“Get Out Of the Building” With Lean Startup Machine

Lean Startup Machine, a three-day workshop which teaches Lean Startup methodologies and relevant applications, brought together a wild mix of participants last weekend to brainstorm and validate their innovative ideas by “Get Out Of the Building” to speak with real customers. The attendees range from highly motivated IT developers, designers, headhunters, business managers, among others.

Beginning with open pitches on Friday, attendees bring their best ideas and inspire others to join their team. Over Saturday and Sunday, each team focus on customer development, validating their ideas, practicing Lean Startup Methodologies and building a minimal viable product. On Sunday evening nine teams demoded their prototypes and receive valuable feedback from a panel of experts and mentors.

The Breakfast Club, a service focused on providing convenient breakfasts to young professionals, is the winner. The runner-up is League of Foodies, a Dianping-like restaurant review app which hand picks the best restaurants and meals in Shanghai. The app then recommends the restaurants based on what customers like and don’t like.

The two winners will be awarded fellowship at startup Leadership Program (from Singtel), three months working space at China-Axlr8r and membership with DOTASIA, which gives every participant a .asia domain for their ideas.

GradStarter, or we may call it Linkedin for students, is another interesting idea demoed at the final pitch. It aims to bridge the gaps between companies and students who just left universities. The platform will run personality and aptitude tests on students, and then, matching the positions accordingly.

Lean Startup Machine has a global presence, hosting 104 workshops in 40 cities with 7800 entrepreneurs. This is the second Lean Startup Machine event that held in Shanghai and the very first event in Shanghai was held in July last year. MINGLABS and ANGELVEST helped to bring this event to Shanghai.

“Lean Startup Machine is committed to establish a LEAN STARTUP community in China that links to our ever growing global network of entrepreneurs. It is an honor to bring Lean methology to such an inspiring city as Shanghai”, citing Annette Lilly, coordinator of the event.