--- title: Bizplan Academy | Entrepreneurship (2) description: Entrepreneurship | Bizplan.com | Modern business planning software for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses (2) --- # BizPlan Academy ## In-depth lessons on business ideation, pitching, and planning [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Josh_Krajina_Customer_Development.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/customer-development-101-finding-and-attracting-your-first-users) ## [Customer Development 101: Finding & Attracting Your First Customers](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/customer-development-101-finding-and-attracting-your-first-users) ![Joe Garza](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Joe_Garza_Headshot.jpg) By [Joe Garza](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/joe-garza)   April 17, 2017 A company will only survive as long as it continues to have a strong customer base. Even the best products will fail without a steady stream of users. Luckily, once a company has attracted its first customers, maintaining demand becomes considerable easier. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/customer-development-101-finding-and-attracting-your-first-users) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.startups.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/09143652/hieronymus-bosch.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/9-deadliest-start-up-sins) ## [9 Deadliest Start-up Sins](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/9-deadliest-start-up-sins) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 14, 2017 Whether your venture is a new pizza parlor or the hottest new software product, beware: These nine flawed assumptions are toxic. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/9-deadliest-start-up-sins) [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank-Strategy_is_not_a_to_do_list.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/strategy-is-not-a-to-do-list) ## [Strategy is Not a To Do List](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/strategy-is-not-a-to-do-list) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 14, 2017 I had breakfast with two of my ex-students from Singapore who were building a really interesting startup. They were deep into Customer Discovery and presented a ton of customer data on the validity of their initial hypothesis – target customers, pricing, stickiness, etc.  I was unprepared for what they said next. “We’re going to do a big launch of our product in three weeks.”  I almost dropped my coffee. “Wait a minute, what about the rest of [Customer Development](https://steveblank.com/2009/09/17/the-path-of-warriors-and-winners/)? Aren’t you going to validate your hypotheses by first getting some customers?” [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/strategy-is-not-a-to-do-list) [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Josh_Krajina-Problem_Identification.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/first-step-to-validate-your-business-idea) ## [First Step to Validate Your Business Idea](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/first-step-to-validate-your-business-idea) ![Neeraj Joshi](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Joshi_Neeraj.jpeg) By [Neeraj Joshi](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/neeraj-joshi)   April 13, 2017 This is the question that haunts many entrepreneurs and demotivates them from working on their business Idea. The best way to start when you have a business idea in your mind is to think of the problem it is trying to solve. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/first-step-to-validate-your-business-idea) [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan/Hero-bg-img.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/no-plan-survives-first-contact-with-customers-business-plans-versus-business-models) ## [No Plan Survives First Contact With Customers - Business Plans Versus Business Models](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/no-plan-survives-first-contact-with-customers-business-plans-versus-business-models) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 13, 2017 [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/no-plan-survives-first-contact-with-customers-business-plans-versus-business-models) [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve-Blank_VCsNotYourFriend.jpeg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/vcs-are-not-your-friends-they-are-frenemies) ## [VCs Are Not Your Friends, They're Frenemies](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/vcs-are-not-your-friends-they-are-frenemies) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 13, 2017 ### Let's Go to Lunch At [Rocket Science](https://steveblank.com/category/rocket-science-games/) our video game company was struggling. [Hubris](https://steveblank.com/2009/07/13/rocket-science-4-the-press-is-our-product/), bad CEO decisions (mine) and a [fundamental lack of understanding](https://steveblank.com/2009/07/16/rocket-science-5-who-needs-domain-experts/) that we were in a “hits-based” entertainment business not in a Silicon Valley technology company were slowly killing us. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/vcs-are-not-your-friends-they-are-frenemies) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.startups.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/22231714/1-fodtKxCBKQIRsa90DgJ9vw.jpeg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/mentors-coaches-and-teachers) ## [Mentors, Coaches and Teachers](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/mentors-coaches-and-teachers) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 13, 2017 > When the student is ready, the master appears. — Buddhist Proverb Lots of entrepreneurs believe they want a mentor. When in fact, they’re actually asking for a teacher or a coach. A mentor relationship is a two-way street. To make it work, you have to bring something to the party. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/mentors-coaches-and-teachers) [![](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank-Search_Build_Grow.jpg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/what-do-i-do-now-the-startup-lifecycle) ## [What Do I Do Now? The Startup Lifecycle](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/what-do-i-do-now-the-startup-lifecycle) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 13, 2017 Last week I got a call from Patrick an ex-student I hadn’t heard from for 8 years. He was now the CEO of a company and wanted to talk about what he admitted was a “first world” problem. Over breakfast he got me up to date on his life since school (two non-CEO roles in startups,) but he wanted to talk about his third startup — the one he and two co-founders had started. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/what-do-i-do-now-the-startup-lifecycle) [![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.startups.co/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/18133832/1-Dfj0svxLxXZ0hmucVE0WXg.jpeg)](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/an-mvp-is-not-a-cheaper-product-its-about-smart-learning) ## [An MVP is not a Cheaper Product, It’s about Smart Learning](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/an-mvp-is-not-a-cheaper-product-its-about-smart-learning) ![Steve Blank](http://info.zirtual.com/hubfs/Bizplan_Academy/Steve_Blank.jpeg) By [Steve Blank](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/author/steve-blank)   April 12, 2017 A minimum viable product (MVP) is not always a smaller/cheaper version of your final product. Defining the goal for a MVP can save you tons of time, money and grief. [Read More  ](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/an-mvp-is-not-a-cheaper-product-its-about-smart-learning) [Previous](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/topic/entrepreneurship/page/1) [All posts](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/all) [Next](https://blog.bizplan.com/academy/topic/entrepreneurship/page/3)