Running Lean: Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works (Lean Series)

I have read my fair share of books on starting a business. As an engineer, the "building the product" part is the easy part. What has always challenged me is the entire process. Eric Ries was correct in saying that many books and magazine articles paint a wonderful picture of overnight success. And in my own business challenges, I wonder why I am not having this overnight success that I read about all of the time. Finally I have the answer. The overnight success is a myth. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries changes the perceived paradigm of business. 9 out of 10 startups fail. I personally have been in startups that failed and put it down to a learning experience but still could not pin point exactly what was the cause of the failure. Why didn't people purchase the products/services that I was creating. Am also a fan of Seth Godin and he professes that we build the Wow! into the product as a strategy. But Ash Muraya gets real and for the first time I truly understand why I have failed in the past with the startups that I had been involved in. It was the process. We never got out of the building. We always built software in a vaccuum smugly thinking it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I have used the latter strategy and I can say from sheer experience it does not work. It all makes sense now. Seems a little obvious now. This book in itself is lean. It does NOT make the same point over and over again using example after example. Every part of the book is useful. In fact it may be more of a user manual on business than a book. It shows you realistic step by step methods of reducing the time that could be potentially wasted in turning an idea into a product/service. I have already started to use the strategies and it is making a huge difference in my work. I have been through a process of creating an MVP and testing it. The process has already saved me tons of time and to be honest, much heartache. Every time I think of a new product or service I always go back to Running Lean to ensure that I do not repeat past mistakes and to use it's methods once again. Thank you Ash Muraya. It's one of the best books in this genre I have ever read.

When I tore through Running Lean I kept thinking (warning: 40 something TV reference inbound) of the TV show Name That Tune. Yes, the book has plenty of the pre-requisites for something you tear through - well written in a direct and approachable voice, moves along at a good clip, plenty of pointed observations and examples to bring them to life, etc. But what I found most powerful was that in his delivery of the book, Ash is eating his own Lean dog food not just on content but on how he delivers that content. The result? A how-to that definitely punches above its weight. First, he shares the Lean-inspired principles at work in his business ventures, using the book as sort of an open bridge hand for us to watch as he plays. Table stakes for this kind of a tome yes, but done well. As important though, he's been able to convey these interesting Lean principles in a simpler, more graspable, practical and flexible way than I've encountered elsewhere. With the result being a really short walk between the ideas in his book and real word applications to the new venture I've been working on. And that's when you know you have a good resource for helping you actually do something differently...you're engaged by the thinking on the first run through, and returning often to try out bits and pieces on the real world questions you're wrestling around with... rather than just liking the ideas but feeling overwhelmed by the effort or rigidity of applying them to your situation. Definitely plenty of virtual thumb grease on this one from heavy use and more to come. And definitely helping me call the tune on plenty of decisions in the fewest notes possible.

While this book is geared towards the true start up (small team on a new idea), the concepts and tools discussed work just as well for entrepreneurs operating in larger firms. I work for a company with 1000 tech employees and over $1 Billion in annual revenue. Hardly your definition of a start up. However, all most all of the methodology espoused by the Lean Startup and the tools introduced in this book provide value in my day to day life. These books are a must read for any and all innovators, regardless of how big your company. Now, regarding this specific book: it provides an excellent extension of the concepts discussed in "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries. I would definitely recommend starting there. This book takes presents the practical side of the Lean Startup Methodology. Where "The Lean Startup" is more on the what and why, this book provides concrete examples of how to bring these principles to life. It presents specific tools that can be used to practice these methods. Mr Maurya writes with an easy to read style. This is a quick read that does not fall short on content. I read this book on a 6" E-Ink kindle. The text in some of the images was very difficult to read. For that reason alone I am giving it 4 stars. Based purely on the content, the book is a 5 star.

L'unico che secondo me approfondisce la parte iniziale di una Startup, molto dettagliato e abbondante di consigli, non ho letto la nuova edizione, ma dicono che sia meglio di questa.

Um livro que impressiona pela quantidade de métodos técnicos, uma leitura difícil que exige um bom tempo e uma caneta na mão, para grifar as partes mais importantes, mas tome cuidado para não grifar o livro todo.

Das Buch enthält eine Menge nützlicher Tipps und Fallbeispiele. Ich habe dadurch einige neue Denkweisen beim Entwickeln von Produkten erlernt. Die Lean Canvas wird als Tool vorgestellt und Schritt für Schritt ausgefüllt. Anhand des Produkts des Autors wird in jedem Schritt erläutert, wie sie vorgegangen sind und wie sich dadurch das Produkt verändert hat. Das allein war schon immens hilfreich. Die Reihenfolge/Struktur des Buches erschien mir teilweise wirr - als hätte man im Nachgang hier und da einfach immer mehr Sachen ergänzt. Mir wäre es lieber, wenn alles in eine chronologische Reihenfolge gebracht wird, also "mache X, dann Y, dann Z" statt "mache X, dazu gehört Y, dazu gehört Z, danach B, währenddessen auch D, übrigens C!" Ich habe beim Lesen versucht mir selbst diesen Prozess chronologisch geordnet aufzuschreiben, ähnliches würde ich anderen Lesern auch Raten.

I've read a lot in the area of tech startups, the lean startup and customer development in general and have to say that I'm a huge fan of this book, mostly because its extremely practical, and guides you through the whole process. If you're looking for something that's heavy on the theoretical side of things then maybe this book isn't for you, but if you're after a practical step-by-step guide of approaching your startup using lean techniques then it doesnt get much better than this book.

This is a very clear and practical guide on how to develop, validate and improve your business ideas in a Lean manner. I am applying it to define and evolve my services. Ash’s method helps me get a better understanding of my customer needs and properly adjust my value proposition to it. I recommend the book to every entrepreneur.