CLIMB: PART 2

PART 1: DELIVERING YOUR TECHNOLOGY

WEEK 1: FIGURING OUT YOUR RAT

Your Riskiest Assumption Test, or RAT for short, is the critical path for you to be able to build your technology and launch your startup with incredible efficiency. In a nutshell, your RAT is the one key thing that your audience truly cares about and that you need to deliver to them in your product or service. If you can do that and knock it out of the park, then you passed your RAT with flying colors! And if not, you’ll know you’ll have to do some more work to deliver a great product to your audience.

WEEK 2: Mastering FEATURES

We covered feature fundamentals in BASECAMP, but now we need to learn much more about them so we can build out the blueprint for your RAT. You’ll learn what epics are, and how to define steps to describe complex business processes, and most importantly, all about scenarios, which are the currency that will drive your ability to build out your features from start to finish.

WEEK 3: Building your team

With the blueprint for your RAT in hand, it’s time now to find the resources you need to build it, specifically talented designers and engineers (unless you want to do those things yourself — we’ll go over that option too). Our approach helps you avoid common pitfalls and find the very best team that you can afford.

WEEK 4: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

With Vertical, you’ll be able to turn the “black box” of most tech projects where you have no visibility into what’s happening with your project into a completely transparent “white box” where you will be able to not only know exactly what’s going on, but also track and manage your projects resources, timeline and budget.

WEEK 5: TESTING

Testing and quality control are hands-down the most neglected area for most startups. Many of them basically release anything to their audience, but this is a risky approach, because who knows what terrible bugs you’re letting them find? Why would anyone do that to their users anyway? You absolutely don’t have to, We’ll show you how to test your release before your audience does so you can proudly share your technology with them and help make sure they have a great experience using your product.

WEEK 6: LAUNCHING YOUR TECH

Once you’ve tested your RAT, you’re almost ready to release it to the world. But first we’ll want to make sure you have all the proper foundational infrastructure in place so you can do that with confidence.

PART 2: MARKETING AND SALES

WEEK 1: FOUNDATIONAL MARKETING

ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINE/BOLD (BUT DOABLE) PROMISE. TRANSFORMATION: OLD-WAY/NEW-WAY. SOCIAL PROOF/TESTIMONIALS (OR RESEARCH). FINALLY OFFER: PRODUCT+PRICE.

WEEK 2: YOUR HOME/LANDING PAGE

We’ll show you how to build your first public presence on the internet that takes your audience down the customer journey from awareness to engagement. KEY IMAGES, FONTS, COLORS, BRANDING (CARRIES OVER AND SO CONSISTENT WITH RAT).

WEEK 3: YOUR FIRST SALES

Hit your own network and cold call to figure out what resonates with your audience. Be honest about seeking early adopters. You’ll be surprised: people will step up to help.

WEEK 4: OUTBOUND MARKETING

Because it works and every founder can do it. Cold outbound email and calling. Driven by doing your first prospecting (Nate). Not doing it for scale yet, just for validation. Overview of how it’s done for real with full on outbound email campaigns (Nate), then sales reps, account execs (Adam or me).

WEEK 5: INBOUND MARKETING

If low ticket item or maxed out outbound, you’re going to need an automated funnel and that means ads. This will cover the essentials like conversion (like the preso from Phoenix). Adam can present.

WEEK 6: ORGANIC MARKETING

BY USER REFERAL. OR THROUGH CHANNEL PARTNERS. BOTH OPTIONS TAKE TIME, BUT AMAZING WHEN THEY WORK/KICK IN. AND CAN BE FREE TO BOOT. BUT DON’T WANT TO DEPEND ON THEM BECAUSE YOU CAN”T CONTROL OR DRIVE THEM RELIABLY LIKE OUTBOUND.