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There is PhysicsThere is a Strategic Framework for you to take AIM before you move fastAlign direction and system Inflect at key momentsMultiply through stacking vectorsAnd a practical application with 6 Operating Principles:
Consider exploring the Startup Secrets Sandbox and jumping into an area where you have questions for your venture.If you prefer an AI guided approach to helping you solve your problems, consider using Michael Mentor, an AI created in conjunction with with the Harvard Business School Foundry team to help you with everything from ideation to practicing your investor pitch. Our next session will be October 27th. Check in with the iLab as we will be covering the logical follow up to this workshop. We look forward to seeing you there! Until then happy venturing!Bookmark this page and sign up for updates - see below
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Welcome!
Below you will find a stream of resources and workshops that will be updated and added to as you build your venture in Launch Lab X.
We look forward to sharing them with you, starting with this first one:
Vector Thinking for Strategic Motion and Competitive Advantage
Thursday October 9th
In this session we explored Vector Thinking and how it can give you competitive advantage.
Please note: This is Alpha content that is embargoed until the Startup Secrets book is complete and released in 2027.
It is being shared with Harvard Students in good faith to help them in their startup journey, and to welcome your feedback to improve it for future students*.
You are not permitted to publish or refer to either the term or the content externally in any form. It is for your own internal use in your ventures only please.
Thank you and enjoy!
The balloon..
We started by blowing up a balloon representing your startup system.
The air you blew into that ballon rrpresented the creativity, energy, effort, resource and capital you have pumped into your venture.
The balloons’ elasticiity was a metaphor for your current organizational capacity (mass).
One question for you was how much force (effort, energy, or even capital) can your system currently handle before it bursts?
Another question is how do you want to unleash that force and to what end (in what direction)
When we relased the balloons they zipped chaotically around... why?
Direction and Magnitude Focus
Vector thinking shifts problem-solving from static points to focusing on direction and magnitude for deeper insight and innovation.
Pre-emptive problem solving and dynamic learning
This approach helps founders, innovators and entrepreneurs and their teams visualize movement, progress, and effectively address potential challenges before arise and as they evolve, to learn from them and continuously improve.
Boosts Adaptability and Innovation
Adopting vector thinking enhances adaptability, strategic planning, and sparks innovative solutions in the complex startup system.
The slides are below:
Proprietary & Confidential.
Solely for HBS Foundry teaching purposes.
© Startup Secrets
Not for use, reuse, distribution or publication. Under strict embargo until
IQ book publication 2027
Remember the Startup Secrets:
Important questions that arose...
In the workshop Michael took a sidetrack to answer a question on the whiteboard about how to use Vector Thinking to accelerate Product Market Fit. he answered with a discussion on the (MVS) and drew this diagram on the board:
It needs further explanation and you can find details about to complement your MVP and accelerate your Product Market FIt here:
Feedback & Next steps
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