This document discusses key lessons and concepts around disciplined entrepreneurship. It covers two startup stories, the importance of primary market research, developing a sales funnel, framing entrepreneurship as both a craft and truth, and making entrepreneurship more inclusive. The document emphasizes practical skills and sequential steps entrepreneurs can take, from ideation to product development to sales and scaling. It presents entrepreneurship as both learnable through first principles but also requiring apprenticeship to succeed.
23. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Needs Assessment: Business Essentials* 23
Defining & Refining
Product Market
Fit
Ideation
Team
Building 1
Career
Choice
Soft
Skills
Primary Market
Research
Key Founders’
Decisions
Sales
Basics of
Finance
Communications
Sector Deep
Dives
Customer
Acquisition
Strategy
Product
Design
Product
Development
Leadership &
Culture
Negotiations
Scaling -
Manufacturing
Work-Life
Balance
Financing
HR
Project
Management
Dealing with
Adversity
Core Entrepreneurship Specific Skills :
Corporate
Entreprnrship
Corporate
Strategy
“Nucleation”
(Phase 1)
“Product Definition”
(Phase 2)
“Venture Development”
(Phase 3)
Product
Management
Legal
Business Model
& Pricing
Scaling: Process
& Infrastructure
General Skills Valuable to Entrepreneurs:
Essential Skills for Entrepreneurs (Semi-Customized):
Building
Eship Systems
* - An open framework built for constant refinement
24. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Benefits of Approach
• Comprehensive yet Practical
• Sequential/Prescriptive/Integrated
• Proven & Tested – To Stand the Test of Time
• Creates Common Language for Knowledge
Transfer and Accumulation
24
30. Fundamental & Important Concept
Not in Original Book
Windows of Opportunity (WoO)
• A time when your target
end user, economic buyer,
champion, or influencer
will be particularly open to
considering your offering
• Examples:
– Holiday Season
– End of Fiscal Year or
Beginning; Budgeting Cycle
– Life Transitions
– Change in Leadership
– Crisis
Triggers
• Within the WoO, a specific
action you take to create
an urgency/strong
incentive for the target
customer to act
• Examples:
– Discount
– Limited supply
– Time bounded
– Community
– Avoid disaster
30
31. Examples …
Windows of Opportunity (WoO)
1. Expedia – you are looking at
a flight
2. IBM – end of fiscal year at a
utility
3. Students – beginning of the
school year
4. Enterprise SW – competitor
is acquired by Oracle
5. Hubspot – Visiting website
6. Security Company – after a
high visibility breach
7. Politicians – Bad Obama
sound bite
Trigger
1. “2 seats remaining at this
price”
2. “I need to schedule my
people for December”
3. Back to schools sales or give
aways
4. Time bound Tradein Program
5. Free Website Grader
6. Free audit of customer’s
status
7. Immediate letter to ‘faithful’
soliciting donations
31
33. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thoughts – What Have I Learned
Since the Last Time I was in Boulder?
• PMR (Primary Market Research)
• Getting First Customers
• Value and Discipline of a Sales Funnel
35. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2nd Draft Sales Funnel with Actions for Short Term
Lead Gen: _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Watering Holes: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Find Out About Options – Initial Dialogue: ___________________________________
WoO/Triggers & Confirms General Value Prop: _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options I – Confirms Value Prop for Them: ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Confirms Budget: _______________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options II – Qualify & Proposal: _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Verbal Close & Objection Handling: ________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire Product I – Secure Full Commitment, e.g., Purchase Order: ______
______________________________________________________________________
Pay for Product: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Buy More: _____________________________________________________________
Tell Others: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire the Product II – Ship/Install: _______________________________
Customer Support - Use, Get Value, Determine Value: __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
#1: Identification
Output: Leads
#2: Consideration
Output: Suspects
#3: Engagement
Output: Prospects
#4: Purchase Intent
Output: Qualified Prospects
#5: Purchase
Output: Customers
#7: Advocacy
Output: Evangelists
#6: Loyalty
Output: Satisfied Customers
36. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2nd Draft Sales Funnel with Actions for Medium Term
Lead Gen: _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Watering Holes: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Find Out About Options – Initial Dialogue: ___________________________________
WoO/Triggers & Confirms General Value Prop: _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options I – Confirms Value Prop for Them: ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Confirms Budget: _______________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options II – Qualify & Proposal: _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Verbal Close & Objection Handling: ________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire Product I – Secure Full Commitment, e.g., Purchase Order: ______
______________________________________________________________________
Pay for Product: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Buy More: _____________________________________________________________
Tell Others: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire the Product II – Ship/Install: _______________________________
Customer Support - Use, Get Value, Determine Value: __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
#1: Identification
Output: Leads
#2: Consideration
Output: Suspects
#3: Engagement
Output: Prospects
#4: Purchase Intent
Output: Qualified Prospects
#5: Purchase
Output: Customers
#7: Advocacy
Output: Evangelists
#6: Loyalty
Output: Satisfied Customers
37. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
2nd Draft Sales Funnel with Actions for Long Term
Lead Gen: _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Watering Holes: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Find Out About Options – Initial Dialogue: ___________________________________
WoO/Triggers & Confirms General Value Prop: _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options I – Confirms Value Prop for Them: ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Confirms Budget: _______________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Analyze Options II – Qualify & Proposal: _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Verbal Close & Objection Handling: ________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire Product I – Secure Full Commitment, e.g., Purchase Order: ______
______________________________________________________________________
Pay for Product: ________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Buy More: _____________________________________________________________
Tell Others: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
Physically Acquire the Product II – Ship/Install: _______________________________
Customer Support - Use, Get Value, Determine Value: __________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Who: _________________________________________________________________
#1: Identification
Output: Leads
#2: Consideration
Output: Suspects
#3: Engagement
Output: Prospects
#4: Purchase Intent
Output: Qualified Prospects
#5: Purchase
Output: Customers
#7: Advocacy
Output: Evangelists
#6: Loyalty
Output: Satisfied Customers
38. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thoughts – What Have I Learned
Since the Last Time I was in Boulder?
• PMR (Primary Market Research)
• Getting First Customers
• Value and Discipline of a Sales Funnel
• Framing the Entrepreneurship
40. DISCIPLINED
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Thoughts – What Have I Learned
Since the Last Time I was in Boulder?
• PMR (Primary Market Research)
• Getting First Customers
• Value and Discipline of a Sales Funnel
• Framing the Entrepreneurship
• Inclusive Entrepreneurship