book · 2012
Running Lean
by Ash Maurya
In a nutshell
A step-by-step playbook for applying lean ideas, including the Lean Canvas, a one-page startup plan.
Best for: Founders who want a practical checklist.
Quotes & ideas we use
“Life's too short to build something nobody wants.”
The Lean Canvas adapts this idea for startups, swapping in boxes for the problem, solution, key metrics and unfair advantage.
Start with the problem. Most ideas fail because they solve a problem nobody cares enough about.
“Life's too short to build something nobody wants.”
Concepts from this book
Customer discovery
Go and talk to real potential customers to check that the problem you want to solve actually exists.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
The smallest version of your product that lets you learn whether you're on the right track.
Business Model Canvas
A one-page map of how your business creates, delivers and earns money from value.
Lean Canvas
A one-page startup plan that starts with the problem, not the product.