Protecting the irreplaceable | f-secure.com

Building a Lean Startup Within 25 Years Old 150M+ BusinessJanne Pirttilahti, Director Next Generation Security

19.3.2014 Helsinki, N4S Q1 Review

Janne Pirttilahti

Job: Director, Next Gen Security, F-Secure

Before: Product Mgmt & Sales roles in 2 start-ups, few other jobs, IT/High tech products full-time since 1997

Universal Geek.

The Product Guy, my story.

Spring 2013

Task:

Quick entry to the market. Both new consumer and new corporate products. Product release (sales) by the end of the year.

Spring 2013

Task:

Quick entry to the a market. Both new consumer and new corporate products. Product release (sales) by the end of the year.

Internal startupa.k.a. in-company venture, virtual small company in the big company

Mechanism to do (or try) radical innovation in a big company context

F-Secure (OMXH: FSC1V)

Founded 1988

2013 Revenues 155.1 MEUR

Market Cap (per 18.3.2014) 365 MEUR

Personnel (per 31.12.2013) 939 people

Startup? F-Secure?

“Even the longest journey must begin where you stand.” (Lau Tzu 604 BCE-531 BCE)

Background Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/meiburgin/2651628176 (used under Creative Commons)

Key Learnings

Get a “C-level” sponsor

Startup is a dangerous word (consider e.g. “test driven business” or “lean innovation”)

Have a vision and make a fearless plan (but don’t be stupid)

Document your key unknowns and hypothesis early on, be honest

April – May: concept idea and “work like a startup” decision

Photo

: And

y Siitonen

http://ww

w.flickr.co

m/pho

tos/ad

venture_travel/35210170

11/

Key Learnings

Focus on the attitude of people when building the team

Less is more: small team, small budget

Pivot when you need to, act fast

Get out of the building

June-July: 1st “pivot” and concept validationPho

to: Bernt Ro

stad http://w

ww

.flickr.com

/photo

s/brostad

/10754221816

/

Key Learnings

Avoid outsourcing your key activities

When not in startup, don’t imitate one in everything

Be 100% independent still

Stay out of the building.

August - September: internal alpha & full team on board

Photo

: Ville O

ksanenhttp://w

ww

.flickr.com

/photo

s/villoks/255843355/

Key Learnings

Just ship it.

Talk to customers: focus groups, surveys, email, twitter, etc…

Communicate internally what you are doing, how and why. And then communicate again. And again.

October: 1st customer “beta” (with about 1/3 of features working)Pho

to:A

na Paula Hiram

a http://ww

w.flickr.co

m/pho

tos/anapaulahrm

/10978220

233/

Key Learnings

Stay out of the building.

You won’t make friends with everybody, don’t seek for conflict but be tough.

Don’t accept extra duties, try to drop also your previous “big company” things.

November: Opened beta, solution close to feature complete for first version

Photo

: Vestm

anhttp://w

ww

.flickr.com

/photo

s/vestman/34

13855857/

Key Learnings

Releasing can be rewarding.

Leverage the big company around you: Budget, legal team,

localization team, country offices, existing products and code, design guidelines, IPR process, good coffee, smart people to help you for free, office facilities, brand, customers, and a lot more.

You can rest in the building now. But get out soon again.

This is only the start.

December: Beta through the month, customer survey. Public release on the Dec 20th.

Photo

: Sightseeinghelsinki.fi http://ww

w.flickr.co

m/pho

tos/sightseeinghelsinki/638864

6307/

[Video]

http://freedome.f-secure.com/

20142013January:

“Soft Launch” on Android

April:Concept idea

Productization decision

July:1st Customer Co-creation WorkshopsSerious scope adjustments

August: Team 85% staffed (1+1+3)Some “alpha” software (internal)

February:Adjusting things,

seriously.

March:iOS version out

Heavy investment increase

June:1st Pivot

Team 60% staffed(1+0,25+1+1)

May:“Work like a startup!”

Apply fearless plan & methodsTeam: 1+0,25 (no developers)

September:Team 100% staffed (1+1+4)Design “ready”More internal test users

October: first consumer alpha1/3 features workingFocus group studies

November: beta queueFirst beta invites out Customer visible features 5/6 done

December: Good number of beta users Public availability (Dec 20th)

Thank You

Email: janne.pirttilahti@f-secure.com

Twitter: @pirtti

http://freedome.f-secure.com/

Twitter: @FreedomeVPN