Here is this week’s “1 principle, 2 strategies, and 3 actionable tactics” for running lean…
1 Universal Principle
“Customers don’t buy products or services. They buy a promise of something different AND better.”
A founder, Steve, pitched his Virtual Reality platform 50 times with zero results. Then he used a specific 4-Act structure and closed $180K in deals almost instantly.
Similarly, I spent 3 months trying to sell my LEANSTACK SaaS product to startup accelerators with zero customers to show for it. Everything changed after a coffee shop meeting with my mentor, who introduced me to what I now call the Mafia Offer.
Here’s the expensive reality:
Most founders believe that great offers are primarily about discounts and bonuses. But the most powerful offers tell a story that makes saying no feel irrational.
2 Underlying Strategies at Play
I. Break Away from Commodity Offers
Stop competing on features, benefits, and price - the same things every other product talks about. It's near impossible for a startup to stand out that way. Instead, create an offer so good that customers cannot refuse by telling a story that makes saying no feel irrational.
II. Use the 4-Act Mafia Offer Structure
The framework that helped me close five $20,000 deals in 30 days:
- Act 1: Set context with an undeniable triggering event
- Act 2: Break the Status Quo
- Act 3: Demonstrate your different and better New Way
- Act 4: Call to Action
3 Actionable Tactics
I. Find Your Undeniable Market Shift
Identify a fundamental external change reshaping your customer’s world (Remote work? AI? New regulations?). Pick something undeniable and external to your product.
II. Identify The Villain
Name the specific current solution that’s failing them. Quantify the impact and identify an uncrossable progress chasm representing the stakes of sticking with their current solution.
III. Test and Refine Your Offer
A well-optimized mafia offer can deliver 80-90% conversion rates but requires good customer and problem insights.
As in cooking, the quality of your final dish is 80% the quality of your starting ingredients.
Conduct customer problem discovery interviews first, then adjust your demo, pricing model, and address objections to make your offer fit like a glove.
That’s all for today. See you next week.
Ash
Author of Running Lean and creator of Lean Canvas
