Lean practitioners often discuss the importance of delivering value to customers and understanding their needs. However, Danny Nathan takes this to a new level with his unique approach to lean customer development. His business is a testament to this. Intrigued by his methods, I invited him to join me on a journey to the Edges of Lean, where he shared his insights and practices. 

Danny Nathan:

Danny is a versatile entrepreneur who has made a name for himself by helping companies create and launch new products and ventures. With a background in various fields like product design, marketing, and strategy, Danny is known for his ability to solve complex business challenges. As the founder of Apollo 21, a company that combines business consultancy, product design, and venture studio, Danny helps companies foster innovation, drive growth, and overcome obstacles to scaling by developing cutting-edge technology.

KEY TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST:

00:02:59 - Transition from Acting to Technology

00:04:14 - Types of Products Developed by Apollo 21

00:10:42 - Challenges with Misunderstanding MVP

00:12:02 - Lean Customer Development Explained

00:13:14 - Importance of Validating Customer Needs

00:18:13 - Learning from Customer Development

00:20:04 - Identifying Ideal Customer Groups

00:21:34 - Process of Customer Interviews

00:26:24 - Creating Conviction Through Learning

00:27:00 - Differentiating Apollo 21's Approach

00:29:13 - Ensuring Against Post-Launch Failure

00:30:37 - Customer Observation Techniques

00:39:06 - Handling Multiple Stakeholders

00:40:17 - Heuristic vs. Data-Driven Processes

KEY TAKEAWAYS: 

• Lean customer development is about discovering the purest pain point and validating the need, potential solution, and willingness of customers to pay for it before building anything.


• The focus should be on delivering value to the customer and understanding their needs. 


• Lean customer development helps streamline the process of bridging the gap between discovery and minimum viable product (MVP).


• The concept of an MVP has evolved and can be interpreted differently by different organizations.


• The goal of an MVP is to learn as quickly as possible, mitigate risk, and minimize cost and time expenditure.


• Innovation is great, but it is crucial to innovate something that is valuable to the customer and that they are willing to buy.


• Lean Startup provides a clear-cut series of actions to move towards creating something new, but it is vital to adapt and customize the methodology to fit specific needs.


• Lean customer development involves talking to customers, asking the right questions, and gaining a clear understanding of their pain points and needs. 


• The process starts with defining the problem space and then talking to a wide range of people to discover pain points and potential solutions. 


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Memorable Quotes From Danny Nathan::

“Fall in love with the problem and not the solution.”

CONNECT WITH Danny Nathan::

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amongmany/ 

Website: https://apollo21.io