In this episode The Get It Girl Show host Jenna Rutschman discussed the importance of using the Lean Methodology of creating a startup with Lauren and Brenda co-founders of WineBlock. For our listeners this episode is fun because it discusses the birth of the partnership between Left of West a marketing consulting firm Jenna owns and when Lauren first described her new startup WineBlock over a call (Jenna & Lauren are old pals from their University of Arizona days).

When Lauren began discussing WineBlock with Jenna she started asking questions about how they have tested the idea of the WineBlock product with potential clients. During this initial conversation Jenna discussed The Lean Startup Methodology she follows from author Eric Ries. From The Lean Startup website the process is described as:

"The Lean Startup provides a scientific approach to creating and managing startups and get a desired product to customers' hands faster. The Lean Startup method teaches you how to drive a startup-how to steer, when to turn, and when to persevere-and grow a business with maximum acceleration. It is a principled approach to new product development.

Too many startups begin with an idea for a product that they think people want. They then spend months, sometimes years, perfecting that product without ever showing the product, even in a very rudimentary form, to the prospective customer. When they fail to reach broad uptake from customers, it is often because they never spoke to prospective customers and determined whether or not the product was interesting. When customers ultimately communicate, through their indifference, that they don't care about the idea, the startup fails."

Lauren immediately felt it was meant to be that she and Jenna connected on her startup experience and her digital marketing experience and saw how WineBlock could benefit from working with Left of West. From this initial conversation Jenna, Lauren and Brenda connected regarding running a Proof of Concept campaign that would run a campaign on Facebook and Instagram leading potential WineBlock customers to the WineBlock website to sign up for an early product release coupon. Of course fears were had about putting their concept out there. But in the end the Proof of Concept was successful, it brought valid marketing and target audience data to WineBlock enabling them to understand that WineBlock was a viable product people had interest in. This is valuable to know BEFORE you drop a ton of money into a startup. At the core positive outcome of the Proof of Concept. Prior to production dollars being spent on creating and marketing a new to market product WineBlock was able to test the interest of the product with audiences! 

Contributors:

Learn about the contributors of The Get It Girl Show including host Jenna Rutschman and WineBlock Co-founders Brenda Kirkpatrick and Lauren Calabrese here.

Show Links:

Helpful Proof of Concept Links:

The Lean Startup

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