Book Review: "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

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The Lean Startup is a book I have been meaning to read for years and never got around to. It contains lots of useful advice and good case studies explaining experiences of what has and hasn't work. The book is oriented towards software development startups (and software development innovation in general in any sized organisation) and could have easily been condensed into a third its size.

Key takeaways:
  • Build, Measure, Learn (go through this loop as fast as you can)
  • Use validated learning and measure using actionable metrics, not vanity metrics. Use cohort analysis.
  • Do split testing to measure what matters to customers
  • Build a Minimal Viable Product (MVP), gain quick feedback from customers, learn quickly and evolve as required
  • Use 5 whys for root cause analysis and identifying what to target in terms of improvements

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