Lean Startup Methodology Course

Lesson 1 • The Build-Measure-Learn Loop

Introduces the central feedback loop driving all Lean Startup activity. Students map each phase and understand how iteration replaces long planning cycles.

Lesson 2 • Origins and Core Philosophy

Traces Lean Startup's roots in lean manufacturing and agile development. Grounds students in the mindset shift from prediction-based to learning-based entrepreneurship.

Lesson 3 • Lean Startup vs. Traditional Planning

Contrasts waterfall business planning with iterative experimentation. Students identify where traditional approaches create waste and where Lean Startup reduces it.

Lesson 1 • Prioritizing Riskiest Assumptions

Introduces frameworks for ranking assumptions by impact and uncertainty. Students select the single riskiest assumption to test first.

Lesson 2 • Customer and Problem Assumptions

Focuses on assumptions about who the customer is and what problem they face. Students articulate precise customer segments and problem hypotheses.

Lesson 3 • Building an Assumption Map

Guides students through creating a complete visual assumption inventory. The map becomes the foundation for all subsequent experiment design.

Lesson 4 • The Role of Assumptions in Business

Explains how untested assumptions drive most startup failures. Students recognize assumption types embedded in business models and strategies.

Lesson 1 • Avoiding MVP Pitfalls

Identifies over-building, under-building, and misaligned learning as key failure modes. Students apply checklists to validate MVP scope before execution.

Lesson 2 • MVP Planning for Real Scenarios

Applies MVP design principles to B2B, B2C, and internal innovation contexts. Students produce a ready-to-execute MVP plan for their own business case.

Lesson 3 • Types of MVPs and Their Uses

Surveys concierge, smoke test, Wizard of Oz, and other MVP formats. Students match MVP type to the assumption being tested.

Lesson 4 • Designing the MVP Experiment

Structures MVP design as a formal experiment with hypothesis, method, and success criteria. Students write a complete MVP experiment brief.

Lesson 1 • Customer Discovery Process Overview

Maps the four-phase customer discovery process from hypothesis to insight. Students understand how discovery feeds directly into assumption validation.

Lesson 2 • Conducting and Recording Interviews

Provides facilitation techniques for building rapport and probing deeply. Students practice active listening and structured note-taking methods.

Lesson 3 • Synthesizing Interview Findings

Introduces affinity mapping and pattern recognition to extract insights from raw data. Students produce a findings summary that updates their assumption map.

Lesson 4 • Recruiting the Right Participants

Covers screening criteria, recruitment channels, and sample size decisions. Students build a recruitment screener aligned to their target customer hypothesis.

Lesson 1 • Choosing the Right Metrics

Distinguishes actionable, accessible, and auditable metrics from vanity metrics. Students audit an existing metrics set and replace weak indicators.

Lesson 2 • Building a Lean Metrics Dashboard

Guides students in assembling a concise dashboard tied to current learning priorities. Students produce a dashboard template ready for team use.

Lesson 3 • Cohort Analysis Fundamentals

Introduces cohort analysis as the primary tool for measuring behavioral change over time. Students build a basic cohort table from sample data.

Lesson 4 • Split Testing and Experimentation

Covers A/B testing design, statistical significance basics, and result interpretation. Students design a valid split test for a specific product or marketing assumption.

Lesson 1 • Structured Pivot Decision Framework

Provides a step-by-step decision process integrating metrics, interviews, and assumption status. Students complete a pivot decision worksheet for a case study.

Lesson 2 • Recognizing the Pivot Trigger

Defines the conditions under which a pivot is warranted versus premature. Students distinguish between noise-driven doubt and evidence-driven pivot signals.

Lesson 3 • Types of Pivots Explained

Surveys zoom-in, zoom-out, customer segment, platform, and business architecture pivots. Students match pivot type to specific failure patterns in their assumption map.

Lesson 4 • Communicating Pivots to Stakeholders

Addresses how to frame a pivot as strategic learning rather than failure. Students draft a stakeholder communication that maintains confidence and clarity.

Lesson 1 • Engines of Growth Defined

Introduces sticky, viral, and paid growth engines and their underlying mechanics. Students identify which engine fits their validated business model.

Lesson 2 • Scaling Operations Without Waste

Applies lean process thinking to hiring, infrastructure, and operations during growth. Students identify scaling decisions that should be deferred until fit is confirmed.

Lesson 3 • Maintaining Innovation Culture at Scale

Addresses the organizational tension between efficiency and experimentation as teams grow. Students design structural mechanisms that preserve lean experimentation at scale.

Lesson 4 • Growth Experiment Design

Extends MVP experiment design to growth-stage hypotheses about acquisition and retention. Students write a growth experiment brief using the same hypothesis format.

Lesson 1 • Corporate Innovation Challenges

Diagnoses the structural and cultural barriers that block lean experimentation in large firms. Students map barriers specific to their own organizational context.

Lesson 2 • Lean Startup Governance Models

Presents portfolio, skunkworks, and innovation lab governance structures. Students evaluate which model fits their organization's size and risk tolerance.

Lesson 3 • Implementation Roadmap Design

Guides students through building a phased rollout plan with milestones and success metrics. Students leave with a complete, organization-specific implementation roadmap.

Lesson 4 • Building Internal Buy-In

Provides strategies for securing executive sponsorship and cross-functional support. Students craft a lean initiative pitch tailored to a skeptical leadership audience.