Discussion: View Thread

Want first-hand experience at how the lean startup approach is such a powerful tool for social and sustainable entrepreneurs? With some of the best lean experts around? Despite the best efforts on both sides, there are still disconnects between social and sustainable entrepreneurs and their academic counterparts. But it was social and sustainable entrepreneurs and academics using state of the art tools such as design thinking and social media who led the way for revolutions like crowdfunding. Before there was Kickstarter, there was Kiva. The key to the lean startup model (and most business modeling tools) is vigorous, ruthless, continuous questioning of the venture's most cherished assumptions. Absent very strong market forces, it falls to the entrepreneur, for-profit or non-profit, to keep testing and re-testing what lies beneath their value propositions – if they wish to continue identifying and delivering great value to their stakeholders. Social and sustainable entrepreneurship is at the leading edge for teaching, practice and research in business modeling. These bleeding edge tools are almost essential for identifying and validating triple bottom line opportunities. However, social and sustainable entrepreneurship faculty members are thus far surprisingly under-informed about these tools, despite fast-growing interest. (At the recent NYU social entrepreneurship conference, out of ~50 scholars queried only 5 knew the lean startup model or even Startup Weekend.) Many are "winging it" but want to get better. They also recognize the great research potential!

for more: http://www.slideshare.net/norriskrueger/pdw-proposal-15297