5 REASONS WHY STARTUPS NEED TO EMBRACE ‘DESIGN THINKING, LEAN MINDSET AND AGILE’ – AGILE MARKETING
Startups are created from actions borne from an idea and can encounter challenges and uncertainties that can seldom be mapped or predicted. Have you been through this journey yourself or know someone who has? Do you think Agile Marketing is the way forward? The essence of the survivability of a startup and its endurance is up to its maturity. This depends on a host of factors which need to be factored in right at the stage of the inception of the enterprise, and this vital function is facilitated by following the simple engineering practices Example – Scrum or Kanban or Agile Marketing or.
HERE ARE FIVE REASONS WHY STARTUPS NEED TO EMBRACE AGILE MARKETING
Reason #1: Understanding Customer Needs
Agile Marketing is all about the mindset. It considers human interactions as a prime driver for the conduct of business. This people-centric approach creates avenues for understanding customer needs and wants. Using empathy mapping techniques (Design Thinking), strategies are constructed which include customer-centric requirements during the design phase of the product or service. Keeping the customer as the focal point in all facets of the business is the essence.
Reason #2: Map your ‘Persona’s futuristic state’
It is essential to have a compelling ‘North Star’ for your project and map your persona’s futuristic state. This gives you the direction towards which all actions get generated. Affixing a clearly defined value, success criteria to the business and how the same needs to be evolved into actionable outcomes is one of the key benefits of using Agile. The Agile Marketing mindset enables the in-depth articulation of the value of the goods or services offered, in a designed timeline. It also clearly defines measurable outputs
Reason #3: Responding to Change
Unlike the waterfall technique, one of the Agile principles emphasises on ‘iterative process’. The processes are lightweight and flexible where one can listen, learn and course-correct depending on the value delivered from each Sprint (time-boxed). Creating space for additions and subtractions in the workflow at pre-designated checkpoints allows for value addition and process modification, which are critical realities in a startup ecosystem.
Reason#4: Measure what matters
Having a Lean mindset helps in assigning clear, specific and considered metrics of measurements for each process output and it’s corresponding value outcomes. Does one need to ask themselves if these metrics matter? Agile, to a large extent, facilitates objectivity in all process-driven actions. The room for subjectivity is kept at a minimal. The availability of tangible performance indicators enables the business to set measure which matters for the organisation. Similarly, since success can be measured, the startup is constantly present to its position in the designated trajectory.
Reason#5: Open Communication
A startup operates in a highly nebulous and opaque business environment. Since perceptions are still not cemented into the declared culture, there will be communication bottlenecks and challenges. Using Agile practices (Standups, Retrospective), in its inherent design, creates multiple communication channels across the full spectrum of human expression. It allows for migration of thoughts, generation of ideas, fully self-expressed opinions and moderated candour. These simple Agile practices facilitate unhindered communication flow on all three dimensions of human interface in an organisation structure ie, vertical, horizontal and diagonal. It also identifies and opens up communication bottlenecks and creates access avenues and echoes chambers, aspects which are supercritical in maintaining the health of the startup.
Agile Marketing is all about the human element, embracing a lean mindset and being customer-centric (design thinking). I am Colonel Ranjeev K Babu, VSM served Indian Army in various roles and currently helping single person startup’s to multinationals, globally. Startups and Organisations whom Leadership Tribe is helping are growing so fast, they are looking for new talent, people who can move Mountains.
ALLOW ME TO SUMMARISE MY LEARNINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
Compelling North Star
One should be able to answer why the organisation/project exists in the first place.
Innovative Minds
Create psychological safe environments where people can experiment without fear of persecution.
Business Courage
Take risks and embrace failure. Yes! things might go wrong, retrospectively adapt and champion change.
The Sense of Urgency
Ability to adapt, move fast and always stay alert.
Have Fun
If you are not enjoying what you are doing then one needs to revisit the North Star.
CREATE A REVOLUTION AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
Leadership Tribe has created a program for ‘Agile Marketing’, lessons harvested whilst working with various SME’s, organisations globally and of course with some awesome Agile Marketing Coaches. Do you want to be part of the new learning experience for free? Just reach out to us directly at [email protected]
