book · 2011
The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
In a nutshell
Treat your startup like a series of experiments. Build a small version, measure how real people react, learn, and adjust fast instead of guessing for months.
Best for: First-time founders who want a method for testing ideas cheaply.
Quotes & ideas we use
“A startup is a human institution designed to create a new product or service under conditions of extreme uncertainty.”
“The minimum viable product is that version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.”
Concepts from this book
What is a startup?
A startup is a new business searching for a model that works, under a lot of uncertainty.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
The smallest version of your product that lets you learn whether you're on the right track.
Product-market fit
When you've built something a real market badly wants — and you can feel the pull.
One Metric That Matters
At each stage, pick the single number that best shows progress — and focus on it.
Fake-door & smoke tests
Test demand before building by offering something that doesn't exist yet and measuring who tries to get it.