As published in The Q Review Autumn 2020 Magazine.  Follow the link to Subscribe and receive your FREE copy each quarter!

The Lean Startup – How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries

Reviewed by Vee Mutowo

Don’t be misled by the title and believe the book is only relevant for start-up tech ventures in Silicon Valley.

While Ries leverages his personal experience and the enthusiasm for these types of businesses at the time of the book’s launch, the book is actually broadly applicable.

Rest assured, there are ideas and lessons contained within that are relevant to more traditional businesses and their owners.

Biggest Takeaways

Two of our biggest take-aways are as follows –

  • Entrepreneurship isn’t limited to people who work in tech start-ups. It is everywhere.

However, arguably it can not be taught, it must be learned.

Few can read a book, attend a lecture and sit an exam and then know how to start and run a business.

You can prepare yourself as much as you like, but there is no substitute for getting started, getting your hands dirty (so to speak), and learning the old-fashioned way.

  • Business owners must be careful not to believe they have the perfect product or service when the marketplace may be telling them otherwise.

Instead, be open to the feedback, expressed and implied, from your customers and adjust and improve as required.

Our Recommendation

The book is full of gems for any small business owner, written by someone who has actually been there and done that, and who speaks with wisdom gleaned from personal experience.