The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

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Rarely a book has such a great impact on business as The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. To understand the great insight it provides, one really has to read the book. Who should read it? Startup owners, startup wannabe owners, entrepreneurs and in general anyone interested in business.

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This book is a systematic, hands on approach about building a startup business. We all know that startup businesses are quite particular. They are businesses that tend to grow exponentially if they become successful. There are so many successful startups to look at. Some examples are: AirBnB, Instagram, Pinterest, Angry Birds, Linkedin, Uber, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and so many others. All of those businesses share the same characteristics. They offer a unique product that covers a gap, each in its own market, and they grow exponentially.

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However, things are not quite simple when it comes to creating a startup and making it successful. In fact, things are pretty complicated. This is because startups offer unique products that have never been offered before. Therefore, every effort to predict, measure and calculate the course of the business seems almost impossible. It would be possible if this had been done before but since it had not.. Well we have a problem. This is when The Lean Startup enters the stage, to shed light into the dark horizon and help startup owners understand what is going on. The lean method does not just provide insight, it provides the tools to create and measure the course of the business.

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For me it has been a personal experience that made me appreciate this magnificent book. I was called to create a marketing plan for a company, the product of which was very interesting. Unfortunately, I can not give more information with respect to this but I can give you more details about the hardships I came across as the product had never been launched before. It was unique in a sense therefore, I did not have much information about the reaction of the market. You see, if a product or something similar had been distributed in the past, things would have been easier. You would have at least something to expect and base your claims on facts. However, if there is absolutely no information, you are lost. Fortunately, I discovered The Lean Startup!

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Reading the book I discovered that the writer was not simply presenting ideas and making suggestions, instead he was speaking about his own experience. In The Lean Startup Eric Ries presents his own business case, his own personal experience. But it is not a mere presentation as alongside the experience comes a series of methodological approaches and calculations to measure and solve most of the problems that come up when you are completely lost and unaware of what to do! Yes, the book is so amazing! Maybe even more..

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I would like to make it clear here that I am not sponsored by Mr Eric Ries or by any other company or organization to write this review. This is my opinion which is a result of my personal experience.

So what was the outcome of my marketing plan? Well, I think it is one of the most successful projects I have ever been involved with. Although this has happened some years ago, I still see online the results of my marketing plan and feel so grateful. I think writing this small article is the least I can do to give back something, which I feel is an indication of appreciation. Therefore, I advise anyone who is thinking about creating a startup to read this book carefully. I am confident The Lean Startup will become a business bible to them. During my MBA studies I came across so many scientific papers and books that described and analyzed complicated concepts in business and finance. This book is a true gem, one of the most (if not the most) useful tools for any entrepreneur.

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Please click the following links to learn more about The Lean Startup book and The Lean Startup methodology. If you are familiar with The Lean Startup and you are interested in joining others with the similar interest, you can find some regional groups according to your area of residence here.