Definition
Lean startup is the methodology for developing businesses through validated learning and rapid iteration. You reach for it before you spend — to test whether the problem, the buyer, and the offer are real. Name it clearly, then let the next decision — a hire, a price, a test, or a pass — follow from that meaning.
In the room
How the word shows up in a real conversation.
A mentor asks, “What is your Lean startup?” The useful answer is concrete: methodology for developing businesses through validated learning and rapid iteration. A slide title is not an answer.
Common mistake
Using Lean startup as a label instead of a fact. If you cannot point to the evidence — a number, a customer, or a written assumption — you are using the word as jargon.
See also
Lean management
Management approach focused on eliminating waste and maximizing value creation.
Read definition →
Founder-market fit
Why this founder is unusually able to win this customer — insight, access, or obsession.
Read definition →
Initial market validation
Process of testing and confirming market demand for a new product or service.
Read definition →
Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
The smallest product that can test the riskiest assumption with real users.
Read definition →
Research more
Open the word in an AI tool with a ready prompt. We do not send your data.
Get one word every week
A 3-minute read: 1 word, 1 founder lesson, 1 tool.