The Lean Startup

Date: 2025-01-03

Book Author: Eric Ries

Yes, I saved this one for last — because it still hits home even after all the others. The Lean Startup doesn’t promise a shortcut. It promises a feedback loop. Build. Measure. Learn. That’s the gospel — and honestly, it’s still the most powerful framework in startup land.

💡 Key Frameworks: • MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — not perfect, just testable. • Validated learning — your ego doesn’t count as data. • Innovation accounting — track progress, not just code pushes.

❤️ What I Still Use: • It gave language to what I was already feeling: launch before you’re ready. • “Pivot or persevere” is still the toughest — and most useful — question. • Makes failure feel less fatal, more iterative.

🤔 What's Aged: • Some examples (Dropbox, IMVU) feel like tech relics. • Doesn’t address the marketing/growth side enough.

📈 Verdict: The one that started it all. Still useful. Still humbling. Still worth your time.

Rating: 4.7/5