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.)

Excellent Book!

This is an excellent book. All managers and entrepreneurs this is a must read. If you want to not waste time or money and grow your company learn it here.

insightful

currently in the military and wanting to transition to business, I found it quite useful

Truly innovative thinking

Would you listen to The Lean Startup again? Why?

Eric Ries has taken the Japanese model for Lean Manufacturing and applied it to the Internet start-up. The results are fascinating and practical. He throws away all the standard assumptions and creates a completely new (for me anyway) way of looking at a young business.

Though parts of the book were over my head a bit, it still inspired out-of-the-box thinking that will help me to find the next iteration of my business. Very cool!

Outstanding information though slightly dated.

Overall a well written book that contains a wealth of information that can help any new entrepreneur form a solid plan for the new startup.

Great material for a startup mindset

I thought the concepts were very helpful to understand what it is to be a lean startup. Easy to follow and understand, the trick will be around implementing it in your context

Great story - an entrepreneurial bible

I have read a lot of start-up books as an entrepreneur and after reading this one the question ringing in my ear is - 'why did I wait so long to read this'. The logic is so strong and the messages integrate the many themes of design thinking, lean, agile, up to the level of building a business that it is a must read and an inevitable bible for entrepreneurship in the 21st century.

A MUST Read for any Business Professional

Absolutely critical for anyone in business or for anyone bringing a new product to market. Especially those in the software development space. Agile, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing ..... The Lean Startup!! Great book!!!

Overall groundbreaking ideas and insights

Overall groundbreaking set of new ideas and insights that define what a 21st century business is while providing a tangible path to becoming one... My only quibble is that the 2011 business examples are woefully outdated in the context of 2019 but the ideas do hold up

Fantastic approach to innovation

Great for anyone trying to apply structure to innovation. This book brings a nice scientific approach to addressing the difficulties and risks associated with building innovative products and teams. I think the way of thinking and processes can really be applied to personal uncertainties as well.

Must read for entrepreneurs!

The startups' bible. Very helpful to start developing new ventures and learn about what other companies are doing.