Lean Privacy Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs took place at SXSW V2V on Tuesday, July 15, 2014. Inspired by the Lean Startup methodology, “Lean Privacy” is a new user-centric approach to improving data privacy management at startups. Its purpose is to help entrepreneurs understand how to use privacy as an opportunity to build trust with their users and differentiate their products/services.
This hour long workshop described key Lean Privacy principles and offered specific strategies and metrics that tech startups could use to improve privacy practices. Attendees learned why privacy is far from dead, and how being a responsible data steward is good for business!
“I actually came up with the Lean Privacy concept a couple of years ago after reading Eric Ries’ book, The Lean Startup. I enjoyed the book’s focus on customer development and validated learning but couldn’t help but notice that it was missing a critical component: how to think about personal data,” said bootcamp speaker Natalie Fonseca, Privacy Identity Innovation Co-Founder & Exec Producer. “At the same time, I had been working on my Privacy Identity Innovation conference and there was a lot of talk about “privacy by design,” which is the idea that companies should embed privacy into their product development and business practices upfront. It’s an important idea but it wasn’t being communicated in a way that startups could act on it. Because of my experience working at and with startups, I saw a need (and an opportunity) to come up with an approach that could help entrepreneurs by integrating these methods.”
Natalie Fonesca thinks the biggest challenge startup founders face when approaching privacy is being pulled in a million directions and struggling to know where to focus and how to prioritize.
“Getting data privacy right takes time and training,” she explained, “and most founders are simply too busy to know where to begin. There’s also a lot of confusion about what privacy means and so many entrepreneurs mistakenly think all they need to do is slap a Privacy Policy on their site or app and their done. That’s why I’m working on Lean Privacy to help entrepreneurs understand that it’s about much more than legal compliance — it’s about understanding your customers and earning their trust.”
How can #VegasTech startups take a step towards getting privacy right for their growing company?
“The one thing that every startup needs to do to get started improving privacy is to establish accountability,” Natalie Fonesca suggests. “That’s why my first Lean Privacy recommendation is to empower someone on your team, ideally a founder, as a Privacy Champion or Privacy Master who will take the lead in thinking about the company’s data privacy practices. That person doesn’t need to be a legal expert. What matters is that the Privacy Champion have the authority and the support to be an effective advocate for building privacy into the company from the ground up.”
Check out what SXSW V2V attendees were saying about Natalie Fonesca’s bootcamp here!
About SXSW V2V: SXSW V2V is the newest addition to the SXSW family of events, joining SXSW Music, SXSW Interactive, SXSW Film, SXSWedu and SXSW Eco. SXSW V2V is an extension and re-imagining of the legendary SXSW experience with an emphasis on the creative spark that drives entrepreneurial innovation. This four day event brings the startup and venture capital communities together with the creative industries that have helped to make SXSW so special. V2V serves innovators and entrepreneurs from across all the industries at the core of the SXSW Family of events – technology, music, film, fashion, health, education, sustainability, and more – as they learn the skills, make the connections, and find the inspiration to take their ideas and talents to the next level.
About Privacy Identity Innovation (PPI): The only tech conference of its kind, Privacy Identity Innovation brings together a diverse group of experts to explore where innovation is heading, what it means for the future of digital privacy and identity and how to build trust in emerging technologies and business models. Join us for the 5th annual Privacy Identity Innovation conference, pii2014, this November 12th & 13th at the Crowne Plaza Palo Alto hotel in Silicon Valley to be part of this important conversation.
