AGR3.005 (The Technology of Business) AGILEAN STARTUPS - WILLIAM EASTMAN

Today is a very different show. I will be sharing with you how IBGR is using AGILEAN to grow our startup and in the process of redefining what is a startup.

One though before we begin - a startup is not an early or young  corporation. That means you just take a mature company and substract the unnecessary functions until you get to 'essence of the start'. It is something completely different and we are going to explore that today. Buckle up and get ready to have a Linda Blair moment.

INTRODUCTION
Very seldom do I think on the air. What I mean is all shows are based on been there - done that. Today it is different, AGR3.005 is what we are doing. IBGR is in the middle of a reset in the last month of Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6 just 32 days away.

OBJECTIVES

1. If a startup is not an early and scaled down version of a corporate - what is it - what if we use biology and call it a mutation?
2. How do you set up your mutation to determine the timing and match between offer and market.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Design of Experiments (DOE)

• a systematic process to discover the unknown or test an idea;
• to understand what inputs are required to achieve the desired output;
• in business the critical task for any startup is solving two interdependent questions:
  • timing;
  • match between offer and market.

3 Components of a DOE Startup

• Factors: also known as input to the process, it consists of controllable and incontrollable variables;
  • Controllable - example: the amount of investment capital available;
  • Uncontrollable - the current economy.
• Levels: how much - quantity & quality levels:
  • Price Point;
  • Minimally Viable Product or Service.
• Response: the output, what happened when your controllable variables are implemented at specific levels - what was the response, did it match the desired output?

Making a Startup a Controlled Experiment

• How many alternatives should we consider to reach the desired output and understand how it was achieved:
  • time;
  • capital;
  • good will (early brand issues).
• Given the FEW selected alternatives, build processes that maximize probability of success:
  • time & costs;
  • price point & margin.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

1. Pre-Startup Phase - Before You Start Selling: "keep it as simple as possible; eliminate variables to the fewest number possible and enable an accurate conclusion to the the results. Based on these results you will make life and death decisions about the startup"
   1. ​​Factors to be Tested
   2. Levels of those Factors
   3. Structure of the Operation
2. Build measurement systems that accurately captures both process and results -  repeatable proof of what happened and why.
3. Build processes that are followed with minimal variation; too much variation means you cannot compare results.
4. Track 'noise factors', those uncontrollables that have an impact on the end result so you don't confuse process variation with factors beyond your control.
5. Standardize your problem solving and decision making process to ensure right conclusions - doing it differently is a variation that leads to the wrong conclusions.
6. Establish data displays - how will you turn information into graphs and charts for ease of use. 
7. Decide on SPC Metrics - how will you test the results and arrive at final conclusions?
8. Last Step - Reset or All In Implementation?

"The World of Business at Your Fingertips" 

1. Follow the "AGILEAN" Series all season.​
2. Join our private Facebook Group and go way beyond what is possible on radio
3. Get your business growth news everyday from IBGR.News​
4. DOWNLOAD the IBGR Growth App
5. RESEARCH anything related to Starting, growing, or Exiting a business on the IBGR Network