Running Lean Workflow
Ash Maurya's systematic approach to finding product-market fit before running out of resources
The Three Stages of Running Lean
Stage 1: Problem/Solution Fit
Do I have a problem worth solving? Start by understanding the problem before building the solution.
Document Plan A
- • Create your initial Lean Canvas
- • Identify your riskiest assumptions
- • Define your unique value proposition
- • Outline your unfair advantage
Problem Interviews
- • Interview 10-15 potential customers
- • Validate that the problem exists
- • Understand current alternatives
- • Identify early adopters
Solution Interviews
- • Demo your solution concept
- • Test pricing assumptions
- • Validate minimum feature set
- • Get commitment for next steps
Success metric: Can you get 10 people to say they'd pay for your solution?
Stage 2: Product/Market Fit
Have I built something people want? Build an MVP and validate with paying customers.
Build MVP
- • Focus on early adopters only
- • Build minimum feature set from interviews
- • Launch quickly (8-12 weeks max)
- • Charge from day one
Measure & Learn
- • Track activation rate
- • Monitor retention/churn
- • Measure customer lifetime value
- • Calculate unit economics
Iterate to Product/Market Fit
- • Weekly iterations based on metrics
- • Continuous customer feedback
- • Pivot if metrics don't improve
- • Double down on what's working
Success metric: 40% of users say they'd be very disappointed if product went away
Stage 3: Scale
How do I accelerate growth? Focus on scaling what's already working.
Optimize Your Engine
- • Identify your growth engine (viral, paid, sticky)
- • Optimize conversion funnel
- • Reduce customer acquisition cost
- • Increase lifetime value
Build Repeatable Systems
- • Document sales process
- • Create scalable onboarding
- • Automate where possible
- • Build team and delegate
Success metric: Predictable, repeatable growth with positive unit economics
Essential Running Lean Tools
Customer Interviews
Structured conversations to validate problems and solutions without selling
Pirate Metrics (AARRR)
Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral - track what matters
Continuous Deployment
Ship small changes frequently to learn faster
Running Lean Principles
- •Love the problem, not your solution: Fall in love with the problem, not your specific solution
- •Get out of the building: There are no facts inside your building, only opinions
- •Speed of learning wins: Outlearn your competition through rapid experimentation
- •Right action, right time: Focus on what's riskiest at each stage
- •Traction trumps everything: Show continuous improvement in key metrics
Ready to Run Lean?
We help founders implement Running Lean methodology to systematically de-risk their startups and find product-market fit.
Schedule a free consultation