Lean Startup Machine launches Cape Town event: ‘Fail fast. Succeed faster’

Lean Startup Machine (LSM) is a tried and tested, world-renowned methodology that’s based on the principle for startups to “fail fast and succeed faster.”

Brought to us by ROI Media, from 30 May to 1 June, LSM Cape Town will host a three-day event consisting of fifty-second pitches, essential workshops and training, judges and ultimately winners.

Participants’ ideas will be refined and put to the test under the guidance of well-acclaimed mentors such as Snapscan co-founder Kobus Ehlers, Andrew Smith from Yuppiechef, co-founder of WooThemes Mark Forrester, Groupon SA CEO Wayne Gosling, and many more.

Trevor Owens, founder of Javelin, is also one of the mentors and will bring to the table the Javelin board — a popular experimental method that will be used to test entrepreneurs’ ideas without wasting time or money.

Ventureburn had a chat with Head of ROI Media Allen Jaffe and Head of Content and Communications Joanne Brent to hear what all the fuss is about. Jaffe, who’s also Organiser of LSM, says the most important thing he’d like attendees to take away from the event would be the fact that customer validation can be achieved within three days. Participants can therefor learn how to fail fast so they can succeed faster.

Especially in South Africa, Jaffe notes, most entrepreneurs have an ingrained fear of failure which poses one of the biggest barriers startups have to face in developing a fruitful ecosystem. LSM wants to teach us how to eliminate this barrier.

It sounds like a given but most entrepreneurs end up putting everything on the line without knowing exactly what the public demand looks like. LSM teaches you these basics. For instance, entrepreneurs are encouraged to physically go out to the streets and gather up public opinion on their product.

Listen to the full interview with Allen Jaffe and Joanne Brent:

For more information on how to get involved with the event go to the Lean Startup Machine Cape Town website.