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Instigator Blog

Lean Analytics, startups, angel investing, product management and more!

Taking Care of Repeat Customers

January 13, 2014 by Ben Yoskovitz

A few months ago, I decided to try a new sushi restaurant that’s about 2 minutes from my house. It’s called Tako Sushi & Ramen. Although Halifax, Nova Scotia sits right on the ocean, the city isn’t loaded with awesome sushi places. (Side note: It’s also lacking in really amazing fish & chips places, which […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

You Suck! And How to Handle Other Negative Feedback

January 31, 2012 by Ben Yoskovitz

Negative feedback hurts. It’s easy to take personally and get offended. It’s easy to dismiss too. But negative feedback is a lot better than no feedback at all. The worst thing for a startup -at any stage- is crickets. … … … … … … … … … … … … … … Ugh. Silence […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

One Customer Doesn’t Make a Market

January 15, 2012 by Ben Yoskovitz

These days, most entrepreneurs I talk to understand the importance of speaking with customers before building a full-blown product. They’re getting out of the building. And that’s great. A few years ago it wasn’t like that at all. But unfortunately, I often speak with entrepreneurs that have only talked to one or two customers. That’s […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

Gaps in the Market

December 20, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

Startup founders often say to me, “We’re going ahead with this new startup … we’ve identified a gap in the market!” It’s a common refrain explaining why someone is starting a business, and how the startup is positioned against competition. There’s a gap in the market. The question to ask at that point is simple: […]

Filed Under: Customer Development, Startups

Pick Your Early Beta Customers Very Carefully

November 16, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

The goal of a startup is to find a sustainable, repeatable and scalable business model. And so much of a startup’s success is dependent on the early “beta period” where you provide access (to your product) to a limited group of prospects. If the beta period is a complete flop (no one uses the product, […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

Don’t Sell Technology, Sell Magic

November 2, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

Tech startups aren’t in the technology business. They’re in the magic business. I’m not talking about sleight of hand tricks, fooling people with funky props, or pretending to saw off someone’s head. I’m talking about providing magical experiences to customers. Startups need to sell magic. Most customers don’t understand the technology that exists behind the […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

Being Responsive is Critical for Successful Customer Development

October 27, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

Most customers tolerate bugs. Most customers tolerate products with missing features that they need (or think they need!) Most customers tolerate the quirks and hiccups that come with new technology and software. This is true of early adopters, but it’s even true to some degree, of late adopters. Customers can be quite forgiving. But what […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

Defining Success

July 7, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

The Lean Startup model is all about running experiments, learning and making informed decisions on what to do next. I’m clearly a believer in the model, but there are some parts of it that are quite nuanced and challenging to figure out. One of those is with respect to experimental design. A good experiment needs […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

Customer Validation Really Starts with In-Person Interviews

June 22, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

When you have a startup idea, the first instinct is to pitch it to friends and colleagues. This can be somewhat helpful, because they may provide insight that you hadn’t thought of yet, or quickly validate some of your concerns based on their questions. They may be familiar with a competitor worth looking at, or […]

Filed Under: Customer Development

How To Run a Business Model Hackathon

June 14, 2011 by Ben Yoskovitz

A tech hackathon is typically a half-day to two-day event where teams get together and build a product in a very short period of time. They’re always fun and interesting, often organized around specific platforms (like Foursquare), and a great way to meet new people, get into a community and test your chops. At Year […]

Filed Under: Customer Development, Year One Labs

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Ben Yoskovitz

Founding Partner at Highline Beta, a hybrid venture studio and VC firm that works with large, ambitious companies to identify new areas of opportunity through internal and external innovation.

Previously I was VP Product at VarageSale and GoInstant (acq. $CRM), and Founding Partner at Year One Labs.

Angel investments include: Breather, Spoiler Alert, SendWithUs and others.

My bio »

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