I was yesterday helping an entrepreneur think through the various parts of his business plan before going to talk to external investors. We went through the whole linear logic, the various competencies needed in the team and the strategy over the coming years.
Then I wrote an email to him because I was worried that he missed the key points to communicate to an investor. It went like this:
"However the philosophical answer is why you are bothering: what is it that you've seen in this business that suggests to you think you have something unique?
And why is it so urgent that you need to raise the most expensive form of capital that exists so you do it fast?
And why is it so personally exciting, is it so motivating, that you're about to work 14 hours days and not see your family for 2 years in order to go after it?"
The thing that I love about lean methodology is that empowers entrepreneurs to make "investment decisions" in their business. Working out how and why they should invest their time on a potential project removes the reliance on (sometimes arbitrary) investor analysis of potential growth.
What "lean methodology does not always do is force entrepreneurs to do is test themselves on the more "gut intrinsic" parts of being an entrepreneur: sure the logic may be there. The market size is great. The USP is compelling. The MVP tests all positive. But do you really have the fire in your belly to live and breathe this project?
Then I wrote an email to him because I was worried that he missed the key points to communicate to an investor. It went like this:
"However the philosophical answer is why you are bothering: what is it that you've seen in this business that suggests to you think you have something unique?
And why is it so urgent that you need to raise the most expensive form of capital that exists so you do it fast?
And why is it so personally exciting, is it so motivating, that you're about to work 14 hours days and not see your family for 2 years in order to go after it?"
The thing that I love about lean methodology is that empowers entrepreneurs to make "investment decisions" in their business. Working out how and why they should invest their time on a potential project removes the reliance on (sometimes arbitrary) investor analysis of potential growth.
What "lean methodology does not always do is force entrepreneurs to do is test themselves on the more "gut intrinsic" parts of being an entrepreneur: sure the logic may be there. The market size is great. The USP is compelling. The MVP tests all positive. But do you really have the fire in your belly to live and breathe this project?
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