The Minimum Viable Product is one key aspect of The Lean Startup which basically means that the best way to get to the market is by developing a product that is good enough as step one, then testing that product on a small number of early customers to learn and improve before exposing it to a wider audience.

So what you should do as an entrepreneur is to sit down with the client, learn what are the core values of your offering for the client. It is very important to get the average clients core values and the functionalities connected to those values. Don’t even bother defining your own priorities of functionality until you have heard from several potential clients.

“Don’t be in a rush to get big, be in a rush to have a great product.” is the topic of a Techcrunch article and also a quote from Eric Ries, the author of The Lean Startup. When you already have a lot of users and then they realize that the product is not good enough, that’s when you have a problem. By trying it out while still small, clients are more forgiving since they are early adopters and the potential damage is also smaller since the numbers are low.

A very good example of this is Dropbox, which was covered in another Techcrunch story today: How DropBox Started As A Minimal Viable Product. It is well worth reading.

If you do not take this you risk ending up with a product where 80 % of the product does not add any value for the client and where that development effort (time and money) should have been put in to the other 20 % that adds real value.

Next step?

1. Remove all unnecessary functions that are not 100 % essential for version 0.1 – this probably includes a lot more than you think
2. Get your clients to add and vote on functionality for what to develop next and what is vital for the full-scale commercial launch
3. Iterate

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Yesterday we launched a new Internet service targeting the Panamanian market, TratosHechos.com (Spanish for Done Deals).

Here is the pitch (comments on how we can improve are highly appreciated):

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Compare quotes from trusted service companies!

We help you get quotes for all kind of services like house cleaning, wedding planning, renovation, construction, etc. A request is never binding, it is always you that choose if you want to hire someone.

A request gets maximum 5 bids from qualified service professionals, but the number of bids you get will vary based on how much detail you put in your post. Try to give service providers as much info as possible about what you want to get the most (and highest quality) bids.

–

On october 4th we will open up for consumers to post their requests, but since yesterday service providers can apply for an account and be verified before launching to the public.

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In the last few months I have been part of a new startup company, working with loyalty programs and their mobile presence. This has led me to think how one can apply the strategies and tactics of corporate loyalty to the peronal branding space. It might be a little controversial, but I think there are some valid points to consider.

Most people associates loyalty programs with points or miles, but there is so much more going on in the background. If you were to set up a loyalty program for yourself, it might look something like this.

Members

The members would be your target groups or target persons, just as loyalty programs divide their member base in different segments.

Channels

These are the different ways you could communicate with your audience, eg. e-mail, snail mail, phone, text message, personal meeting, lunch, networking event, etc. Different people are more likely to answer in different channels. Maybe you can ask your contacts for their preferred way of communication.

Positioning your offer – Your message

What are you going to communicate with each group/person and how are you going to formulate and deliver the message? When talking loyalty programs, it is all about conversion rates and keeping the member loyal to the brand. It is crucial that you keep this in mind since it is even more important to you (with fewer “members”) that the message is leading towards you goal and that the recipient feels that he/she want the same as you.

Segmentation

This is one of the hardest tasks for a large scale loyalty program since it is very hard to find a group of members that are similar enough to respond to a common message. If you use social networks, a blog or sending out newsletters, you will have the same problem, but when formulating a specific message to a specific member you are able to aim it just to that person rather than a group of persons. It is more work involved, but definitely worth the extra effort.

Follow up

As with everything else, it is extremely important to work with a follow up system that gives you the feedback to refine and improve your efforts. In loyalty programs this is not optional, and it shouldn’t be for you either. Make sure to set up a system that works for you.

I would not recommend taking it as far as giving “points” to your contacts, or calling them “loyalty program members”, but thinking about loyalty is definitely something that can empower you personal brand–if done right and based on the groundwork you have laid.

What are your thoughts on using loyalty program thinking to enhance your personal brand?

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The last two weeks has been really inspiring.

I have been speaking about Social Media, been networking with some of Sweden’s most inspiring networkers and visited two castles.

Young Entrepreneurs of Sweden 2011 (photo: Cecilia Lyche)

First me and Victoria Ahlén held a seminar on New Business through Social Media for entrepreneurs and innovators in Uddevalla last Wednesday. The seminar was arranged by ALMI Företagspartner Väst and Entreprenörsriket and it was the third seminar with the same theme. The attendants integrated with us in a very good way and I look forward to the last seminar of this serie in Gothenburg the 11th of May 2011. Do you want to attend, please sign up in the form below.

Last weekend I attended the yearly conference of Young Entrepreneurs of Sweden with a lot of inpiring seminars and workshops (special thanks to Johannes Hansen, Olle Bjerkås and Gustaf Josefsson), great food and great networking at Entreprenörskyrkan as well as at Häringe Slott (the first castle). Thank you all 77 entrepreneurs that attended the weekend and of course a special thanks to the organizers Gustav Nisser, Petra Jonsson, Jesper Lejfjord, Jesper Lindmarker.

After being in the South of Sweden this week working with business development for ScanCord, I went with my wife Zuleyma to my uncle in Helsingborg where we just got back from a visit to Sofiero Slott (the second castle).

