Hi there -
Here is this week’s “1 principle, 2 strategies, and 3 actionable tactics” for running lean…
1 Universal Principle
“Validate your idea in 90-day cycles.”
(Share this on Bluesky) (Share this on Twitter/X)
It’s easy to fall into a flow state when launching a new product and lose track of time. Weeks can quickly turn into months.
However, time is the most limited resource in a startup, and it’s essential to manage it effectively.
The true job of an entrepreneur is iterating from an idea (or Plan A) to a business model that works before running out of resources.
Establishing a time-boxed cadence is one technique for doing this. It involves using a fixed-duration work cycle pattern that creates a forcing function for regularly pausing, reflecting, and course-correcting on your business model’s progress.
So, what is the right fixed-duration work cycle to use? I find 90 days to be just right, and in today’s issue, I’ll explain why.
2 Underlying Strategies at Play
I. Why not 2 weeks?
High-performing agile teams commonly use 2-week sprints, and yes, two weeks is long enough to run an experiment.
Think of an experiment as one cycle through the Lean Startup Build-Measure-Learn loop.
However, the true measure of a working business model isn’t just learning but traction.
Traction is the rate at which a business model captures monetizable value from customers.
But, getting to traction often requires running multiple experiments stacked together.
This is why 90 days is a better timeboxed cadence for measuring business model progress, not 2 weeks.
That said, small batches or iterations are key to fast feedback loops. So, I also recommend breaking up your 90-day cycle into smaller 2-week sprints.
II. 90-Days is made up of six 2-week sprints.
You’ll end up with six 2-week sprints, which are typically enough experiment cycles to drive any campaign to measurable traction (or invalidation).
Here’s what a typical 90-Day cycle looks like:
3 Actionable Tactics
I. 90-Day Cycle Planning
I allocate the first 2-weeks for cycle planning.
Week 1:
- update my business models,
- review metrics, and
- set a 90-day traction goal.
Week 2:
- Identify constraints keeping us from achieving the 90-day goal,
- Brainstorm new campaigns to break the constraint,
- Shortlist one or two of the most promising campaigns.
II. 90-Day Cycle Testing
This leaves us with 10 weeks or five 2-week sprints to implement the campaign.
Setting a sprint review day (Friday or Monday) is good practice to take stock of what’s working and not working.
III. 90-Day Cycle Review
Every 90-day cycle ends with a retrospective to review:
- What we thought?
- What we did?
- What we learned?
This culminates in a 3P Decision:
- Pivot: If a change in campaign/strategy is warranted
- Persevere: Double down on campaign
- Pause: The business model is a dead-end
Rinse and repeat.
That’s all for today. See you next week.
Ash
Author of Running Lean and creator of Lean Canvas
.
.
P.S.
For more on how to integrate 90-day cycles into your daily and weekly work schedule, see:
