Lean Startup Day @ MaRS

Lean Startup Day @ MaRS

According to venture capitalist, author and marathon runner Brad Feld: “Startup communities consist of many more participants than just entrepreneurs. Government, universities, investors, mentors, service providers and large companies play key roles in the development of a startup community.”

To this end, on December 3, 2012, we are holding Lean Startup Day @ MaRS, a series of events involving a “Feldian” vision of community, with the aim of giving back to the startup community by helping to create one.

Lean Startup Day @ MaRS will include all things “lean,” including:

  • a lean expo to network with the startup community;
  • a lean panel and workshops with David Crow to learn what it “means to be lean”;
  • lean startup demos; and, most importantly
  • the livestream of The Lean Startup Conference hosted by entrepreneur Steve Blank and Eric Ries, pioneer of the Lean Startup movement.

Startups are at the core of everything we do here in the information technology, communications and entertainment (ICE) practice at MaRS. As such, we feel the lean startup is a novel way of looking at the development of new and innovative products that emphasizes huge vision, fast iteration, customer insights and great ambition all at the same time.

Gone are the days of the 100-page business plan. Today’s startups must get outside, quickly test the assumptions of their business models, listen to their customers and iterate into scalable and repeatable business models. Of course, there is always the odd pivot along the way, but the main goal is moving through the customer development cycle quickly.

Register now: We encourage everyone to join us on December 3 for Lean Startup Day @ MaRS.

For more information on the Lean Startup movement, visit Eric Ries’s website, theleanstartup.com or follow him on Twitter via @theleanstartup or the hashtag #theleanstartup.