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The Lean Startup - A pragmatic view on its Flaws and Pitfalls

Heitmann, Jan (2014) The Lean Startup - A pragmatic view on its Flaws and Pitfalls.

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Abstract:The methodology of the Lean startup is the latest hype in Silicon Valley and was predicted to change everything. Based on Toyota’s Lean principles of Lean Manufacturing and Steve Blank’s customer development process, it focuses on a set of guidelines to build a startup agile and iteratively, based on hypotheses validation and customer feedback. However almost six years after its first recognition, and three years after the publication its best-selling book The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses”, by Lean Startup pioneer Eric Ries, there is still practically no scientific evidence that would justify the hype. As this fosters skepticism if the methodology is as revolutionary as it was claimed, this paper takes a look on possible flaws. Using theoretically reflections and practical experiences of various actors in the startup community, its pitfalls are evaluated. The evaluation of the collected information grants insight that even there is nothing plainly wrong with the methodology, the Lean startup has to be applied with caution and a grain of salt. Pitfalls are lurking inter alia at its handling with marketing and sales, the MVP and preferred customer group. Purpose of this paper is to grant first insights to a predominately unexploited area of the Lean Startup and to create a foundation for further research.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:85 business administration, organizational science
Programme:International Business Administration BSc (50952)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/66221
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