Plan your startup journey on The Product Bus
Every successful startup eventually hires product leaders. Why? Because product thinking transforms gut feelings into evidence-based decisions.
But here’s the challenge: most early-stage founders can’t afford a full-time product leader when they need these insights most.
That’s where we come in.
We bring product management expertise to founders at the crucial early stages, teaching you how to:
- Transform customer conversations into actionable product decisions
- Validate ideas before spending precious development resources
- Build features your customers will actually use and pay for
- Create scalable processes that grow with your business
Choose your destination
Your startup GPS at any crossroad. Whether validating initial ideas, evaluating current direction, considering pivots, or prioritising next steps, our comprehensive assessment delivers clarity.
Get expert analysis of product-market fit, customer needs, and strategic options in one focused engagement to confidently choose your path forward.
Address specific startup challenges with targeted expert guidance.
From market research to competitor analysis to pricing strategies and commercial models, our flexible "Pit Stop" consulting programs deliver focused solutions when you need them most.
Programs and services for your stage, budget, and pace.
Ideation, Insights and more
The startup world is full of traps that can trip up even the smartest entrepreneurs. You know the ones – building a product nobody wants, pouring money into development without a solid plan, or sticking to your original idea even when the market is screaming for something different. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose sight of what really matters.
Our custom consulting programs help you navigate the tricky balance between vision and peril by helping you test your assumptions with rapid-fire experiments to make data-driven decisions each step of the way.
Perfect for:
- Early-stage founders
- Pre-revenue startups
- Post-revenue scale-ups
- Hackathons
- Think Tank Programs
- Non-Profits
Consulting Program Example:
The Roadworthy Check
Our “Roadworthy Check” Discovery session uses a rapid ideation framework developed by The Product Bus to quickly evaluate a situation, identify opportunities, and define key questions and actions.
It’s a one-off consulting engagement that gives you holistic feedback on your current state or commercial prospects of your idea with recommendations for the suggested next steps that will bring you the most value as you move forward.
We’ll work to understand the current health of your idea or product, help you test your value proposition, target market, and road map, and provide honest, constructive feedback on the challenges and opportunities we see based on our work together.
From idea to commercial reality
The startup world is full of traps that can trip up even the smartest entrepreneurs. You know the ones – building a product nobody wants, pouring money into development without a solid plan, or sticking to your original idea even when the market is screaming for something different. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and lose sight of what really matters.
We help you navigate the tricky balance between vision and peril by helping you test your assumptions with rapid-fire experiments to make data-driven decisions each step of the way.
Milestones Include:
- Value Proposition
- Ideal Customer Profiles
- Business Models
- Rapid Prototypes
- Pricing
- Sales Pathways
- MVP Scope
- Developer matching / selection
Pathway to MVP
Our Pathway to MVP Program is a comprehensive, step-by-step journey designed to take your idea from concept to a market-ready Minimum Viable Product.
This structured program is divided into three distinct stages, each building upon the last, with no lock-in requirement. You have the flexibility to proceed at your own pace and decide whether to continue after each stage.
1. Ideation & Validation:
2. Rapid Prototyping
3. MVP Scoping & Developer Selection
Throughout each stage, we combine hands-on workshops, expert guidance, and practical implementation to validate your idea, refine your value proposition, and build a solid foundation for your MVP.
By the end of the Pathway to MVP, you’ll have a clear roadmap, a validated product concept, and the confidence to move forward with development or seek investment with a solid business case.
The Bus Pass: Your On-Demand Startup Sidekick
The Bus Pass is our flexible retainer service, designed to give you access to expert support exactly when you need it. Whether you’re a hands-on founder or working with a tight budget, it’s the perfect complement to your Pathway workshop experience.
Services Include:
- Market Research
- Customer Interviews
- Starter Brand Design
- Simple Websites / Landing Pages
- Paid / Organic Advertising
- Copwriting
*Bus Pass available only to current and past Pathway to MVP Project customers.
Our services set you up with a solid strategy. But what about those moments when you need a little extra help? That’s where the Bus Pass comes in.
We’ve built a bank of startup-savvy freelancers who understand how The Product Bus works. This means you get top-tier talent without the hassle and cost of finding, vetting and managing freelancers on your own.
Our team understand testing, rapid turnarounds, and budgets that aren’t unlimited. So whether you need a UX-er for a day or a market researcher for a week, we can provide a great resource that fits seamlessly into your projects with us.*
The Bus Pass is all about empowering you to build your startup your way, with a safety net of support ready when you need it. It’s the convenience of having a dream team on standby, without the overhead.