Overview
In July 2011, the National Science Foundation asked Steve Blank to adapt his Lean LaunchPad class for scientists with SBIR grants. The resulting Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program was launched later that year, applying Customer Development to scientific commercialization. The first cohort included 63 scientists/engineers in 21 teams who made approximately 2,000 customer calls in 10 weeks.
Impact
I-Corps was made a permanent part of the national science ecosystem. As of 2023: 3,051+ teams and 1,300+ startups. The program expanded to include the NIH and Department of Energy.
Significance
The I-Corps launch demonstrated that Customer Development was not merely a Silicon Valley startup tool but a general methodology for innovation under uncertainty — applicable to scientific research, government programs, and any context where hypotheses must be tested against reality.
Sources: steveblank.com, NSF, Computer History Museum