SXSW 2013 Sampler

innovation. Th e point has never been about
who came up with what, but, rather, how
can we learn from past successes to make
future endeavors more predictable.
We feel that we are now witnessing a
phase marked by radical disequilibrium and
fundamental changes in innovation and
entrepreneurship enabled by a juggernaut of
technological and cultural trends.
Th e best way to navigate the near future
is to hyperfocus on creating value for
customers and moving at the speed of the
Internet. We’ll show you how.
Who Is the Lean
Entrepreneur?
We’d like to answer that question like most
entrepreneurs who are asked to defi ne their
market: Everyone! However, in order to demonstrate
that we drink our own Kool-Aid,
we have spoken to and worked with many
diff erent individuals as we wrote this book.
Here are our market segments:
• Scalable startup founders—If you are
hoping to build “the next big thing.”
• Lifestyle business founders—We don’t
think the term is derogatory in the least.
If you’re trying to build a real business
that provides value to customers, we’re
talking to you.
• Intrapreneurs—If you are trying to
change your business, whatever size, to
move at the speed of the Internet read on.
• Educators—You recognize that entrepreneurship
needs to be taught diff erently.
• Government Change Agents—If, like
entrepreneurs trying to drive change
inside big businesses, you are trying
to drive change in how governments
operate, we’re here to help.
• Investors—If you could use help fi nding
and providing assistance to the right
startups.
Although we’d like to think this book will
benefi t everyone to some degree, this book
is likely less than optimal for these market
segments:
• Small-business founders who are starting
companies for which there is already a
known model—Typically these are the
types of businesses found in malls: dry
cleaners, retailers, franchises, and so
forth.
• Lifestyle business owners—If you’ve already
built your business and are generally satisfi
ed with what you’ve achieved, congratulations!
You probably don’t need us.
• Solo practitioners—If you’re trying to generate
a personal or family income stream
via “projects” or small-scale products or
services we think that’s great! Th ere are
probably better books for that.
Generally speaking, if you’ve read Eric
Ries’s Th e Lean Startup and are looking for
more tactical application of the principles
espoused there, this is the right book for you.
If you haven’t read it and need convincing
that a lean startup is the right thing for you
and your organization, we will make the
case—but you really should read Eric’s book.
If you’ve read Th e Four Steps to the
Epiphany, our Entrepreneur’s Guide to Customer
Development, or Blank’s Th e Startup
Owner’s Manual, you will fi nd new tools and
methodologies for applying the principles
you already believe in. Th ere is not a lot of
duplication here.
If you are well into the lean startup movement,
a heavy reader of Ash Maurya, Cindy
Alvarez, Sean Murphy, and others, we fi rmly
believe we have exciting new material you
can use to grow your business.
How to Use The Lean
Entrepreneur
Th is book hopes to not only teach you and
inspire you, but also to show you some fun
along the way.
Introduction xxi