I’ve taken a look at the famous book The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. It’s a must-read for every manager who wants to think like an entrepreneur. The book is neatly divided into three sections: Vision, Steer, and Accelerate. I’ve found it as a recommended read in several articles, and it’s currently holding a strong 4.6-star rating on Amazon from over 10,000 reviews.
Ries kickstarts the Vision section with a simple yet profound statement: “The goal of a startup is to figure out the right thing to build – the thing customers want and will pay for – as quickly as possible.” It’s all about learning what the customer wants and improving your product based on their needs. One example shared in the book is a company that conducted 500 experiments or A/B tests a year and saw a significant boost in product growth.
Another key takeaway from the book is the importance of testing your product before it’s even built. Ries emphasizes the concept of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This MVP is a stripped-down version of your idea or product designed to validate whether customers are interested in it. Ries offers several types of MVPs in the book that might prove useful for different situations.
The book doesn’t start off with a bang but don’t be fooled. The more you delve into it, the more valuable insights you’ll find. It’s chock full of thought-provoking ideas and strategies that you can apply to your own ventures. I’d definitely recommend giving it a read.
I hope you find these insights from The Lean Startup as valuable as I did. Happy reading!