Leveraging Behavioral Science to Drive Early Product Design

As an applied psychologist and entrepreneurship educator, I aim to apply behavioral science research and knowledge to the venture realization process. In particular, I'm interested in how creativity and innovation can be better understood and supported through the lens of behavioral science. Behavioral science is a valuable tool for anyone involved in venture realization, especially … Continue reading Leveraging Behavioral Science to Drive Early Product Design

The Power of Customer Feedback: How Startups Benefit

Customer feedback is crucial for startups as it provides valuable insights into how the target market positions the company's products or services. By actively seeking out and listening to customer feedback, startups can identify areas for improvement, address any problems or concerns, and ultimately enhance the overall customer experience. Critically, customer feedback is essential for … Continue reading The Power of Customer Feedback: How Startups Benefit

IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.2): The Deep Dive

In our last post, I started a series exploring the validity and applicability of IDEO's shopping cart design video in 2022. I have been showing this video on and off since its initial production in 1999. Unfortunately, some of the content has not aged well, particularly its depiction of diversity. The last post offered a considered … Continue reading IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.2): The Deep Dive

IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.1): On Diversity

In an earlier post, I outlined some of the fundamental aspects of design thinking and how it supported the new venture realization process. For the following three articles, I want to look at the famous (and possibly infamous) IDEO Shopping Cart design video to answer one question - Are the lessons derived from this archival document … Continue reading IDEO “Shopping Cart” Video (Pt.1): On Diversity

Why Startups Should Focus On Pre-Launch Metrics

Everyone agrees that measuring and monitoring startup performance is a critical success factor for fledgling enterprises. However, while much is written about measuring startup performance post-launch, there is less attention to pre-launch metrics. In this post, I make the case that establishing a disciplined pre-launch culture, manifested by a history of goal setting, measurement, monitoring, … Continue reading Why Startups Should Focus On Pre-Launch Metrics

Early Solution Design and Testing (Part Two)

In the last post, I explained some initial thoughts on designing and testing early solutions with your target customer. As mentioned, I see the initial solution design as a continuation of early customer engagement. Once you have conducted enough customer interviews to define the problem and consider potential solutions confidently, you can begin early-stage product … Continue reading Early Solution Design and Testing (Part Two)

Early Solution Design and Testing (Part One)

For the next couple of posts, I will discuss ways to approach early product design and testing within the startup context. Let me say up front that many of the practices and tools highlighted can be applied in multiple settings, from early ventures to large corporations across many product categories, and applied to B2C, B2B, … Continue reading Early Solution Design and Testing (Part One)

Starting with Customer Outcomes

As entrepreneurs, product developers, and innovators, we tend to get caught up in the technical functionality of our solutions. As I have stated before in this blog, founders tend to be enamored with their conception of the customer's solution rather than the problem itself. Many innovators begin by thinking about the functionality of their proposed … Continue reading Starting with Customer Outcomes