This is an internal “brown bag” presentation I did at PlayHaven, introducing the fundamentals of Lean Startup methodology. Unfortunately, the Cookie Monster GIF doesn’t animate in the Slideshare presentation but you enjoy it 24/7 by clicking this link: http://gifsoup.com/view/1836944/cookie-monster.html :) Also note that you may notice a few jumps in the included audio recording - I had to remove some sensitive material. Ryan @rrhoover http://ryanhoover.me

2. What is Lean?
"Lean Startup" is an approach for launching
businesses and products, that relies on validated
learning, scientific experimentation, and
iterative product releases to shorten product
development cycles, measure progress, and gain
valuable customer feedback.
- Wikipedia

3. What is Lean?
"Lean Startup” is a process for validating and
invalidating your assumptions as quickly as
possible to discover and deliver what people
actually want.
- Me

4. It Starts With a Vision

5. It Starts With a Vision

6. It Starts With a Vision

7. It Starts With a Vision

8. Too Often Startups Build
This...

9. When Customers Really
Want This...

10. Customer Needs and Pains
Are Everywhere
Qualitative
• Customer Interviews
• Support Emails/Chat
• Twitter Stalking
• Behavior Observation
• Competitors
• Usability Studies
Quantitative
• Internal Data
• External Data
• Surveys

11. Foundation of Lean

12. Foundation of Lean

13. Foundation of Lean

14. Look Familiar?

15. Pivot Pivot Pivot (drink!)
A change in strategy without a change in vision.
- Eric Ries
Types of pivots
• Customer segment (e.g. Tapjoy)
• Customer need (e.g. Groupon)
• Platform (e.g. Facebook)
• Zoom in (e.g. Instagram)
• Zoom out (e.g. PlayHaven)
• etc...

16. Tangent: History of
PlayHaven Pivots
• 8/2008 – Community for console and PC gamers
(MyGameMug.com)
• 3/2009 – Community for World of Warcraft
players (WoWHeadhunter.com)
• 11/2009 – Mobile game in-app communities
• 7/2010 – Cross-promotion barter network
• 1/2011 – Mobile game discovery app
• 9/2011 – Mobile game marketing/monetization
tools
• mid-2012 – LTV-maximization platform

17. Foundation of Lean

18. You Can Learn Without
Building an MVP
Minimum Viable Product Experiment (MVE)
Examples:
• Customer Interviews (e.g. Lean Startup Machine)
• Landing Page Test (e.g. Buffer)
• Undercover Competitor Studies
• Concierge/Wizard of Oz (e.g. Zappos)
• Prototypes
• A/B Tests

19. Exercise: What’s the MVE?
Our AWESOME Idea: Re-Engagement Advertising
• What are our assumptions?
• What’s the riskiest assumption?
• How can we validate/invalidate the riskiest
assumption quickly?

20. MVP != Shitty Product
The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is that version
of a new product which allows a team to collect
the maximum amount of validated learning
about customers with the least effort.
- Eric Ries

21. Why Build an MVP?
• To reduce risk
• You don’t really know what customers want
• Deliver customer delight faster
• Learn faster
• Narrow scope, reduce variables
• Easier to kill your baby

22. When Not to Release an
MVP
• You’re building a rocket ship
• Replacing existing competitors/solutions
• REMEMBER: don’t lose sight of the vision and
purpose – to deliver customer delight

23. Lean Examples @ PlayHaven
Lean #ftw
• User Segmentation
• Geo and Creative Optimization
• Strengthen The Core (Salesforce, Email Alerts)
• Insights Email
Lean #fail
• Virtual Good Promotion
• Mobile Game Discovery App

24. Closing Words
• Be lazy
• Ask: how can I maximize the amount of impact/
effort (ROI)?
• Lean marketing
• Lean sales
• Lean support
• Lean design
• Lean engineering (agile/scrum)

25. Deliver Cookies