Below is a checklist of areas where online startups may need to implement processes on their way to market. (Many of the items on this list also apply to startups that are not entirely online.)
Even if you outsource many of these processes, they still need to be understood and managed.
It definitely takes passion to do all this. However, it also takes a great deal of “process thinking capability”, which is your overall team capability to make/build/learn/implement all these processes.
The speed at which you and your team can implement these processes directly affects your launch date and your total burn to get there.
And you can only skip so many hours of sleep.
ActionMap delivers increased process thinking capability, to help you:
> implement these processes with fewer meetings and fewer hours of work
> spend the time you save focusing more on your core value proposition
> get to market sooner
> arrive at launch with more available funds
> reduce the need for equity dilution
> manage your business more easily when you start operations
Here’s the checklist:
(offered through the Creative Commons “BY” license; requires attribution for distribution outside private organizational use.)
| Process Area | Priority (A, B, C) | General Approach (Make/Buy/Hybrid) | Complete by Date | Status: Red / Yellow / Green / Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The processes performed by the product or service | ||||
| The process of developing the product or service (e.g. project management) | ||||
| Infrastructure management | ||||
| Security | ||||
| Data management | ||||
| Subscription management, e-commerce or other billing | ||||
| Online training | ||||
| Online help | ||||
| Customer support request handling | ||||
| Marketing (e.g. website, advertising, networking) | ||||
| Customer Relationship Management (e.g. sales, business development, surveys) | ||||
| Customer experience / customer success | ||||
| Communications services (e.g. email, e-meeting, messaging) | ||||
| Office services (e.g. facilities, utilities, physical mail) | ||||
| Human resources (e.g. recruiting, payroll, benefits, labor law) | ||||
| Staff performance management, coaching, engagement, team building | ||||
| Business entity (e.g. incorporation, partnership, sole proprietorship) | ||||
| Legal agreements (e.g. terms of service, privacy policy) | ||||
| Insurance | ||||
| Accounting | ||||
| Taxes | ||||
| Regulatory compliance | ||||
| Funding | ||||
| Strategy | ||||
| Other |