Markus Kirchberger

intern

Abstract

This paper describes an action research case study that examined the introduction of a cus-tomer value proposition at a startup that offers an innovative high tech product in the busi-ness to business market. The well-known Lean Startup method tells startups to test their products on actual customers at an early stage without using too many resources. This can pose a challenge for high tech startups in B2B markets, as even a prototype can use a sub-stantial amount of resources. This paper discusses the possibility of crafting a customer val-ue proposition as well as its suitability as a tool implementing the Lean Startup philosophy. It shows that a customer value proposition sharpens the focus on customer value, but does not necessarily implement the Lean Startup philosophy.