Web application that helps innovators and entrepreneurs manage their ideas using the Lean Startup and Running Lean methodologies.

App demo is live on Heroku at Leanio.co

Technical Platform

• Built with Ruby on Rails, postgreSQL and some AJAX (with JQuery).
• Testing with RSpec, Capybarra and Factory Girl
• Front-end with JQuery-UI and Bootstrap 3

Features

• Create projects and invite other users to participate

  • Work on project ideas following the standard lean phases of problem/solution fit, market/solution fit and scale
  • Organise activity in sprints for each phase
  • Users can only see their projects and the projects they are invited to participate

• Use multiple lean canvas for each projects

  • Assign hypotheses to each of the canvas areas (problem, solution, key metrics, cost structure, revenue streams, unique value proposition, unfair advantage, channels, customer segments)
  • Capture canvas metrics and prioritise your work

• Validate ideas through experimentation

  • Assign multiple hypothesis to each experiment
  • Run multiple experiment across multiple sprints

Data model

Code examples

Business logic to automatically create multiple sprints with dates based on user's input of phase start date, number of sprints and sprint length (models/phase.rb)

before_save :set_sprints

def set_sprints

  start_date_valid = self.start_date.present?
  number_of_sprints_valid = self.number_of_sprints.present? && self.number_of_sprints > 0
  sprint_length_valid = self.sprint_length.present? && self.sprint_length > 0

  if start_date_valid && number_of_sprints_valid && sprint_length_valid

    end_date = get_end_date(self.start_date, self.number_of_sprints, self.sprint_length)
    self.end_date = end_date

    phase_weeks = get_phase_weeks(self.start_date, end_date, self.sprint_length)

    change_sprint_dates(self.sprints, phase_weeks) if self.sprints.present? && !self.sprints.empty?

    add_or_remove_sprints(self, phase_weeks)

  end
end

def get_end_date(start_date, number_of_sprints, sprint_length) # returns the new end date
  duration = number_of_sprints * sprint_length
  start_date + duration.weeks - 1
end

def get_phase_weeks(start_date, end_date, sprint_length) # returns an array of arrays of weeks [start_day, end_day]
  days = (Date.parse("#{self.start_date}")..Date.parse("#{self.end_date}")).to_a
  days.each_slice(self.sprint_length * 7).to_a.map do |w|
    [w.first, w.last].map { |d| "#{d.year}-#{d.month}-#{d.day}" }
  end
end

def change_sprint_dates(sprints, phase_weeks) # changes and saves sprints, returns true if no error
  sprints.each_with_index do |s, i|
    s.start_date = phase_weeks[i][0]
    s.end_date = phase_weeks[i][1]
    s.save
    break if i + 1 == phase_weeks.length # don't allow to go beyond the new number_of_sprints
  end
end

def add_or_remove_sprints(phase, phase_weeks) # destroy() or .build() the sprints referenced by the phase
  sprints_diff = phase.number_of_sprints - phase.sprints.length
  if sprints_diff < 0 # destroy old ones
    sprints_diff.abs.times do |i|
      s = phase.sprints[(phase.sprints.length - 1) - i ]
      Sprint.destroy(s.id)
    end
  end
  if sprints_diff > 0 # add new ones
    sprints_diff.times do |i|
      j = phase.sprints.length # this length will increase by 1 at each iteration because you're adding to the array!
      phase.sprints.build(start_date: phase_weeks[j][0], end_date: phase_weeks[j][1])
    end
  end
end

Add or remove hypotheses to a canvas area (models/area.rb)

def add_hypothesis(hypothesis_id)
  begin
    hypothesis = Hypothesis.find(hypothesis_id)
    if self.hypotheses.include?(hypothesis)
      self.errors.add :base, 'This hypothesis has already been added'
      return false
    else
      self.hypotheses << hypothesis
      self.save!
    end
  rescue
    self.errors.add :base, 'Hypothesis not found'
    return false
  end
end

def remove_hypothesis(hypothesis_id)
  begin
    hypothesis = Hypothesis.find(hypothesis_id)
    if self.hypotheses.include?(hypothesis)
      self.hypotheses.delete(hypothesis)
      self.save!
    else
      self.errors.add :base, 'This hypothesis has already been added'
      return false
    end
  rescue
    self.errors.add :base, 'Hypothesis not found'
    return false
  end
end

Dynamically show to the user only the hypothesis that are relevant (models/area.rb)

def options_for_select_hypotheses
  # Get only hypotheses with that area_identifier that have not yet been associated with this area
  h_not_associated = Hypothesis.includes(:areas).where(area_identifier: self.area_identifier).where(areas: {id: nil})
  h_not_this_area = Hypothesis.includes(:areas).where(area_identifier: self.area_identifier).where.not(areas: {id: self.id})
  (h_not_associated + h_not_this_area).map { |h| [h.name, h.id] }
end

Allow user to add project members to a specific experiment (models/experiment.rb)

def add_user(user_id)
  user = User.find_by(id: user_id)
  if !self.phase.project.users.include?(user)
    self.errors.add :base, 'This user is not a project user'
    return false
  elsif self.users.include?(user)
    self.errors.add :base, 'This user has already been added'
    return false
  else
    begin
      self.users << user
      self.save!
    rescue
      self.errors.add :base, 'This user cannot be added'
      return false
    end
  end
end

def remove_user(user_id)
  user = User.find_by(id: user_id)
  if !self.users.include?(user)
    self.errors.add :base, 'This user was not added to the experiment'
    return false
  else
    begin
      self.users.destroy(user)
      self.save!
    rescue
      self.errors.add :base, 'This user cannot be removed'
      return false
    end
  end
end

