The Lean Startup

How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

By: Eric Ries

Narrated by: Eric Ries

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.

The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning”, rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product-development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute.

Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs - in companies of all sizes - a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

©2011 Eric Ries (P)2011 Random House

Critic reviews

"Eric has created a science where previously there was only art. A must read for every serious entrepreneur—and every manager interested in innovation." (Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, Opsware Inc., and Netscape)

"At Asana, we've been lucky to benefit from Eric's advice firsthand; this book will enable him to help many more entrepreneurs answer the tough questions about their business." (Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook and Asana)

"In business, a ‘lean’ enterprise is sustainable efficiency in action. Eric Ries’ revolutionary Lean Startup method will help bring your new business idea to an end result that is successful and sustainable. You’ll find innovative steps and strategies for creating and managing your own startup while learning from the real-life successes and collapses of others. This book is a must read for entrepreneurs who are truly ready to start something great!” (Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur.)

Every creative person in Tech needs to reads this

Eric Ries gives a clear and powerful framework for understanding work of all kind. The theory and examples are immediately applicable to my career. The narration is at times monotone but I like hearing the author's real voice. Highly recommended!

A must read!

Most people adamately defend their opinions or ideas on nothing more than their personal, and very emotional BELIEF that it is right. The lean start up provides a way out of that subjective platform of decision making.

Very good

He goes through the things to look for in a viable product and the many pitfalls there are. When to pivot and when to persevere.

Changed my perspective

Would you consider the audio edition of The Lean Startup to be better than the print version?

They compliment each other

What other book might you compare The Lean Startup to and why?

eXtreme programming explained by Kent Beck

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The lean start up preaches the same as previous books has done before (agile development, toyota production system, lean manufacturing, etc.) - but unlike others, Eric Ries provide a tool for steering innovation and development in the right direction.

fascinating analysis of the lean method

I had to listen to it twice to really get it. Best listened to while working on a lean startup.

Great book for any Entreprenuer

What made the experience of listening to The Lean Startup the most enjoyable?

This an amazing book that gives great advice on entrepreneurs at all levels. The basic concept is that you should test every product and assumption you make on your actual market. The author goes it to great detail on how to think in these terms and how to do this effectively.

What did you like best about this story?

The best part of this book is all the examples that the author uses to drive the points the home. He clearly kno

Have you listened to any of Eric Ries’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the only book of his I've heard.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, couldn't stop listening. It's really amazing and well presented.

Validation of of to do it right!

As a Strategic Management Consultant in public and private sector, this validates, formally, what we struggle with as business consultants and entrepreneurs.
I am transitioning my title in my new start up as Entrepreneur. Will highly recommend this in technology, management consulting, and entrepreneurial industries. .

A must read for every entrepreneur!

Learned with every chapter of this book.
very usefu and clear view on how to innovate better.

An awesome book about entrepreneurship

Nicely narrated by its author. Present a bunch of tools, by comprehensive examples. A must read book.

Implementing What I Learned and Already Growing

There are several concepts that I learned from this audiobook, put into practice with my startup company and already seeing results. I have a short attention span but this entire audio book kept me intrigued.