Blog
Measuring Is the Hardest Part
What seems like the most difficult piece of the Build-Measure-Learn Cycle to you? Putting together a low-fi, low-cost, low-effort prototype? Figuring out what measurements will be meaningful? Making the persevere – pivot – kill decision?…
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No Guarantee of Success
One of the common misperceptions of lean startup methodology is that it’s a guarantee that your idea for a solution to one or your audience’s problems will succeed. It’s not. You could’ve chosen the wrong…
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Lean at 10: Lessons Learned
Are you ready to use lean startup methodology to create new value for your members and other audiences, but find yourself stuck? Maybe it’s your culture. On Wednesday, July 16, Jamie Notter, Chrissy Bagby, Tiffany…
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Walking Your Talk on Innovation
I recently participated in a virtual roundtable where the topic of conversation turned to non-dues revenue and the need to experiment with new ideas in a time of rapid change (it may be trite to…
Read More →Lean at 10: Culture Eats Methodology for Lunch
Ten years ago, Guillermo Ortiz de Zárate and I co-authored Innovate the Lean Way, a free monograph designed to introduce lean startup methodology to the association industry, explain why we think it’s a good fit…
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Are You Lean-Curious?
By this point, most executives have probably at least heard of lean startup methodology. You may even know that it’s used for product development, and, in the association context, particularly applicable to ideas for new…
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Retooling Your Business Model
Earlier this week, Associations Now profiled a recent report from McKinley Advisors, Business Model Innovation, in which they identify five innovation elements that can provide the revenue that fuels your association’s ability to achieve your mission:…
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Big Risk, Big Reward
This is IT. You’ve just come up with THE game-changing idea for your organization. It’s going to transform your profession or industry, bring in more members, or dramatically increase your non-dues revenue. Upside: potential HUGE…
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Reaching Detente With Your Chapters
One of the truisms of association management is that national/chapter relationships are often…fraught. Even though we’re all ostensibly on the same side, it doesn’t always feel that way. Each side feels like the other is…
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What Is Your Brand?
When I say “brand,” what do you think of? Your colors, logo, font, use of images? Your style guide (hopefully your association has one)? Nope. Those things are your brand IMAGE, but they aren’t your…
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