· 3 min read
Startup Skill Evaluation
| Skill | Evidence | |
|---|---|---|
| Resourcefulness | Brainstorming solutions. Emergency repsonse projects, return to service iterations (x16). Fixing items around the house or finding hacks to do things cheaper (moto cycle luggage rack). Setting up brand for personal branding expert with U of C. | |
| Vision | Thinking 2 steps ahead. Planning logistics of trips for camping. Daily cooking. Return to serivce planning for pipelines. Root cause analysis investigations and corrective actions. Setting up InI playbook and formatting. Setting up intern on-boarding and transitioning role. | |
| Communication | Translating between field techs, leadership, and managers. Seeing different levels of needs and empathizing with students during BDMA. Meetings where I can see the miscommunications happening live. | |
| Focus | Have practiced with atomic habits, daily planning, top 3 priorities, working with Dave, accountability standups etc. | |
| Leadership and Management | Checking in with people during BDMA projects. Building InI team culture. Supporting hiring process for the right fit. BDMA team projects. | |
| Grit | Project closeout, using accountability hacks to keep making progress. Finding house in Netherlands. Applying for master’s programs and jobs for 2021/2023 adventure. | |
| Patience and Resiliance | None stop challenges during BDMA, zero to mother fucking hero. ILI investigation. 2 years long-distance with Sarah. Relationship breaks and working through addiction (10 years). | |
| Sales | Listening to potential customer needs, investigations and asking questions. Naturally curious and willing to try new things and alternative approaches. | |
| Technical | Have worked with MobilityDB and understand the complexities and issues it solves and how it does so. Have 2 technical co-founders to support this aspect. | |
| Finance | Several startup type of events completed. Understand financial book keeping, burn down rates, forecasting etc from project management work. Personal budget and retirement savings management. | |
| Networking | Solid skill. LinkedIn, networking events, easy time meeting people, helping to make connections and being vulnerable to develop relationships. | |
| Domain Knowledge | 2 technical co-founders. I have an interest and curiosity in databases, optimization and generally in creating efficient processes and systems. | |
| Strategic and Analytical | Testing and validating ideas. Willing to try and use Lean Startup approach. Collecting data - personal finance, habit tracking. Setting and tracking for KPIs with Failure Forms and InI metrics. Adjusting as we go. |
Startup Steps
- Define vision
- Explore a potential market space that we can enter
- Within this market place, how are others making money? How can we make money?
- Mission and Purpose: Understand client needs and develop MobilityDB to help clients increase effectiveness. Support people in transitioning to or using MobilityDB to get the most out of it quickly without a bottom line cost.
- The purpose of money is to support a team of people that can achieve the M&P.
- Build-Measure-Learn cycles
- With an idea in place, develop KPIs to see if it’s profitable. Launch, measure and iterate. Repeat
- KPIs need to support learning. There should be some aspect I am measuring specifically to see if it should be evolved, dropped, or changed.
- Identify the leap of faith assumptions that we have as part of the idea. Those assumptions can lead to succeess or failure, and form the basis of different tests and iterations.
- MVP - Does not need to be working product, but something that supports validaation of a business hypothesis.
- Measure MVP against pre-defined KPIs
- These are done in fast batches. Avoid big complexe moves that introduce lots of variables or reduce cycle time.
- Results of measurements drive the next iteration
- If necessary, pivot. Pivot is a brand new hypothesis that needs to go through cycle again.
- Grow based on past customer behaviour. Identify growth engine (sticky, viral, paid), develpp metrcis to help track this, and run it.
- Build a cutlure, systems and a team that continues to question previosuly proven assumptions and that re-evaluates tehcnology and busienss to continue answering client needs. Adapt
- Include innovation as part of regular business. Support and cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship in team.
- With an idea in place, develop KPIs to see if it’s profitable. Launch, measure and iterate. Repeat
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