Fixing the Previous System:

  1. Simplify the Process: Break down the process into smaller, manageable steps.

  2. Focus on Core Features: Prioritize the essential features for the MVP.

  3. User-Centered Design: Design the user journey with the customer's needs and experience in mind.

  4. Test and Iterate: Continuously test and refine the product based on customer feedback.

By following these steps and focusing on the user journey, you'll be able to create a solid MVP that helps businesses discover and communicate their purpose.