Charlie Gunningham(former coFounder & MD of aussiehome.com)

Product Development- from idea to launch

MBA Graduation, March 1999

7 months later… Dec 1999

5 months later… May 2000

10 years later… July 2010

1. The Background

solving a problem is all

2. The Idea

- quiet contemplation, keep a notepad close

3. Testing your Idea

- talk it out, don’t hide it; - throw negatives

4. Protecting your idea

- execution is your protection- NDA’s are fine – shows you’re serious

5. Developing your Idea

- mentors, RnD, rivals, timing, opportunities, … iterative tweaking (“massaging”)

6. Prototyping

- trial run through, proof of concept

… to show off to investors/clients

7. Business Planning

- written or spoken or thought? - a process, and a selling

document

8. Scenario Analysis

- realistic? -

aggressive?- what ifs?

- think.xls

9. Raising Money / Signing first clients

- try to get a NO!

- if no, move on - if not,

interested

10. Launch and beyond

- is the soft launch a cop out? - early weeks: love your clients, motivate staff… the best & worst of times!

Product Development- from idea to launch

Charlie Gunningham

@ chazgunningham

charliegunningham.com