Looking for a technical co-founder?  Adviser?  Investor?

Join the club.  Entrepreneurs like us know that progress requires building an ecosystem of advocates.  

Unfortunately progress can sometimes be hard to demonstrate in a Lean Startup.  ”Validated Learning About a Market” can look like no progress at all to many people who are used to measuring progress by tangible activities like products, sales, or partnerships.

The Lean Canvas has helped me keep continuity between discussions and demonstrate tangible progress.  

Example:

I initially thought people who care for aging parents would be most interested in ClaimAway.  After dozens of interviews I noticed that parents of children with special needs expressed the most enthusiasm.

Before I started using Lean Canvas, it was hard for people to see relevance of key insights like this.  Conversations invariably drifted to the “realm of the possible.”  When I started pointing them to specific blocks on the Canvas, people could see the service starting to take shape.

My “catch up over lunch” conversations have become more focused and people are starting to get excited about what I’m doing.