Calculate useful statistics for a sprint (models/sprint.rb)

def stories_completion
  stories_completed = self.stories_completed ||= 0
  stories_estimated = self.stories_estimated ||= 0
  number = stories_completed - stories_estimated
  ratio = number.to_f != 0 ? number.to_f / self.stories_estimated : 0
  {number: number, ratio: ratio}
end

def points_completion
  points_completed = self.points_completed ||= 0
  points_estimated = self.points_estimated ||= 0
  number = points_completed - points_estimated
  ratio = number.to_f != 0 ? number.to_f / self.points_estimated : 0
  {number: number, ratio: ratio}
end

Modal with AJAX to create, edit and delete an hypothesis (views/hypotheses/edit.js.erb)

// Dislay the modal content
$("#show-hypothesis").html("<%= escape_javascript(render 'hypotheses/modal_edit') %>");

// Get IDs
var modalDialog = $(".modal-dialog");
var projectId = modalDialog.data('project-id');
var hypothesisId = modalDialog.data('hypothesis-id');

// Get current area_identifier
var hypothesisAreaIdentifier = modalDialog.data('hypothesis-area-identifier');

// Show error message
function showError(message) {
  $(".modal-dialog").addClass("error");
  var errorElement = $("<small></small>")
    .attr('id', 'error_message')
    .addClass('error')
    .html(message);
  $(errorElement).appendTo('form .field');
}

// Create a new area
function getNewArea(data){
  var areasRow = $("#areas-row");
  areasRow.append(
    $('<div/>', {'class': 'col-xs-12', 'id': 'area-col-' + data.area_identifier.split(" ").join("-")}).append(
      $('<div/>', {'class': 'panel panel-default'})
      .append(
        $('<div/>', {'class': 'panel-heading'}).append(
          $('<h6/>', {'class': 'panel-title', 'text': data.area_identifier})
        )
      )
      .append(
        $('<div/>', {'class': 'panel-body'})
      )
    )
  );
  return $("#area-col-" + data.area_identifier.split(" ").join("-"));
}

// Create new link panel for an hypothesis
function createNewLinkPanel(data, areaCol){
  var col = $("<div></div>");
  col.addClass("col-sm-3");
  col.attr('id', "hypothesis-col-" + data.id);

  var heading = $("<div></div>");
  heading.addClass("panel panel-primary panel-heading");
  heading.attr('style', "height: 80px; overflow: hidden; white-space: normal;");

  var p = $("<p></p>");

  var newLink = $("<a></a>")
  newLink.attr('data-toggle', "modal");
  newLink.attr('data-target', "#show-hypothesis");
  newLink.attr('id', "hypothesis-link-" + data.id);
  newLink.attr('data-remote', "true");
  newLink.attr('href', "/projects/"+data.project_id+"/hypotheses/"+data.id);

  areaCol.find('.panel-body').append(col.append(heading.append(p.append(newLink))));
}

// EDIT hypothesis
function editHypothesis(event){
  event.preventDefault();

  // get edited object
  var editedHypothesis = {
    id: hypothesisId,
    project_id: projectId,
    area_identifier: $("#hypothesis_area_identifier").val(),
    name: $("#hypothesis_name").val(),
    description: $("#hypothesis_description").val()
  };

  $.ajax({
    type: "PUT",
    url: "/projects/"+projectId+"/hypotheses/"+hypothesisId+".json",
    data: JSON.stringify({
        hypothesis: editedHypothesis
    }),
    contentType: "application/json",
    dataType: "json"})

    .done(function(data) {
      // If the area_identifier changed, delete old panel and create a new one in the right area
      // however, the right area may not exist yet becuse before it had no hypotheses.
      if(hypothesisAreaIdentifier !== data.area_identifier){
        // Remove old hypothesis
        $("#hypothesis-col-"+hypothesisId).remove();
        // Create a new area if the area doesn't exist
        var areaCol = $("#area-col-" + data.area_identifier.split(" ").join("-"));
        if(areaCol.length === 0){
          areaCol = getNewArea(data);
        }
        // Create and append the new link panel
        createNewLinkPanel(data, areaCol);
      }
      // Update link name on project show view
      $("#hypothesis-link-"+hypothesisId).html(data.name);
      // Close modal
      $("button#close-modal").click();
    })

    .fail(function(error) {
      console.log(error);
      error_message = error.responseJSON.title[0];
      showError(error_message);
    }
  );
}

// DELETE hypothesis
function deleteHypothesis(event){
  event.preventDefault();

  $.ajax({
    type: "DELETE",
    url: "/projects/"+projectId+"/hypotheses/"+hypothesisId+".json",
    contentType: "application/json",
    dataType: "json"})

    .done(function(data) {
      // Remove hypothesis
      $("#hypothesis-col-"+data.id).remove();
      // Close modal
      $("button#close-modal").click();
    })
    .fail(function(error) {
      console.log(error);
      error_message = error.responseJSON.title[0];
      showError(error_message);
    }
  );
}

// After loading: bind submit event
$(document).ready(function() {
  $("#submit-edit").bind('click', editHypothesis);
  $("button#delete").bind('click', deleteHypothesis);
});