At OmbuLabs opens a new window we like to split our time working on our own products, client projects, and open source code. We have embraced the Lean Startup methodology not only for our own products but also for our client projects.

It is easier to apply the methodology to our own products than to our client projects. With our products, we decide what goals we want to reach and what experiments we are going to run to validate our hypotheses.

And we have ran many experiments to create and maintain these products:

• OmbuShop opens a new window : The best way to setup your online shop in Latin America. A SaaS product that enables businesses to easily setup their online shop.
• TuTiendaOnline opens a new window : A directory of shops in Argentina.
• Bolognesa opens a new window : A Pomodoro opens a new window tracker.

With client projects, we first need to explain what the Lean Startup opens a new window methodology is. The best clients we have had already had an understanding of the methodology.

Once they understand it, we can work with them and define their minimum viable product scope. This minimal project will usually take between one and two months. This time requirement is very important, because it will help us to narrow the scope.

The idea is to test their core hypotheses with their target market.

Once we have designed, implemented, tested and deployed their MVP opens a new window , it’s time to start gathering data about the target market. This is how the build, measure, learn cycle begins.

Every time we deploy a product, we need to make sure that we are tracking the right numbers. For basic projects we prefer Google Analytics opens a new window , for more complex projects we prefer Mixpanel opens a new window .

If it is an e-commerce application, we need to make sure to track the conversions from day 1. If it is a SaaS application, we need to track the funnels from day 1.

This data will allow us to continue improving the product.

Every time we finish an iteration, we should measure the key indicators and make sure that we have improved the product. If we see the numbers drop, we should rollback to the previous state of the application.

We won’t suggest that you A/B test everything from day 1, but some changes will be A/B tested to confirm that the change actually improves the key metric we are trying to improve.

We truly believe that the Lean Startup way is the best for both our clients and us. We want to build successful products for them, so that we can continue working with them over a long period of time. It’s a win/win situation.