Moe and Jake Knapp talk about how to solve big problems and test new ideas in just five days.
Solve Your Biggest Problems in FIVE Days
Famed entrepreneur and professor, Steve Blank is fond of quoting German General, Helmuth Graf von Moltke when explaining his philosophy to get out of the building – No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy is a stark reminder that regardless of experience and intellect; the only way for one to gauge whether or not a potential solution will satisfy a consumer need is to first give it to them.
As company builders, one of the biggest misconceptions that we face is the confirmation bias – where we interpret new information in such a way that it becomes compatible with our existing theories, beliefs, and convictions. This is a dangerous practice; especially in the early-stages of product development. It goes without saying that none of us are immune to this narrow perspective, still the shrewd make it a priority to continually seek disconfirming evidence.
To protect against this fallacy and to help their portfolio companies solve problems more quickly, the team at Google Ventures pioneered the Sprint process — a 5-day race to help their startups ‘fast-forward into the future to see their finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments.” Led by design partners, Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky, and Braden Kowitz; this approach seeks to leverage the talent, know-how and existing resources to take the guesswork out of launching a product or starting a new venture. I’ve been following their approach since they made it available in 2013, and if you’re someone who aspires for greater ingenuity and a more efficient approach to tackle bigger problems, I strongly urge you to listen to what Jake, John and Braden have to say. Enjoy my conversation with Jake.
Here’s a sample of what we discuss:
The evolution of the Design Sprint
What to expect each of the five days
The mindset that’s absolutely necessary to run an effective sprint
The role of the Decider
The philosophy behind the “How might we – “questioning technique
The science behind the FIVE customer interviews
What to do on the Monday following the Sprint