Lean Startup Methodology

The Lean Startup Methodology is a systematic approach for developing businesses and products under conditions of extreme uncertainty, aimed at shortening product development cycles and rapidly discovering if a proposed business model is viable. Championed by Eric Ries, it advocates for an iterative "build-measure-learn" feedback loop, where entrepreneurs quickly build a minimum viable product (MVP) to test their core assumptions with real customers. The data and feedback gathered are then used as "validated learning" to make evidence-based decisions on whether to "pivot" by changing a core strategy or "persevere" with the current plan, thereby reducing waste and increasing the chances of creating a product that people actually want.

1. Foundations of the Lean Startup
   1. Defining the Lean Startup
      1. Origins and Historical Context
      2. The Problem of Uncertainty in Entrepreneurship
         1. Market Uncertainty
         2. Technical Uncertainty
         3. Competitive Uncertainty
         4. Regulatory Uncertainty
         5. Impact of Uncertainty on Decision-Making
      3. The Goal: Reducing Waste and Maximizing Learning
         1. Definition of Waste in Startups
         2. Learning as a Competitive Advantage
         3. Speed as a Strategic Advantage
   2. Core Principles
      1. Entrepreneurs are Everywhere
         1. Applicability Beyond Tech Startups
         2. Intrapreneurship in Established Organizations
         3. Social Entrepreneurship Applications
      2. Entrepreneurship is Management
         1. Startups as Experiments
         2. Adaptive Management Practices
         3. Managing Under Extreme Uncertainty
      3. Validated Learning
         1. Learning Through Experimentation
         2. Measuring Progress by Learning
         3. Scientific Method in Business
      4. Innovation Accounting
         1. Tracking Learning Milestones
         2. Metrics for Progress
         3. Financial vs. Learning Metrics
      5. The Build-Measure-Learn Loop
         1. Feedback Loops in Product Development
         2. Continuous Improvement
         3. Accelerating Learning Cycles
   3. Key Influences
      1. Lean Manufacturing
         1. Toyota Production System
         2. Principles of Lean Thinking
         3. Elimination of Waste
         4. Just-in-Time Production
            1. Reducing Inventory
            2. Responding to Demand
            3. Pull vs. Push Systems
         5. Small Batch Sizes
            1. Benefits for Iteration
            2. Reducing Cycle Time
            3. Quality Improvements
         6. Genchi Genbutsu
            1. Direct Observation
            2. Understanding Customer Context
            3. Go and See Philosophy
      2. Customer Development
         1. Steve Blank's Four Steps
         2. Customer Discovery
         3. Customer Validation
         4. Customer Creation
         5. Company Building
      3. Agile Software Development
         1. Iterative Development
         2. Responding to Change
         3. Cross-Functional Teams
         4. Scrum and Kanban Influences