Life's Too Short to
Build Something Nobody Wants.
BMD Challenge is a self-paced course that has taught over 10,000 founders the fundamentals of designing, launching, and growing a startup.
Transform Your Idea Into a Business Model Blueprint in 30 Days:
Stop wondering if your idea will work. Get a proven system to design, validate, and launch - even if you're starting from scratch.
Get everything you need to be successful - including business modeling tools, weekly training, and accountability.
Hi - I'm Ash.
I'm an entrepreneur, best-selling author, and the creator of 1-page business modeling tool: Lean Canvas used by over a million people worldwide.
I practice what I teach and this challenge outlines the exact process I've used to launch all my products and is the result of 10+ years of rigorous testing and thousands of hours of tinkering, iterating, and coaching on real-world products.
Ready to start up?
Here's everything you get once you join BMD Challenge:
The First Thing:
The Business Model Design Challenge...
BMD Challenge compresses a year's worth of (painful) Startup learnings into a (fun) 30-day workshop. By front loading testing of what’s riskiest, we’ve helped thousands of students avoid going down the wrong rabbit hole and dead-ends and in turn save hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars.
This isn’t a typical masterclass where you’re lectured at, but rather an experience where you learn by doing. You learn by working on your idea every day for 30 days and when you put in the work, you end up with a solid blueprint for your idea.
Here’s everything we cover over 30 days:
- Module 1: Business Models
- Module 2: Defining Mission
- Module 3: Distilling Clarity
- Module 4: Intensifying Desirability
- Module 5: Evaluating Viability
- Module 6: Synchronizing Timing
- Module 7: Mapping Feasibility
- Module 8: Fortifying Defensibility
- Module 9: Pitching
Plus:
Lifetime Access to Business Modeling Tools...
In addition to the step-by-step playbook, you'll get access to our business modeling tools (Lean Canvas and Traction Roadmap) and get to put everything you learn into practice.
Lean Canvas is our 1-page business modeling tool using by millions of people to deconstruct their ideas into simple and powerful business models.
Our Traction Roadmap tool helps you chart your journey from idea to scale into a series of stage-based milestones that help you systematically tame uncertainty.
Plus:
The LEANFoundry Community...
The entire BMD Challenge experience happens inside our LEANFoundry platform.
LEANFoundry is our closed founder-only community platform where founders can introduce themselves, chat with other founders, interact and comment on each module, make friends, share resources, and more.
This is also where you can find events, live workshops and participate in community-curated experiences.
And:
Additional Bonuses...
You'll learn
- How to bootstrap your idea from concept to paying customers without first building a product.
- How to validate your idea in 90-Day Cycles.
- And more...
Get everything you need to be successful - including business modeling tools, weekly training, and accountability.
Your 30-Day Journey
Phase 1: Deconstruct Your Idea
Deconstruct your big idea into a business model using a Lean Canvas
Identify riskiest assumptions
Refine your business model
Phase 2: Stress-test Your Idea
Evaluate your idea against 7 dimensions
Bullet-proof against common business model pitfalls
Formulate a go-to-market launch strategy
Phase 3: Start Validating Your Idea
Secure commitments from key stakeholders
Create a 90-Day plan for validating your idea
Start executing your 90-Day plan
What You'll Find Inside:
Actionable step-step mindsets, strategies, and tools for taking any idea from concept to early traction (aka paying customers).
Key Mindsets
What separates successful entrepreneurs isn't differing skillsets but mindsets. You'll learn 10 key mindsets that multiply your odds of building a successful startup.
Principles before Tactics
What separates successful entrepreneurs isn't differing skillsets but mindsets. You'll learn 10 key mindsets that multiply your odds of building a successful startup.
Overcoming Biases
BEWARE: this insidious cognitive bias will constantly conspire to your derail your startup’s progress. There is an antidote.
Viability Stress-testing
CAUTION: Rushing into an idea often results in a "zombie startup." Ideas can consume years of your life. These stress-tests help you choose the right idea for your goals.
