The Lean Discovery Process in Digital Business Startups: The Case of raiserve

Abstract

Uncertainty in the early development of digital business startups can benefit from data-driven testing of hypotheses. Examining literature in lean startups, lean user experience and lean software development, we highlight underlying assumptions of existing lean models. We conceptualize the Lean Discovery Process that recognizes that uncertainty arises in the business model, product and customer/market. The Lean Discovery Process focuses on testing from the early business idea through to fully realized product stages of an innovation development. We conceptualize the minimum viable customer and support early testing with concepts from market research and collective intelligence. Using the case of raiserve, a social entrepreneurship venture, we demonstrate early opportunities to apply lean principles and rigorous hypothesis testing in a Lean Discovery Process that results in significant reductions in time and expense of product development.