Cover image for The Four Steps to the Epiphany

The Four Steps to the Epiphany

Author Steve Blank
Release Date: 2020/03/01
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Book Description

The bestselling classic that launched 10,000 startups and new corporate ventures - The Four Steps to the Epiphany is one of the most influential and practical business books of all time.
The Four Steps to the Epiphany launched the Lean Startup approach to new ventures. It was the first book to offer that startups are not smaller versions of large companies and that new ventures are different than existing ones. Startups search for business models while existing companies execute them.

The book offers the practical and proven four-step Customer Development process for search and offers insight into what makes some startups successful and leaves others selling off their furniture.
Rather than blindly execute a plan, The Four Steps helps uncover flaws in product and business plans and correct them before they become costly. Rapid iteration, customer feedback, testing your assumptions are all explained in this book.

Packed with concrete examples of what to do, how to do it and when to do it, the book will leave you with new skills to organize sales, marketing and your business for success.
If your organization is starting a new venture, and you're thinking how to successfully organize sales, marketing and business development you need The Four Steps to the Epiphany.
Essential reading for anyone starting something new.


The Four Steps to the Epiphany was originally published by K&S Ranch Publishing Inc. and is now available from Wiley. The cover, design, and content are the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. The Hero's Journey
  3. Introduction
  4. Chapter 1 The Path to Disaster: The Product Development Model
    1. The Product Development Model
    2. What's Wrong With This Picture?
    3. So What's The Alternative?
  5. Chapter 2 The Path to Epiphany: The Customer Development Model
    1. The Four Steps To The Epiphany
    2. The Four Types Of Startup Markets
    3. Synchronizing Product Development And Customer Development
    4. Summary: The Customer Development Process
    5. Notes
  6. Chapter 3 Customer Discovery
    1. The Customer Discovery Philosophy
    2. Overview Of The Customer Discovery Process
    3. Phase 0: Get Buy-In
    4. Phase 1: State Your Hypotheses
    5. A. State Your Hypotheses: The Product
    6. B. State Your Hypotheses: Customer Hypotheses
    7. C. State Your Hypotheses: Channel and Pricing Hypotheses
    8. D. State Your Hypotheses: Demand Creation Hypotheses
    9. E. State Your Hypotheses: Market Type Hypotheses
    10. F. State Your Hypotheses: Competitive Hypotheses
    11. Phase 2: Test And Qualify Your Hypotheses
    12. B. Test and Qualify Your Hypotheses: The Customer Problem Presentation
    13. C. Test and Qualify Your Hypotheses: In-Depth Customer Understanding
    14. D. Test and Qualify Your Hypotheses: Market Knowledge
    15. Phase 3: Test And Qualify The Product Concept
    16. A. Test and Qualify the Product Concept: First Company Reality Check
    17. B. Test and Qualify the Product Concept: Product Presentation
    18. C. Test and Qualify the Product Concept: Yet More Customer Visits
    19. D. Test and Qualify the Product Concept: Second Company Reality Check
    20. E. Test and Qualify the Product Concept: First Advisory Board Members
    21. Phase 4: Verify
    22. A. Verify the Problem
    23. B. Verify the Product
    24. C. Verify the Business Model
    25. D. Iterate or Exit
    26. Notes
  7. Chapter 4: Customer Validation
    1. The Customer Validation Philosophy
    2. Overview of the Customer Validation Process
    3. Phase 1: Get Ready to Sell
    4. Phase 2: Sell to Visionary Customers
    5. Phase 3: Develop Positioning for the Company and Its Product
    6. Phase 4: Verify
  8. Chapter 5: Customer Creation
    1. The Customer Creation Philosophy
    2. Overview of the Customer Creation Process
    3. Phase 1: Get Ready to Launch
    4. A Note on “First Mover Advantage”
    5. For an Existing Market
    6. For a New Market
    7. For Resegmenting a Market
    8. Phase 2: Position the Company and Product
    9. For an Existing Market
    10. For a New Market
    11. For Resegmenting a Market
    12. Phase 3: Launch the Company and Product
    13. For an Existing Market: Onslaught Launch
    14. For a New Market: Early Adopter Launch
    15. For Resegmenting a Market: Low -cost or Niche Launch
    16. Phase 4: Create Demand
    17. Notes
  9. Chapter 6 Company Building
    1. The Company-Building Philosophy
    2. Building a Mainstream Customer Base
    3. Building the Company's Organization and Management
    4. Creating Fast-Response Departments
    5. Overview of Company Building
    6. Phase 1: Reach Mainstream Customers
    7. Phase 2: Review Management and Build a Mission-Centric Organization
    8. Phase 3: Transition the Customer Development Team into Functional Departments
    9. Phase 4: Build Fast-response Departments
    10. Notes
  10. Bibliography
    1. Entrepreneurial Management Stack
    2. Must-Read Books
    3. Strategy Books for Startups
    4. Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Enterprise
    5. “War as Strategy” Books
    6. Marketing Communications Books
    7. Startup Law and Finance
    8. Silicon Valley/Regional Clusters
    9. Venture Capital
    10. Startup Nuts & Bolts
    11. Startup Textbooks
    12. Manufacturing
    13. Presentation and Product Design
    14. Culture/Human Resources
    15. Business History
    16. Silicon Valley – Books
    17. Books/Articles on the Entrepreneurial University
  11. Appendix A: The Customer Development Team
    1. Background: The Death Of The Departments
  12. Appendix B: Customer Development Checklist
  13. Acknowledgments
  14. About The Author
    1. Eight startups in 21 years
  15. End User License Agreement