Uncovering Secrets
Every successful startup idea was built on an underlying secret or insight only the founder saw. You'll learn how to search for and uncover secrets within your idea.
Leveraging Inflections
All successful products share this one trait. It's also what every successful VC looks for in an idea. Uncovering it is the key to timing your idea for success.
Crafting a Compelling Unique Value Proposition
The first battle of any product is earning attention. But how do stand out in the crowd? Think different, not better.
Building a Defensible Unfair Advantage
Most entrepreneurs don’t start with a defensible unfair advantage. Discover how to navigate this on day one.
Achieving Clarity
How to pitch your idea to anyone clearly and concisely. This is a foundational skill to master for landing co-founders, advisors, customers, and investors.
Identifying Your True Competition
Are you using this unique positioning technique to sell? This is how customers really compare you to the competition.
Here's a Recap of Everything You'll Get:
LEANSTACK Business Modeling Tools
Get lifetime access to business modeling tools like Lean Canvas and Traction Roadmap that help you put everything you learn into practice.
($199 Value)
The 'Business Model Design' Challenge
You'll get daily training (from Ash Maurya) on strategies and techniques for designing and stress-testing business models.
($997 Value)
Business Model Design Playbook
This course teaches you how to communicate your big idea clearly and concisely to key stakeholders.
($199 Value)
BONUS: 90-Day Cycle Validation Framework
This course teaches you how to systematically test your business model using 90 day cycle and sprints.
($297 Value)
BONUS: Love The Problem Kit
You'll get a signed copy of the Running Lean book and a 'Love the Problem' t-shirt.
($49 Value)
Team Access
Collaborate with up to five team members team members working on the same project.
(x5 Value)
Get everything you need to be successful - including business modeling tools, weekly training, and accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does this cost?
I routinely deliver this curriculum as a workshop priced at $1000-2000/ticket.
But my goal with BMD Challenge was to make this content as accessible as possible to aspiring founders while still charging enough to drive accountability.
I happy to share that the full course is priced at just $150.
How many people can participate in a team?
Up to 5 co-founders working on the same project.
Is this a self-paced course or cohort based?
To meet founders where they are and support peer-to-peer accountability, we run the challenge using a hybrid on-demand + cohort model.
Here's how it works:
- We start new cohorts every Monday,
- All the course content and tools are available immediately,
- In addition, you'll get a complementary email series that help introduce new concepts an keep you accountable.
How long is this course?
That depends on you. You can go through this course as quickly or slowly as you like.
Most teams complete the course in 2-4 weeks allocating ~30 minutes per day.
Why should I join this program? Can't I get the same learnings from your books and free videos?
For the same reason that we attend schools and universities, or elite athletes hire coaches -- for experience, advice, and external accountability.
That's what makes this program different from traditional courses.
In addition, I am constantly evolving and refining the framework. You'll learn new techniques and strategies not covered in any of my books.
How long do I have access to the course materials?
You'll have lifetime access to the course content and business modeling tools (Lean Canvas and Traction Roadmap).
Access to the LEANFoundry community and events will expire after 30 days and will require a membership if you want continued access to follow-on tools and playbooks.
How is BMD Challenge different from LEANFoundry membership?
BMD Challenge is our starter playbook, while LEANFoundry contains all the follow-on validation and playbooks.
BMD Challenge helps build the foundation for designing and validating your idea.
While LEANFoundry provides follow-on tools, courses, and coaching for turning your idea into a repeatable and scalable business.
I still have questions!
Drop me an email at ash@leanstack.com.
No-Questions Asked Refund Policy
I want your BMD Challenge investment to be 100% risk free.
So, our refund policy is very simple.
If you complete the entire 30-day program, complete all the modules, and create your business model blueprint, and STILL don’t feel like you extracted the value you hoped, drop us a note and we will give you a full refund.
No questions asked.
Watch a sample lesson
Over 10,000 founders have created their business model blueprints:
Still unsure?
Get a sneak peek of what you'll learn with my Just Start course:
This 5-day email course will walk you through everything you need to find the right startup idea, build a business model, & bootstrap your way to paying customers.