Conference Agenda

Lean Startup Conference

Day 1 – Thursday, May 5, 2011

Find the recording of the presentations here

8:00 - 9:00
Registration and Breakfast (Coffee and Muffins) Breakfast sponsored by: Rally Software
9:00 - 9:10 Opening notes
9:10 -10:10 Session 1Rob Walling: Lessons Learned Moving From Developer to EntrepreneurAs a software developer turned entrepreneur I've learned most things the hard way. Years of trial and error have unearthed a laundry list of false assumptions, missed expectations and times when "best practices" were far from the best approach to a problem.Using stories from my experience I will share lessons I've learned over the past several years, each of which has had a profound impact on my ability to run my company.
10:10 - 10:20 Break
10:20 - 11:20 Session 2Rishi Dean: The New Rules of Early-Stage Product DevelopmentWhile we are quick to celebrate the success of notable startups, the harsh reality is that the vast majority of early stage ventures fail. The rules of product development are fundamentally different for today's early stage companies than for established companies, so applying techniques that have worked historically, or at larger "successful" companies, will result in systemic failure. In this session, Rishi Dean presents his "Product / Market Fit Matrix", a framework to help guide your approach to product development, factoring your resources and market understanding, so that you can achieve commercial success.
11:20 - 11:30 Break
11:30 - 12:30 Session 3Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits: It's the end of the Startup World as We Know it.Changes to the startup environment are having a disruptive affect on how startups are funded and built. Patrick and Brant will discuss how lean startups fit into the world and what it means to entrepreneurs and investors. They will also dispel some common misconceptions regarding lean startups and how startup founders can start using the principles to mitigate market risk.
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:30 - 14:30 Session 4Ash Maurya: Instrumenting for Speed, Learning, and FocusWe have all been beaten over the head with mantras like "release early, release often", "listen to your customers", and "measure everything". But what do they really mean and more importantly how do you apply them? Ash Maurya will explain why simply listening to customer feedback or relying on analytics and metrics is NOT enough. He'll outline a process for getting your product ready for launch and one that lays the groundwork for maximizing your future iterations for speed, learning, and focus.
14:30 - 14:45 Break
14:45 - 15:45 Session 5Owen Rogers and Steve Jones: Evolving Products Using Validated LearningOver the past 3 years, Pulse Energy has been applying various lean startup concepts to evolve its SaaS products. Topics covered in this presentation include:
  • structuring an organization for learning
  • assessing feature-market fit
  • the full feature lifecycle
  • killing features
  • user tracking and scoring
15:45 - 16:00 Break
16:00 - 17:30 Open Panel on Startup Financing Money is the lifeblood of any business, and at some point, every company is likely to need an outside infusion to help it grow. Whether you're seeking a $1 million in venture capital or $1,000 from friends or relatives, you'll need to nail down a few basics before trying to make your case. Hear from prominent entrepreneurs and investors about different aspects of startup financing.Moderator: Panelists:
17:30 - 19:00 Networking