
The Promise of the Lean Startup - terpua
http://gigaom.com/2009/08/11/the-promise-of-the-lean-startup/
======
plinkplonk
"In any case, the article seems to conflate undeniable facts (it has become
ridiculously cheap to launch a website, if you are willing to write it
yourself for free) with some fairly untested but very trendy beliefs about how
startups should run (agile, cat-like, continuously releasing, restlessly
synergizing)."

Hmm I am a bit uneasy about the "lean startup" idea becoming a faddish
consultingware trend like "agile". Both ideas repackage some common sense
elements with relentless marketing and buzzword terminology. "earlyvangelists"
anyone?

"lean startup" has seen relentless marketing of late, trying even to co-opt
Steve Jobs as some kind of "unconscious lean startup" person. (See "The Steve
Jobs Method" - a blog post claiming that SJ is actually using "lean startup"
principles (!!) - [http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/steve-
jobs...](http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/steve-jobs-
method.html))

The author is supposedly a CTO of a company making a million dollars in
revenue a month from paying customers(so his slides on "lean startups" claim).
I notice today on his blog that he is setting up a 3000$/month (for 2
days/month!) consulting-ey offer where

"this cohort of companies would have the opportunity to act as a learning
community, sharing what they've learned and supporting one another as they try
to put the techniques into practice. Each month, we'd hold each other
accountable for making changes to our product, process, and team. I would also
be available to the participants to answer questions one-on-one and act as an
advisor to each company"

Source
[http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/introducin...](http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/introducing-
lean-startup-cohort.html)

Why would a CTO of a "lean startup" making (presumably) millions of dollars a
year want to take up a "methodology consultant" type role? Where would a CTO
find the time?

~~~
benmathes
He doesn't work at that startup anymore as far as I know. I think he might be
on the board still. I have only vague memories of the exact current
relationship, but Eric Ries seems to have (1) run a "lean startup" before they
were cool, (2) left the lean startup, and (3) started blogging about lean
startups and consulting.

------
idlewords
"Just-in-time inventory control, an end to “time-quality-money, pick two”
thinking, and true continuous improvement are at the heart of the supply
chains that feed, clothe and sustain the developed world. They were made
possible by a combination of new technologies and new thinking."

Seems to me that nearly unlimited cheap labor from the developing world and
tarrif-free commerce are what's really at the heart of those supply chains.
Maybe that's what the author means by 'new thinking'.

In any case, the article seems to conflate undeniable facts (it has become
ridiculously cheap to launch a website, if you are willing to write it
yourself for free) with some fairly untested but very trendy beliefs about how
startups should run (agile, cat-like, continuously releasing, restlessly
synergizing).

