There are lots of great ideas out there. But you can’t bank a great idea. Execution is what counts.

When people come to us with a software concept, it’s easy to get excited and start planning how fantastic it’s going to be. But creating a software product that will actually make money involves so much more than just building great software.

You’re essentially building a business. And there’s a lot to execute, including the software.

How do we turn smart software ideas into smart business ideas?

The first thing we do with any project at EndGame is to work through a Lean Canvas in detail. Lean Canvas is a one-page business plan template created by Ash Maurya that helps to deconstruct the idea into its key assumptions using nine basic building blocks.

I love the Lean Canvas. It’s really just a snapshot of the current set of assumptions, which allows you to assess which is the riskiest and focus on that.

It also helps put the idea (usually expressed as the solution) in context and helps you answer critical questions like: Is this problem urgent? Is the problem pervasive? Are buyers willing to pay to have this problem solved and, if so, how much? These questions (and more) come from a great book called Tuned In.

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Running Lean

We follow the process set out in Ash Maurya’s book, Running Lean, and we use https://leanstack.com to guide us through. The idea (once you’ve completed the Lean Canvas) is to look at the concept and opportunity in a specific order.

You start with articulating the problem you’re solving (even this can be a challenge sometimes!). Then you list your target customers and identify who your early adopters will be (everything else needs to be seen through their eyes).

One of the hardest steps is understanding the Unique Value Proposition. And this is where our experienced EndGame product owners really start to add value.

Next, we look at the proposed solution, the channel to market (you’ve got one, right?) and the revenue streams. Understanding the model is more important than just extrapolating how much money you’ll make from MRR.

When we start looking at the costs involved in building the product, taking it to market and achieving sales targets…most people have a BEOM (big eye-opening moment)! Finally, we look at the key metrics and the unfair advantage.

Ash explains in his book how the Lean Canvas is a great tool for iterating from “plan A to a plan that works”. And this is key. Anyone can complete a Lean Canvas in an hour or two. But how do you know if the plan will actually work?

Let your idea take flight.

Executing great ideas is a journey. And that’s why we love travelling alongside our clients as a long-term software product partner.

If you’d like help turning a smart software idea into a smart business idea (or you’d just like a copy of the Lean Canvas worksheet and the first few chapters of Ash’s book), then please get in touch.

A massive thanks to Ash Maurya for all of the work he’s put into this book. It’s a must read for any entrepreneur.

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