NEXT is an in-person, action-based five-week program that lets early-stage entrepreneurs apply Steve Blank's Customer Development methodology in a challenging and socially accountable environment in your local community.

Why Should you attend a NEXT: Customer Discovery program?

1. To learn the WHAT, WHY, and HOW of understanding your business opportunity.
2. To understand how to form the right relationships with prospective customers so that you are developing your customer pipeline in parallel with developing your product.
3. To learn about the power of the Minimum Viable Product & how it can save time and $$$.
4. To get your team in front of 40 prospective customers in 4 weeks.
5. To get coaching from a mentor and your peers so you keep making progress along the most effective path.
6. To learn more about the Startup Weekend international effort to help entrepreneurs get out of the building.

Listen to what Steve Blank has to say about NEXT

Early stage entrepreneurs often become infatuated with their product -- building something to solve a problem they think (or sometimes hope) people actually have. But the reality is that there is nothing more powerful for an entrepreneur than building a product that solves a real problem for a customer. It's only by structured customer discovery that you'll learn what your customers need to have solved, how to solve it easier, cheaper or faster, and what they will pay to get the job done. It seems so simple, but most entrepreneurs waste lots of time and resources bypassing customer discovery or accomplishing it by trial and error.

With NEXT you'll put down your product and pick up a notebook to start speaking with your potential customers -- actual businesses and users. Expect to interview over 50 prospective customers during NEXT and get extensive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs in your local community. You'll be a part of a cohort of other entrepreneurs as well as mentors and coaches to help you even after the course is complete.

And most importantly, you'll finish NEXT with an answer to the question: "Why Should I Build This Product?" NEXT helps you to break down your assumptions, fail fast and get laser focused on building something your customers will love. Come out more prepared to speak about your company, to deal with feedback and to answer the tough questions from potential employees, partners and investors. All in all, you'll be more prepared to succeed -- and that's what NEXT is about: "Getting you ready for whatever's NEXT."

Is your team up for the challenge?