(2009-11-04) Blank When Grow Lean Startup

Steve Blank clarifies that a Lean Startup is not a cheap Start Up - it just waits to start spending fast after it has a scalable/sustainable sales model. The goal of an investor-backed startup is not to build a lifestyle business (Life Style Company). The goal is to reach venture-scale (~10x return on investment.) When you and your board agree you've found a repeatable and scalable sales model (i.e. have Product Market Fit,) then you invest the dollars to create end user demand and drive those customers into your Sales Channel. If you confuse Lean with Cheap when you do find a repeatable and scalable sales model, you will starve your company for resources needed to scale. Customer Development (and Lean) is about continuous customer contact/iteration to find the right time for execution.