Lean by accident Reto Lämmler • October 2014 @rlaemmler @testingtime
Lean by accidentReto Lämmler • October 2014
@rlaemmler @testingtime
• BS Computer Science
• Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA
• Xcellery / Collaboral, San Francisco, CA
• VP Product Management at Doodle.com
• MAS Human Computer Interaction Design
• RememberTheName App
About meEvery product should put a smile on your face.
Designer User
Designer UI UserMental
Model
User Centred Design (UCD)
Original IdeaRapid UX feedback from users and experts
• Recruit test users
Order test users for your usability tests
• Ask UX experts
Order a UX review from an expert
Lean startup principleBuild – Measure – Learn
Lean: Round 1
BuildInitial prototype
MeasurePotential customer interest
Test user recruiting vs. Expert reviews
Do you do user testing? Would you register
as an expert?
How do you solve it today?
How much does it cost you? Would you outsource
it to TestingTime?
Target market
Design agencies & Startups?
Rahel Vils
• Visual & Interaction Designer
• CAS HCID
• Virtually Handmade GmbH
• Former Namics employee
MeasureConvince a business partner
LearnKill, pivot or continue
Idea seems promising
No one turned it down. But would they pay for it?
Two offerings is one too many
Test user recruiting was the real pain point.
We are a team now
Reto & Rahel
Revised IdeaOnline test user recruiting service
5
48
50
20‘000
Minutes
Hours
CHF
People
(Time to order)
(Time to recruit)
(Base costs per test user)
(Pool of test users)
Lean: Round 2
BuildMVP to test the market
Customer order form
Implement simple order form with credit card payment.
Pool of test users
Let’s cross the bridge when we get there.
Recruiting engine
Rahel & Reto
MeasurePaying customers
Launch MVP
Launch date was set for Startup Camp Basel
on 23rd February 2013
Get first paying customer
Do we get 1 paying customer within 1 month?
Get repeat customers
Do we get 2 repeat customers within 3 months?
Our first and repeat customers
LearnTake aways from the first 3 months
In-House vs. Remote User Testing
Customers wanted people primarily for In-House Test.
Our pricing is too low
Even customers said we are too cheap.
We attract medium & large corporations
And not startups as we initially thought.
We need our own test user pool
Are people ready to participate in tests for 30 – 50 CHF?
Lean: Round 3
BuildThe show must go on
Acquire test user pool
A qualitative pool of test users from Switzerland.
Professionalize Customer Order Form
Retire Wufoo Order Form and build proper system baseline.
Recruiting engine
Rahel & Reto and Excel
MeasureGrowth from 2013 to 2014
Revenue
1000%
Customers
300%
March 2013 – Sept 2014
iA
Our top customers
Next challengesAnd the journey goes on
Recruiting engine
Automate the system to bring down the manual efforts
towards zero.
Investment
The business case is ready to be funded.
How fast can we find an investor?
Grow team and stay lean
Is that possible?
„Lean“ in my own wordsSummary of my learnings
Feel the pain before you build
Don’t build anything ahead of time.
Do things manually and feel the pain first.
Learn, then build.
Lean is not cheap
Spend money wisely but don’t be cheap.
E.g. we spend CHF 5000 on a sales training.
Use freelancers on Elance
Pull in specialists whenever you need them.
Every product shouldput a smile on your face.
www.testingtime.com