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