I recently left a large corporation to work for a small startup. I was at my previous employer for 17 years, so the switch has been both a significant change and an interesting adventure for me. I now have more responsibilities in my current role, while getting paid much, much less for fulfilling them. Why did I decide to make such a switch? Mostly for the sake of my sanity. Big Corporate Culture finally got to me with its bureaucracy, politics, and pathological practices - all symptoms of deeper disorders. However, startups also have their own share of neurotic behaviors, which may be why most of them fail. Eric Ries provides entrepreneurs with a saner and more methodical approach towards business development and innovation. Like
Lean Logic, Ries draws inspiration from Ohno’s Lean Manufacturing.
Reading this book and Lean Logic has caused me to contemplate on how I can apply lean thinking to more aspects of my own life. “Lean” is my current word-in-play.
