The Lean Edge: How lean is the Lean Startup?
"How lean is the lean startup? The lean startup movement is growing fast, now highlighted in the HBR yet no one in the lean movement seems to comment or connect - how do you feel about the lean startup? What can we learn from it?"

Posted on May 21, 2013

Author Archive

Daniel Markovitz: Nemawashi is more than just lobbying By Daniel Markovitz, Author of “A Factory of One" - Last updated: Thursday, August 16, 2012

Lobbying (and yes, I’m thinking cynically of what happens on K Street in Washington), is an attempt by a small group to influence policy for the benefit of that group. The welfare of the larger institution is secondary to the welfare of the sub-group. Moreover, lobbying isn’t a learning exercise: opposing or alternative views aren’t incorporated into the lobbyist’s position. Nemawashi is also designed to influence policy, of course. But there are several significant contrasts to lobbying. First, the welfare of the larger group is a real consideration. Second, nemawashi is a dialogue, not a monologue — it’s a discussion in ...

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Dan Markovitz: A lean leader achieves objectives by developing workers’ capabilities to deliver those results By Daniel Markovitz, Author of “A Factory of One" - Last updated: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Leaders are lauded for delivering results. Wall Street in particular prizes predictability above all. But reaching goals or benchmarks doesn’t speak to the sustainability of the accomplishment. “Chainsaw” Al Dunlop fired people at Sunbeam (and other companies he “led”) left and right on his way towards reaching profit targets. Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling of Enron cooked the books to hit its numbers. In neither case were the results sustainable. By contrast, a lean leader builds the capacity of the people and the system, so that the results — and the ability to continue to deliver results —  transcends the leader’s ...

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