Last weekend was full of energy, inspiration and a lot of opportunities. This weekend is more focused on resting and recharging the batteries.

I look forward to next week as I know we will reach a new level with our new venture… stay tuned!

Please register for the Social Media seminar in Gothenburg the 11th of May 2011:
[contact-form-7]

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The other week, exiting things happened to my Google Apps account, things that will significantly facilitate my life. This doesn’t really matter to you, but to me it meant an important step towards offering you as a reader my knowledge on entrepeneurship, digital media and personal brands.

From today forward, the articles I find the most interesting, amusing and exiting will be published on the site Ola Recommends.

Besides seeing the tips on the website, you can subscribe to them on E-mail or through RSS.

Here is an example of what the tips might include:

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A few weeks ago I wrote about “Defining The Target Audience For Your Personal Brand” which is one of the first step when it comes to communicating who you are and what you stand for. While the target audience is essential, it is also crucial to add something of relevance to the table.

Relevance is not an option, it is critical. The people you target are too busy to take a meeting or have another conversation that doesn’t add any value to their day. Value is delivered by addressing an issue that is at the top of their priority list or by asking questions that help them evaluate themself. Being relevant is often the one thing that separates mediocrity from success.

So I ask you again: How are you relevant? If you do not have a good answer to that, try working with these areas for defining your relevance to your target audiences.

Relevance of message

Every person on this planet has different interest; it could be personal interest or interests connected to business life. When I work with coaching clients, I often use the “wheel of life” as a tool to look into different areas of life for their personal development. The same circle could be used when trying to identify the interest and focus areas for your target audience. Just as you can choose what parts of your life that can be represented in the Wheel of life, you can think of what different parts could be suitable for the person you are addressing.

Relevance in space

If the message is delivered in a moment where the recipient is in the correct spot, either physical or digital, the acceptance and reaction to the message will have a significant higher probability to be in your favor. Try to think of what spots you are more probable to get the message through. It could be on the golf course, in social media or in an elevator (you have defined your elevator pitch, right?).

Relevance in time

Time is just as important as location, the right location at the wrong moment will not get the desired effect, nor will the right message at the wrong moment. The three has to work together. Please, keep in mind that in the digital space, most things will stick around for ages and that the message could be interpreted in different ways depending on when it is read. This is why it is very important to put a date on every document, post etc. for the recipient to understand when the message was created.

Even if time, space and message should be relevant, you can’t and shouldn’t wait until everything is perfect. Just as products  shouldn’t be developed to perfection, you should strive to find the state of “good enough” relevance for your communication.

Do you have an example of when you achieved great results due to pinpointing the relevant factors for your target audience? Please, share it in the comment section.

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Original posted at http://blog.brand-yourself.com.

We often discuss Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, your resume, networking  etc. one at the time or maybe in pairs, but seldom the whole picture is described. Your brand is the sum of the all parts of the communication and information channels you do use, and sometimes by the ones you do not use. Therefore it is essential to have a strategy for how to communicate in the different channels over time. So let look at a checklist for how to work with such a strategy. I assume that you have already defined your brand before starting with this strategy.

The desired outcome

This is the foundation of every strategy, if you have a clear sense of what you are and what you do want to achieve with your communication you are much more likely to get the desired result. I would like you to take this to the next level and defining what outcomes you will get if you get the result you want. By outcome I am referring to the consequences and changes that the result will ignite.

Example: The result is to “being known as an expert in automotive gear box development”, the desired outcome could be “work 20h/week as a consultant with the same salary as before”.

Who would yo like to reach and where are they?

Every person you interact with has different capabilities to help you achieve your desired outcome. Some has zero possibility and some has 100 %. The question you should ask yourself is which persons has the best possibility to get you to where you want to be. If you do not know who it is, then ask yourself how to find that out.

The next step is to identify where these persons are active. Which channels do they use/read/visit?

How do they act – how do you act in each channel?

Once you have identified the key persons for your communication (the Key Opinion Leaders) and identified the channels they are using, start analyzing whom they interact with and in what way are they communicating. Adjust your message and communication to the recipient but don’t loose yourself by changing who you are. Your message and your style should be adjusted to 1) the person(s) you are communicating with, and 2) the appropriate way to communicate in each channel. Imagine yourself talking to an important person on twitter, using 140 characters with a link to more information in the end and maybe a hashtag for categorization. Now imagine interacting in the exact same way when meeting someone over lunch. That person would most probably wonder what the hell you are talking about.

Do you work systematically with a publishing calendar?

To be consistent and have a clear, focused theme across the different channels will make your brand stand out. Also to have common elements that identify yourself  will give the recipient a solid image of who you are. To maintain a high level of consistency and quality of the communication I would recommend you to create a calendar where you plan your activities in the near future. Each entry should incluce

1. Channel (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, blog, newsletter, networking events, phone call, seminar etc.)
2. Target audience (specific person or group of people – communicate to attract the right persons)
3. Topic (make sure your topic or subject for discussion is something you can stand up for and that you have made your homework in the area)
4. Desired outcome (when publishing or leaving the networking event – what is the result and outcome that you desire?)

