The Failure of Emmet Labs
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clevergirl_fail startups + ux 4evr Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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I prepared this talk to give at FailCon at the 2011 Web 2.0 Expo in SF. It tells the story of my last startup, Emmet Labs, which failed in the classic sense. Lessons here for every entrepreneur. I hope it gives you some insight.
Transcript of The Failure of Emmet Labs
clevergirl_fail
startups+
ux
4evr
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
Janice Fraserwww.luxr.co
@clevergirl@luxrco#LeanUX
BLOG IT!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
“this reduced the number and speed of our iterations.”
Mistake #1
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
UX Cycles
THINK
MAKE
CHECK
PROTOTYPESWIREFRAMESVALUE PROPLANDING PAGEHYPOTHESESCOMPSDEPLOYED CODE
A/B TESTINGSITE ANALYTICS
USABILITY TESTINGFUNNEL
SIGN-UPS
GENERATIVE RESEARCHIDEATION
MENTAL MODELSBEHAVIOR MODELS
TEST RESULTSCOMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Reduce cycle time, not build time
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
Same thing, Lean Startup version
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
MEASURE!
IDEA 4/07
BUILD
LAUNCH 1/09
BUILD BUILD
LEARN!we had
working code way back here!
21-month cycle time!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
The LEAN principle:
reduce INVENTORY, RISK, and WASTE
Make a design decision
Discover that it wasn’t right
Like this...Nobody clicked.
21 MONTHS
21 HOURS
) )
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
How do you do good user experience work in a lean environment?
PROVE IMPROVE
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
“This product needed to attract and support contributors first; we focused instead on demonstrating the consumer appeal.”
Mistake #2
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
USERS
NEEDS
USES
FEATURES
USER STORIES THEMED RELEASES
1. BLAH2. BLAH3. BLAH
BOB CAN...
PEOPLE
PRODUCT
(INSERT BUSINESS THINKING HERE)
THIS WEEK
(CREATE SKETCHES, WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
WHYWHAT
HOW
Lean UX Framework
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
USERS
NEEDS
USES
FEATURES
USER STORIES THEMED RELEASES
(CREATE SKETCHES, WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
USERS
NEEDS
USES
FEATURESUSER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES
(SKETCHES, WIREFRAMES
& PIXELS)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
USERSNEEDS
USESFEATURES
USER STORIES
THEMED RELEASES (SKETCHES, WIREFRAMES & PIXELS)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
We focused on revenue to the detriment of the product.
Mistake #3
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
IDEA 4/07
BUILD
LAUNCH 1/09
BUILD BUILD
White Label
AdvertisingFreemium
TOTALLY DISTRACTED!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
Launch early & often
Fail
Better
)
)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
1. Design + product management + development = 1 product team
2. Externalize
3. Research with users is the best source of information
4. Focus on solving the right problem
5. Generate many options and decide quickly which to pursue
6. Recognize hypotheses & validate them
7. Rapid cycles: think/make/check
Instead, I should have been building a capability.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
I should have brought in an interim CEO.
Mistake #4
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
Hire dev firm.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
successful treatment
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
successful treatment
Dad Dies
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
successful treatment
Dad Dies
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
successful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09ER
successful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
actual close
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
globalfinancialmeltdown
ERsuccessful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
actual close
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
globalfinancialmeltdown
ERsuccessful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
series A meetings
actual close
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
globalfinancialmeltdown
nobody knows how the recession is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
ERsuccessful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
series A meetings
actual close
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
globalfinancialmeltdown
nobody knows how the recession is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
ERsuccessful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
series A meetings
actual close
Funding window closed
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
2007 08 09
globalfinancialmeltdown
nobody knows how the recession is going to play out. This is the
peak of fear, uncertainty, and doubt
ERsuccessful treatment
Dad Dies
Brother kills
himself
mystery illness
TED conference & the first inkling of
emmet
pass out at ballpark while pitching vc. 10 days bedrest.
Hire dev firm.
1st angel funding
Scheduled close of
2nd angel money
series A meetings
actual close
Public launch of the site
Funding window closed
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
Now I’m helping other entrepreneurs...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
So when are you going to launch?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CLEVERGIRL_FAIL, WEB 2.0 EDITION 03/2011 [email protected]
Janice Fraserwww.luxr.co
@clevergirl@luxrco#LeanUX
Thank You!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
