The Chicago Lean Startup Challenge
The 2012 Chicago Lean Startup Challenge has moved to a new site! chicagoleanchallenge.com
—> Go To The New Website <—
Do you have an innovative idea that you want to bring to market?
Have you been thinking and reading about Lean Startups, but need a push to get you going? Well, now is the time to enter the Chicago Lean Startup Challenge and get your business moving.
The Chicago Lean Startup Challenge, now in it’s second year, is creating a wave of lasting startups in the Chicagoland area. Think of it as the opposite of a business plan competition. Instead of creating huge documents and pro formas, you will create minimum viable products, validated learning and pivots. The Chicago Lean Startup Challenge is based on the lean startup by Eric Ries, customer development by Steve Blank and the business model canvas by Alexander Osterwalder.
When your team is lost in the fog and confusion of a myriad of choices we will help your team with guidance through classes and resources, access to innovative startup software tools, and connection to some of the best mentors the Chicago community has to offer.
It starts with a one day intensive Lean Startup Bootcamp on June 30th, in which you’ll learn about business model generation, the build-measure-learn cycle, and the how and why of customer interviews. After that, on a weekly basis, you’ll get learning materials, checklists, and access to classes.
After 10 weeks, our judges will select 4 Finalists to receive extra mentoring, design and development help to accelerate their progress over a 4 week period, and will receive pitch coaching from Troy Henikoff, CEO of Excelerate Labs.
At the end of 4 weeks, each team will have to opportunity to showcase what they learned from the Challenge in front of 500 investors, mentors, press and members of the tech community and compete for at least $75,000 in cash and prizes. Last year, each of our finalists received prizes, and we expect to do the same this year.
