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  • The Lean Startup

  • How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
  • Written by: Eric Ries
  • Narrated by: Eric Ries
  • Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (481 ratings)

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The Lean Startup

Written by: Eric Ries
Narrated by: Eric Ries
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Publisher's Summary

Most startups fail. But many of those failures are preventable. The Lean Startup is a new approach being adopted across the globe, changing the way companies are built and new products are launched.

Eric Ries defines a startup as an organization dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty. This is just as true for one person in a garage or a group of seasoned professionals in a Fortune 500 boardroom. What they have in common is a mission to penetrate that fog of uncertainty to discover a successful path to a sustainable business.

The Lean Startup approach fosters companies that are both more capital efficient and that leverage human creativity more effectively. Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, it relies on “validated learning”, rapid scientific experimentation, as well as a number of counter-intuitive practices that shorten product-development cycles, measure actual progress without resorting to vanity metrics, and learn what customers really want. It enables a company to shift directions with 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 successful startups in a age when companies need to innovate more than ever.

©2011 Eric Ries (P)2011 Random House

What the critics say

"Eric has created a science where previously there was only art. A must read for every serious entrepreneur—and every manager interested in innovation." (Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, Opsware Inc., and Netscape)
"At Asana, we've been lucky to benefit from Eric's advice firsthand; this book will enable him to help many more entrepreneurs answer the tough questions about their business." (Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook and Asana)
"In business, a ‘lean’ enterprise is sustainable efficiency in action. Eric Ries’ revolutionary Lean Startup method will help bring your new business idea to an end result that is successful and sustainable. You’ll find innovative steps and strategies for creating and managing your own startup while learning from the real-life successes and collapses of others. This book is a must read for entrepreneurs who are truly ready to start something great!” (Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur.)

What listeners say about The Lean Startup

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An essential, but should have paid a voice actor

Pros
Good book to teach you the basics of some of the ways of thinking for current startups, especially in tech. Also helpful to understand some now widely used terms, like (mvp) minimum viable product.

Cons
The reading is fairly monotone and makes it hard to follow along at points. However, I find this is common for audiobooks.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

a world class education for entrepreneurs.

its 2020 and this information is still ahead of it's time. this book teaches a framework for testing, tweaking and taking ideas to market with record timing and precision results.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love it...

Super high level and though provoking. Gave me way.more context about what a lean startup is all about.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • S2
  • 2020-12-18

Really nerdy, dry, monotone boring voice

The content has some good tips for people who are totally clueless about continuous improvement or how to facilitate needs reviews and build plus iterate per continuous customer feedback. I really hated listening to this guy’s voice and was grateful when the book finally ended. I just forced myself to push through all the contents as this book seems to be a classic. Was very difficult to pay attention to this almost monotone, extremely nerdy sounding boring voice. Lots of self-promotion.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Top Business Book for Software Orgs

This is probably the top SaaS book I've ever read. Does a great job of balancing applied and theory.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

A bit repetitive at times, but overall a must-read for Product Managers, entrepreneurs, and Product Designers.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very insightfull

Good recollection of guidelines, companies experiences and tools, easy to listen and understand for general audience

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Many good insights

There are many good insights in this book. It follows a concise and organized path and is overall an easy read

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

annoying reader and misinforming

as a 10+ year small business owner the advice and content in this book is cliche or outright false.

very uppity smug elitist attitude about the definition of the word entrepreneur. if you're a blue collar practical person skip this one.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
  • Vic
  • 2022-07-21

Great for IT entrepreneurs

Great for IT entrepreneurs, but too abstract for other industries. I was able to gain some concepts from agile management.

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