How to Apply Lean Startup Principles to Everyday Life

It wasn't too long ago that the only way to start a business was to go out and get a loan, build a physical space, and hire employees. You had to be able to afford the upfront costs of building a company, and then you were at the mercy of the economy. If things went well, your company would grow and you could make a lot of money. But if things went poorly, you could easily find yourself out of business.

For many years, however, a new model for starting and running businesses has emerged, thanks to the internet and advancements in technology. This model is known as the lean startup, and it's based on the principle of using minimal resources to create and test a product or service before scaling up.

The lean startup model has been popularized by entrepreneurs like Eric Ries, who wrote the book The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. In his book, Ries lays out the lean startup methodology and how it can be used to create successful businesses.

But did you know that you can apply some of a lean startup's principles to everyday life? It's true and I'll share how in this post. Let's get started and look at what the lean startup is all about and how it applies to our lives.

About the lean startup model

In my view, there are three key components to the lean startup model: a minimum viable product (MVP), agile development, and continuous innovation. You will find variations from different people and perspectives but I find this view helpful.

An MVP is a version of a product or service that has the bare minimum amount of features required to be usable by customers. The goal of an MVP is to get feedback from customers as quickly as possible so that you can validate your product or service and make changes accordingly.

Agile development is a software development methodology that emphasizes iterative work, constant feedback, and collaboration between developers and stakeholders. The goal of agile development is to deliver working software as quickly as possible so that it can be used and tested by customers.

Continuous innovation is the process of constantly testing and improving your product or service based on feedback from customers. The goal of continuous innovation is to make sure that your product or service is always up-to-date and meets the needs of your customers.

Why the lean startup model matters

The traditional way of starting a business is no longer the only way or even the best way. The lean startup model provides a new way of thinking about starting and running a business that is more flexible, customer-focused, and data-driven.

How to apply the lean startup method to daily life

In simpler terms, the core of the lean startup method is:

• To set up the bare minimum to get started on something and then start
• To start producing things fast
• To get feedback and improve or change your position and pivot to something new

Let's look at some ways you can use these components every day.

Shaping your career

The traditional way of thinking about your career is to get a degree in a field that you're interested in, find a job at a company, and then work your way up the ladder. But what if you took a lean startup approach to your career?

Instead of spending years getting a degree and then hoping to find a job in your field, you could start by finding a job in a related field and then learning on the job. You could also start your own business in a related field and learn as you go.

However, you may also discover that taking a traditional route such as going to college may be the right thing for you - it's all about learning and gathering information.

The beauty of taking a lean startup approach to your career is that it allows you to be more flexible and adaptable. You can change course if you find that something isn't working out, and you can always continue learning and growing.

Building a blog or website

If you've ever wanted to start a blog or website, the lean startup method can help you get started quickly and efficiently.

First, come up with an MVP for your site. This could be a basic website with just a few pages of content. Many people get stuck trying to design an elaborate website with all the bells and whistles. And they start pursuing perfection in design before focusing on design.

But if you went the lean startup way, you'd just create your MVP website and then launch it as quickly as possible. You can always add more features and improve the design later.

The important thing is to get started and to start gathering feedback from your audience. See how people comment and what they share on social media about your content.

Once you have a better understanding of what your audience wants, you can start adding more features and improving the overall design. And you can create topics that people actually want to read out.

Habits and routines

The traditional way of thinking about habits is to try to create a new habit and then stick to it rigidly. But the lean startup method suggests a different approach.

Instead of trying to force yourself to stick to a new habit, start by doing the bare minimum that you need to do to get started. For example, if you want to start running, you could start by just putting on your running shoes and going for a short walk.

Then, once you've started the habit, you can gradually increase the frequency or intensity of your workouts. But the important thing is to get started and to keep it as simple as possible in the beginning.

Another example could be if you want to start meditating. You could start by just sitting for one minute a day and then gradually increase the time you meditate each day.

But again, the important thing is to get started and to make it as easy as possible in the beginning. Once you've started the habit, you can gradually increase the difficulty level.

And keep tracking how you feel and how effective these steps are. If something is working and you're seeing small improvements, great! Keep at it.

But if you find that something isn't working, don't be afraid to change course and try something new. The key is to always be learning and experimenting.

Conclusion

There are many areas of life where you can apply lean startup principles. The important thing is to always be learning, getting feedback, and making decisions based on what you learn.

What happens is that you have data that you can track and analyze to see what's working and what's not. You'll avoid wasting time and energy and quickly find what works for you.

So the next time you're starting something new, whether it's a business, a blog, or a habit, think about how you can apply lean startup principles. It could help you achieve your goals faster and more efficiently.