Over the last few years we’ve had the opportunity to lead multiple startup bootcamps. During these events, we help cohorts of entrepreneurs achieve significant breakthroughs in an intense and short period of time. While there’s a lot that goes into the design of this "startup kitchen," the secret sauce boils down to some key fundamentals that can be applied wherever you are in your startup journey.
Focus: There are literally dozens of things you could be focused on, but there’s only one or two that really matter to get to the next step. It’s easy to get wrapped up in secondary “back-stage” activities (ex. rebranding, newsletter, website, etc.) when the real issues lie in the “front-stage” of the business model (ex. customer-needs, solution-fit, etc.). This often requires others helping you zoom out to gain perspective then be able to zoom in on the right things.
Perspective: Once you achieve focus on the things that really matter, the next step is to get a unique perspective on solving them. This comes in two stages. The first is “outside-in” – getting input from customers, users, experts, market, etc. The second is “inside-out” – understanding and transforming these inputs into provocative insights. This often requires taking a non-conventional perspective on what might seem like mundane everyday customer problems.
Action: This is where true entrepreneurs differentiate themselves from the rest. Taking action on the above, they test new hypotheses and try to prototype new solutions and approaches, etc. Because they are laser-focused on the right problems and take an externally-oriented approach, they are wired to take action as a means of learning and obtaining clarity.
As you think of what might be next for you, ask yourself these questions:
What’s the one thing I need to figure out next to get to a breakthrough in my business?
How can I get external/user perspectives on it; and then creatively transform these inputs into insights?
How can I take action to experiment and learn?
This secret sauce will make your offer taste better than ever!
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