Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creatingsomething new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just astrue for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals ina Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to asustainable business. The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capitalefficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspiredby lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning, ”rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number ofcounter-intuitive practices that shorten product development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learnwhat customers really want. It enables a company to shift directionswith agility, altering plans inch by inch, minute by minute. Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs—in companies of all sizes—a way to test their vision continuously, to adapt and adjust before it’s too late. Ries provides a scientific approach to creating and managing successfulstartups in an age when companies need to innovate more than ever.
