Back September 16, 2016

Build. Measure. Learn

We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: we’re on a startup adventure and we won’t stop.

Our focus is on crafting meaningful digital experiences. We’re all about learning if our digital solutions work out in the real world, then building them into real facts. We’re measuring it by being as sharp as a needle when it comes to taking care of our customers. We learn day by day from the stories of our clients and their needs.

We dream big, we have goals to achieve and we do believe that impossible is nothing (OK, maybe something, but nothing that can’t be surpassed).

Where to start? Build on research

First steps matter. No matter how big or small, right or wrong those first steps really are. More than that, as we’ve said before, there is no good or bad, there is no right or wrong. The important thing is having that first step, to begin with. Take it and learn from it. Don’t set yourself on a path that cannot be changed. Our first step was identifying the need. The need that most SMEs managers and business owners have: managing cash flow.

We always keep in mind how the user will interact with the product, that’s why we started with sketches. We’re still testing the platform, to see if we’re on the right track. It always was and it will always be important for us to understand what the managers and business owners need in terms of tools to support them in running the business. Our goal is to understand the existent problems, anticipate future pains and to create solutions that make sense.

The research data we’ve collected in time influenced our work process – that is because we want to deliver a digital product of good use, a digital product that will ease a manager’s life, in terms of business, of course.

Measure

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It’s always good to have a measure of things and to pay attention to it. In life, in general, and in business in particular. We plan, apply, adapt, sometimes go with the flow. Then we stop and measure. The number of users, the kind of feedback, the online visibility, the number and type of interactions people have with our platform.

Though not all data is very accurate and relevant, all we can measure and observe gives us a sense of direction. It strengthens our confidence and points out where we need to be more careful, more engaged, what needs to be changed.

We believe that it is a healthy habit to leave pride aside and admit where you are wrong, where you can improve. It is much easier to embrace praises and fuel the motivation; it takes more effort to accept criticism and actually do something about what doesn’t go exactly as expected.

Learn

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That comes naturally. We are on a constant learning path. Every entrepreneur and startup team have to be there. We don’t believe in recipes. Yes, guidelines are great, best practices are of huge help, but they don’t set the tone and the direction; these are not fixed tracks to roll on. So we look at our measurements and experiences, we count and we asses and we learn. We learn about what went well and needs to be kept that way, as well as what went wrong or unsatisfying and needs adjustments. It is far better to observe and adjust as you go than to arrive at a point of no return where little can be fixed.

That’s how ThinkOut, besides being our startup and our product, becomes our Academy, our learning place, based on the practice of building and measuring. That’s how all our team evolves and our cash flow management platform along with it.

We’re not necessarily saying that cash flow is the key to small business success, but we’d love to be players in a business ecosystem with more SMEs, where interactions would get closer, each company would develop a distinct personality. Where employees would do what they really like and owners would see their dreams come true. We do want to grow along with others. That’s beyond entrepreneurship.

Here, at ThinkOut, we don’t make guarantees and we take feedback as a gift. Our goal is to better understand what you wish for. It’s almost like going to the tailor for a custom suit. So, why don’t you take a tour of our platform and see if it fits you well?

Author: Sorina Miron