Steve Blank

Steve Blank
Blank, Steven Gary
Born1953 (age 70–71)
New York City
Alma materUniversity of Michigan (dropped out)
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forcustomer development methodology

Steve Blank (born 1953) is an American entrepreneur, educator, author and speaker.[1] He created the customer development method that launched the lean startup movement. His work has influenced modern entrepreneurship through the creation of tools and processes for new ventures which differ from those used in large companies.[2]

Between 1978 and 2002, Blank worked at eight different technology startups, founding, or co-founding, four of them.[3]

Blank created the Lean Launchpad class and I-Corps curriculum[4] which became the standard for science commercialization for the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Energy. As of 2023, more than 3,051 teams and 1,300 startups have employed Blank’s methodologies.[5]

Blank is co-creator of the U.S. Department of Defense's[6] Hacking for Defense program,[7][8] and served on the Defense Business Board[9][10] and the U.S. Navy’s Science and Technological Board.[11] He is co-creator of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation at Stanford University.[12]

  1. ^ J.J. Colao (1 August 2012). "Steve Blank Introduces Scientists to a new Variable: Customers". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  2. ^ Steve Lohr (24 April 2010). "The Rise of the Fleet-Footed Start-Up". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  3. ^ Hawn, Carleen (March 25, 2002). "Fear and Posing". Forbes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  4. ^ "I-Corps - NSF - National Science Foundation". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-10.
  5. ^ "10 years of I-Corps: NSF entrepreneurship training program impacts the economy and shapes careers". Beta site for NSF - National Science Foundation. Retrieved 2021-09-04.
  6. ^ Symonds, Matt. "Steve Blank, The 'Father Of Modern Entrepreneurship' Talks Startups, Success And Seed Funds". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  7. ^ "Hacking for Defense teaches students, feds engineering innovation". federalnewsnetwork.com. 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  8. ^ Day, Clinton E. (2020-08-21). "Hacking for Defense". Entrepreneur. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  9. ^ Pickrell, Ryan. "Pentagon advisor resigns in protest, saying the Trump administration is putting the nation 'at risk' by purging posts to fill them with loyalists". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  10. ^ Browne, Ryan (2020-12-07). "Member of Pentagon advisory board resigns in protest at recent purge | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  11. ^ Harper, Jon (2023-09-15). "Navy announces members of new S&T board". DefenseScoop. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  12. ^ "How Silicon Valley is helping the Pentagon in the AI arms race". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2024-07-25.