You want to reach me – why and what do you want me to do?

Last, always keep in mind that we all play the game of givers gain, and if I feel that I can trust you and that you communicate confidence, you have to let me know how I can help you take the next step to achieving your goals. Be clear to the recipient what you want them to do and how they can do it, that way you are a lot closer to actually getting it.

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I årets upplaga av MyMission var jag (Ola Rynge) med och tävlade med en ny typ av kundvårdssystem, cSocialClub:

“cSocialClub är en plattform för kundvårdsprogram med fokus på affärsnytta där företagens kunder enkelt kan mäta och belöna sina kunders varumärkesstärkande och säljande engagemang i sociala medier.”

Tyvärr blev idén inte nominerad i den tuffa konkurrensen av 350 andra affärsidéer inom upplevelseindustrin. Vi vill skicka ett stort grattis till följande som blivit nominerade i de olika kategorierna:

Affärsidé

Badanka Kvack – Johan Van Leer
Vera Snook – Marie Bergwall
Bymby.se – Linda Eriksson
Bloggboken – Juliana Fritzhand
Freenet – Ararat Pogosean

Nytänk

Fyrform – Christal Knappe
Unbreakella – Karin Stammarnäs
UNICO Topfloor – Maritza Molin
Human Watch – Henrik Paulsson
Food Square – Sabiqah Bahrom

Wildcard

Multiper viewgadget – Hamed Ordibehesht
Blind Screen – Robert Nordman
ÅretRuntsommarcafe – Linda Gustafsson
Ultimate Gaming – Ulf Fors
Hard Money – Antonio Poté

Kulturbidrag

Combined Art – Karl Winroth
“Art to go” – Elisabeth Bilander
Undefined – Ulrika Arvidsson
Fabulera Mera! – Karin Ahlin
Stadsgungor – Malin Wallin

Prisutdelningen äger rum på Brewhouse den 26 maj klockan 18.00

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Ett stort, härligt hav av nätverkande sorlande människor med passion för att skapa nya affärer och att byta visitkort med varandra, det var inledningen på Industri- och Handelskammardagen 2010 på Svenska Mässan i måndags.

Temat för kvällen var för förändring. Eftermiddagen inleddes med att framtidsspanaren Mats Lindgren från Kairos Future, öppnade upp ögonen inför en ny uppstickare i öst; Kina med sina 1,3 miljarder invånare. Han berättade om vilka skillnader som svenskar och kinser bloggar om och vilka olika affärskulturer som råder hos svenskar resp kineser.

På grund av nya kommunikationsväger såsom sociala medier och kinesernas kostnadseffektiva produktion med likvärdig kvalité kan bli en viktig faktor att hålla bra koll på inför framtiden.

Kvällens huvudtalare var Chris Anderson, chefredaktör på Wired Magazine talade om den nya ekonomin och att framtidens konsumenter handlar och integrerar på andra sätt än tidigare. Många relationer blir globala och upprätthålls via olika former av sociala medier, var därför noga med att lägga upp just din och ditt företagsstrategi i sociala medier.

Avslutningsvis fick Jan Åke Jonsson, Saab Automobile motta årets utmärkelse för avgörande intsatser för det västsvenska näringslivet och deltog därefter med Victor Muller, Spyker Cars i ett unikt samtal om Saabaffären.

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En affärsidé är uppbyggd på tre grundpleare: kundnytta, marknad och affärsmodell. Här ger vi några tips som ett stöd då formulerar och arbetar med din affärsidé.

1. Kundnytta
Visa tydligt på vad det är med din idé som skapar ett mervärde för de som ska köpa från dig. Vilka egenskaper är det som gör att man väljer din produkt eller tjänst framför någon annan.

2. Marknad
En framgångsrik affärsidé visar på vilka målgrupper den är avsedd för. En målgrupp kan definieras på många sätt, ex baserat på geografi, ålder, kön, vanor, familjesituation etc.

3. Affärsmodell
En affärsidé måste vara lönsam på sikt och din affärsmodell visar på hur ska du tjäna pengar på idén och hur når du ut till dina kunder.

4. Differentiering
För att vara attraktiv på marknaden behöver du vara unik på något sätt. Det kan vara att du har en ny produkt eller tjänst, en ny förpackning, en annorlunda affärsmodell för branschen eller att du spelar på andra känslor. Ta dig tid och formulera din USP (Unique Selling Prosition).

5. Timing
Fundera på om tiden har kommit för din idé. Om du har en ny produkt/tjänst eller ny affärsmodell, se till så att marknaden är redo för idén och att systemen som idén är beroende av är tillgängliga.

6. Lättförståelig
Oavsett om det är du själv, din revisor eller en kund som läser affärsidén ska det vara en aha-upplevlese – ”Jag förstår precis varför den här affärsidén är så bra”. Skriv enkelt, vara tydlig och krångla inte till saker.

7. Förändring
Även om en affärsidé är långsiktig så förändras vår omvärld hela tiden. Var därför flexibel och se över din affärsidé regelbundet för att se så att den fortsätter vara konkurrenskraftig och stöda din verksamhet.

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