Day 13 — Minimum Viable Research (MVR) — the start-up approach to research

This once is coming with a little bit of a delay, as I’ve been thinking about this idea already some time ago. Actually, that’s how I started my approach to doing research, as this was the best way I knew to approach any new idea that needs to be sold to companies.

What? You say. Sold to companies?

Someone had to buy it. More specifically, several companies had to buy the idea. This was my requirement to start this doctoral research project. I came up with the idea and started asking companies around if this was anyhow relevant for them. Were they willing to share their frustrations and considered topic worth exploring? Would they buy into taking part in the research?

Essentially, I went out with a basic concept of the research or Minimum Viable Research (MVR) and tested it.

It wasn’t perfect. But once I have “Built” it I could Measure the response. Once I have measured it, I could Learn and iterate. That’s the BML cycle from Eric Ries’ Lean Startup Methodology (http://theleanstartup.com/principles).

Other thing that clearly jumps out from my memories was making cold calls and arranging meetings to validate the idea. This is a stressful, but at the same time exciting process. I slightly cringe when I think about it. But at the same time, I really enjoy it. Surprise… Surprise… I have usually been receiving very positive responses, including cold calls.

For me that’s another validation of value creation (opportunity) of the project I’m embarking on.

Coming back to the startup jargon, it’s all about “getting out of the building”, as Steve Blank says (https://www.inc.com/steve-blank/key-to-success-getting-out-of-building.html)

Interestingly enough, these ideas are very well in line with Engage Scholarship approach (which I buy into) proposed by Andrew Van de Ven.