Founders have a tendency to overcomplicate value propositions, but they're really just expressions of four simple questions: who, what, how, and why. Let's break it down — plus, I've got a few bonus tips to share with you. Let's do this.

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At least not as much as you think it does. In the early stages, a product is a tool you use to get signals from customers, and what matters is something else entirely.

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Having a deep understanding of your customer is the basis of any successful startup. Yet most founders have a shallow understanding — at best.

Here's why you should create customer personas, how to go about the process, and what you can do with them.

All in less than 5 minutes.

As promised, here’s my full YouTube video on customer personas:

And here is the free template.

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People lie right to your face because they think they're being kind. So how does a startup founder get accurate information from her customers? The key is in learning how to trick your mom.

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Business has been around...forever. And yet design thinking is seemingly suddenly crucial for success in business. Why are startups different?

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Growth hacking isn't magic. It isn't luck. It's a methodical, three-step process you can follow today to find the quickest path to scale. Let's break it down.

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They say pain is temporary & quitting lasts forever. But pain is only temporary if there’s a there there. Grit isn’t the hard part. It’s knowing when to use it.

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Design thinking about solving wicked problems using the tools and mindset of creative design. And the ultimate wicked problem? It's a startup.

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At its core, the work of the startup is just the cyclical process of validation. If you can’t articulate your current cycle, you’re stuck.

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We tend to value more what we create ourselves than what we acquire — even when it comes to ideas. The solution is the startup lifecycle.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupmeditations.substack.com