Start Your Startup: The Essential Steps to Launch Your Idea

Join us for a talk with Ryan Fischer, Founder of TwentySpokes - a Chicago based development shop that specializes in helping startups plan, build, and scale their products. This workshop is all about going from idea generation and validation, to developing and launching a product. Using an example app idea, we’ll walk through each phase of the product development process. We’ll discuss topics like brainstorming techniques, creating feature lists, UI/UX,
development insights and other essentials.

Transcript

1. Start Your Startup: The Essential Steps to Launch Your Idea PRESENTED BY
2. ABOUT 20spokes We are a web development agency in chicago focusing on launching startups
3. START YOUR STARTUP Look who’s Talking Ryan Fischer Founder Zack Wilson Solutions Architect
4. Our Agenda We like agendas ‣ Two Part Presentation ‣ Each Followed by 15 minute qa ‣ For more info go to http://www.20spokes.com/techweek
5. Part 1 - Idea to Paper AWESOME PRESENTATION TEMPLATE ‣ Start: IDEA! ‣ End: Validation
6. Part 2 - Ship IT AWESOME PRESENTATION TEMPLATE ‣ Start: MVP ‣ End: Launch
7. 15 minute QA There’s two of them AWESOME PRESENTATION TEMPLATE ‣ Go To http://www.20spokes.com/techweekEnd ‣ WIFI Info: ‣ Google Form To submit ‣ open forum after submitted questions
8. Pupstart Example idea Used for examples Will Ask for Feedback on presented examples
9. STARTING YOUR STARTUP Part 1: IDEA TO PAPER
10. The idea SOLVING A PROBLEM.
11. “Allow people to request puppies to play with on-demand from adoption agencies” PUpstart idea
12. Get it on paper A DISCIPLINE OF DETAILS.
13. Write it Down ‣ Shows Commitment ‣ Makes It Real To you ‣ Allows to reflect and revise ‣ Simple to do
14. PUPSTART Revised idea “Allow businesses to request dogs to play with from shelters and foster places, ultimately, to help get them adopted”
15. get it ON PAPER WHY WHO HOW WHAT
16. WHY
17. get it ON PAPER WHY WHO HOW WHAT ‣ SHELTERS CAN’T PROVIDE FOR THE ALL THE DOGS ‣ lack of benefits causes low employee retention ‣ dogs and people can experience depression from a lack of compassionate interaction PupStart
18. WHO
19. get it ON PAPER WHY WHO HOW WHAT ‣ employers / employees ‣ animal shelters ‣ employee benefit providers ‣ other wellness programs ‣ uberpuppy (seasonal) PupStart Customers & Stakeholders competitors
20. HOW
21. get it ON PAPER WHY WHO HOW WHAT ‣ increases opportunities for dogs to be adopted ‣ Employers can boost employee retention PupStart Monetization ‣ Businesses can pay for Visits ‣ portion of payments go to shelter ‣ partnerships with benefits brokers
22. WHAT
23. get it ON PAPER WHY WHO HOW WHAT PupStart creates opportunities for Dogs to find homes by helping businesses bring them to their office AS a wellness program for employees PupStart
24. MISSION Statement
25. Mission Statement Create it Maintain it Print it, pin it, Read it - always
26. AWESOME PRESENTATION TEMPLATE "At PupStart, our mission is to help provide more exposure for dogs without homes through in-person interaction.”
27. Insight Allow time to imagine Then Focus
28. Takeaway Don’t get stuck in the clouds because at some point you will need to come down.
29. validation PROVE YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.
30. Validation seek out actual users for feedback ‣ do they relate to this problem? ‣ How large of a problem is it? ‣ how is it currently being addressed? ‣ Is there any interest in the solution?
31. Target Users for Feedback 10 Businesses 10 animal shelters 10 Dog Enterprise PupStart
32. validation ‣ Company - Do you provide in-house company benefits? ‣ Dog organization - How do you currently market adopting and fostering dogs? ‣ COMPANY - Would you have interest in allowing adoptable dogs to visit your office to play with employees? PupStart
33. tools for validation That we use ‣ Survey ‣ Google form ‣ short email with questions ‣ in person meeting ‣ set up Landing page ‣ facebook / google ad
34. Takeaway Don’t get Stuck on how to execute. Get it done.
35. Baby steps End of Part 1.
36. QA TIME http:/ /www.20spokes.com/techweek
37. PART 2: Ship it START YOUR STARTUP
38. PRODUCT BRAINSTORM ANYTHINGS POSSIBLE, FOR NOW.
39. PRODUCT BRAINSTORM ‣ GET IT ALL OUT - Use post its ‣ REVIEW YOUR Why, Who, What, How ‣ Prioritize
40. Must Have
41. Product brainstorm Must have nice to have down the road ‣ Mobile application to schedule a pup appointment ‣ Dog organization portal to create and accept appointments PupStart
42. Nice to have
43. Product brainstorm Must have nice to have down the road ‣ Calendar support for scheduled invites ‣ Messaging capability ‣ Request To Adopt Dog PupStart
44. Down the road
45. Product brainstorm Must have nice to have down the road ‣ Multiple Companies can share scheduled pup time ‣ Allow list of needs to support dogs being brought toys, food, etc. PupStart
46. ThE MVP PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE.
47. Takeaway Your mvp should validate your core assumptions with the least effort.
48. Trim it down, then trim again
49. trim the mvp ‣ no mobile app needed - simple responsive landing page ‣ manually enter pup dates for agencies / shelters PupStart
50. effort estimate ‣ Determine what will it take to implement MVP ‣ time and cost ‣ if you’re not an expert, find one
51. respect others ‣ your initial idea is worth $0 ‣ Not everyone will understand your vision, thats ok
52. Takeaway find a middle ground of careful openness.
53. Plan out Phases
54. Execution prep ‣ user stories ‣ wireframes ‣ design prototypes
55. Execution prep ‣ user stories ‣ wireframes ‣ design prototypes ‣ identify the types of users ‣ what the user wants ‣ why the user wants it ‣ simplifies description of requirement
56. pupstart user story “as a company, i can select an available date to schedule a pup appointment” PupStart
57. tools for prep wireframes ‣balsamiq ‣powerpoint ‣uxpin design prototypes ‣invision
58. time to implement LET’S BUILD SOMETHING.
59. who’s implementing ‣ yourself ‣ tech cofounder ‣ freelancer ‣ dev agency
60. who’s implementing ‣ yourself ‣ tech cofounder ‣ freelancer ‣ dev agency ‣ stay focused on plan ‣ respect and appreciate the time involved ‣ be conservative and buffer time ‣ seek outside feedback - mentor/advisor
61. who’s implementing ‣ yourself ‣ tech cofounder ‣ freelancer ‣ dev agency ‣ UNDERSTANDS VISION AND IS PASSIONATE ‣ PRIORITY IS TO EXECUTE AND DELIVER ‣ BE RESPECTFUL OF TRUE WORTH - $0 ‣ AGREE ON ALL TERMS, IN WRITING, BEFORE STARTING
62. who’s implementing ‣ yourself ‣ tech cofounder ‣ freelancer ‣ dev agency ‣ KNOW THE DEVELOPER / TEAM ‣ LEARN THEIR PROCESS ‣ CHEAPEST SHOULD NOT BE PRIORITY ‣ TECHNOLOGY STACK SHOULD FOCUS ON BUILDING A FOUNDATION ‣ RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY’RE DOING
63. SHIP IT! ‣ GET IT OUT THE DOOR ‣ DON’T WAIT FOR UNNECESSARY FEATURES ‣ BE MINDFUL OF SCOPE CREEP ‣ PLAN FOR UPDATES AND CHANGES ‣ GET FEEDBACK BEFORE IMPLEMENTING UPDATES/CHANGES
64. Takeaway WHY NOT YOU?
65. Find us at: ‣ www.20spokes.com ‣ @20spokes