Running Lean (Ash Maurya)
Problem
Ideas often rest on untested assumptions.
Action
Capture your business model on a Lean Canvas and identify the highest-risk assumptions.
Outcome
You know what to validate before investing significant time and money.
Chapter: Design - Deconstruct Your Idea on a Lean Canvas
Problem
You can build a solution for a problem that customers do not value.
Action
Interview target customers to verify that the problem is frequent and painful.
Outcome
You focus on a problem that people already want to solve.
Chapter: Design - Stress Test Your Idea for Desirability
Problem
A useful product can still fail as a business.
Action
Test whether customers will pay enough to support a profitable business model.
Outcome
You gain confidence that the business can grow sustainably.
Chapter: Design - Stress Test Your Idea for Viability
Problem
A good idea can fail if it cannot be built with available resources.
Action
Confirm that your team can build and deliver the solution in a practical way.
Outcome
You reduce execution risk before development.
Chapter: Design - Stress Test Your Idea for Feasibility
Problem
Confusing messages make people lose interest.
Action
Describe the customer, the problem, and the value in simple language.
Outcome
People understand your idea more quickly.
Chapter: Design - Communicate Your Idea Clearly and Concisely
Problem
Long development cycles delay learning.
Action
Organize each 90-day cycle around testing one important assumption.
Outcome
You learn faster with focused experiments.
Chapter: Validation - Validate Your Idea Using 90-Day Cycles
Problem
Testing low-priority questions leaves the biggest risks unresolved.
Action
Begin your first 90-day cycle by testing your most critical assumption.
Outcome
You reduce uncertainty as early as possible.
Chapter: Validation - Kick Off Your First 90-Day Cycle
Problem
Customers do not always accurately describe their real needs.
Action
Observe how customers solve the problem before proposing your solution.
Outcome
You discover more reliable customer insights.
Chapter: Validation - Understand Your Customers Better Than They Do
Problem
Customers rarely change without a meaningful benefit.
Action
Create a solution that is clearly better than the current alternative.
Outcome
Customers have a stronger reason to switch.
Chapter: Validation - Design Your Solution to Cause a Switch
Problem
Customers delay decisions when trying a new product feels risky.
Action
Present an offer with clear value and low risk for the customer.
Outcome
More customers decide to try your product.
Chapter: Validation - Deliver a Mafia Offer Your Customers Cannot Refuse
Problem
Experiments lose value when their results are not used.
Action
Compare your results with your expectations and update your next plan.
Outcome
Each validation cycle leads to better decisions.
Chapter: Validation - Run a 90-Day Cycle Review
Problem
Launching before you are ready creates avoidable problems.
Action
Confirm that your product and customer process work reliably before launch.
Outcome
Customers have a better first experience.
Chapter: Growth - Get Ready to Launch
Problem
Customers leave when they do not achieve results.
Action
Guide customers until they experience meaningful value from your product.
Outcome
Customer satisfaction and retention improve.
Chapter: Growth - Make Happy Customers
Problem
Growth is unpredictable without a repeatable way to acquire customers.
Action
Measure your acquisition channels and invest more in the strongest ones.
Outcome
Customer growth becomes more consistent.
Chapter: Growth - Find Your Growth Rocket