Morgan Housel: Beware the Intellectual Arrogance of “Too Smart”
In “Too Smart” Morgan Housel outlines three risks of intellectual arrogance: a lack of empathy, poor communication, and poor grasp of detail.
1 Idea Stage
Focus on Frequency and Severity
Successful entrepreneurs focus on the frequency and severity of customer problems. The primary reason why new technologies don’t get adopted is that the potential customer decides to continue living with the problem. Start the most serious
Newsletter V2021 Issue 2: Making Business Decisions in Uncertain Times
At the very beginning of starting your company, there is a high level of uncertainty in many dimensions. We ask questions that clarify and help people to move in the direction of their fears and uncertainties.
Founder’s Journey: Lessons Learned with Cindi Thompson on Jun-9-21
Cindi Thompson, CEO and founder of Climate Companion, shares her entrepreneurial journey and lessons learned.
Startup Uncertainty At The Very Beginning
Startup uncertainty at the very beginning is high in many dimensions. Good questions help to clarify your uncertainties.
Lean Culture: Seed Funding Without Loans – An Introduction to SBIR Grants
Paul Scott shares lesson learned writing SBIR grants. His presentation covers the Grant Writing Application Process: – Letter of intent – Concept paper – Full proposal About the Speaker: Paul Scott has been a technical writer for over 20 years. He uses his training and experience as a scientist to help clients convey highly …
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Etienne Garbugli on Opportunities: Finding New Products
Etienne Garbugli looks at finding product opportunities, and how entrepreneurs deliver value and gain a foothold inside businesses.
Sean Murphy Interview with Etienne Garbugli for the LeanB2B Podcast
Sean Murphy was interviewed by Etienne Garbugli on “Working Capital: It Takes More Than Money” for the March 9, 2021 LeanB2B Podcast.
Entrepreneurs Cannot Rely on a Cookbook or a Manual
Entrepreneurs starting their first business often hunt for a cookbook of recipes to make sense of a journey that is alternating between bewilderment and frustration. But startups fight for existence in a competitive and evolving environment, where changes in the technical or social substrates can invalidate their strategy or enable competitors without warning.
A Practical Introduction to Social Capital for Bootstrappers
This is a practical overview of social capital, an essential concept for bootstrappers despite being hard to measure. I offer suggestions for growing your business network, and enhancing your reputation, explaining why increasing social capital creates value for your startup.
Basics of Intellectual Property for Bootstrappers
This post explains the basics of intellectual property in practical terms for bootstrappers: trademarks, patents, copyright and trade secrets. An hour or two with an attorney can save you much trouble later on.
A Practical Introduction to Intellectual Capital For Bootstrappers
An exploration of the practical meaning of intellectual capital for entrepreneurs, including how to curate your experience and know-how.
Your Pricing Model is a Key Lever for Profitability
There is a natural tendency for technical founders to base their pricing model on an engineering oriented value proposition. Looking at the full impact on business can enable higher prices, which in turn means more profit and faster growth. Wojciech Bulaty of Traffic Parrot describes the mental shift Sean Murphy helped him make to transition …
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A Practical Introduction to Financial Capital for Bootstrappers
This post explores meaning of financial capital for bootstrappers. It addresses the real costs of market exploration and product validation and verification.
New Startups Form in Private Conversations
New startups form in private conversations: here are some ways to make it easy for potential cofounders to find you based on the problem you are working on or customer need you plan to address.
A Primer on Business Assets for High Technology Startups
Are you looking to build a business? No matter the stage you’re at, there are three kinds of business assets you will need to be successful in the long run.
40 Tips for B2B Customer Development Interviews
This post on B2B customer development interviews builds on one of my most popular. If you would like help preparing for customer development interviews or reviewing results from recent interviews, contact us. Here are my lessons learned from taking part in interviews where the startup planned to offer a product or service to a business. …
Building WordPress Websites
Three reasons I like building WordPress websites: they are cost effective, they are scalable, and they easily support search engine optimization.
Benefits of SKMurphy Mastermind for Entrepreneurs
An SKMurphy Mastermind Group is an ongoing series of facilitated conversations among serious entrepreneurs. It enables collaboration on problems and opportunities and fosters joint accountability around effective ongoing action.
Mastering The Skill of Entrepreneurship
Expertise in a complex skill, like the skill of entrepreneurship, requires mastery of a constellation of techniques and methods. I use an essay by Ursula K. Le Guin “Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?” as a point of departure to explore the “continuous cultivation of a disposition, leading to skill in performance.”