Comments on: The Lean Entrepreneur http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:40:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jason Webb http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-11391 Jason Webb Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:00:41 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-11391 I hope Entrepreneurship is about doing something you like to do that fills a need or satisfies a want that other people have and makes money. I hope Entrepreneurship is about doing something you like to do that fills a need or satisfies a want that other people have and makes money.

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]]> By: Jamie Flinchbaugh http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5748 Jamie Flinchbaugh Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:42:43 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5748 Well, if you're opening a corner store for selling milk and M&Ms, then I would agree with you. But that doesn't mean the alternative is VC-backed wannabe Googles. There are millions of business in between. Well, if you're opening a corner store for selling milk and M&Ms, then I would agree with you. But that doesn't mean the alternative is VC-backed wannabe Googles. There are millions of business in between.

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]]> By: zx12bob http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5746 zx12bob Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:49:04 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5746 Jamie, Jim,<br />I think our differing views may arise in some part from a different use of the word "startup". In my comment, I had in mind the kind of start-up I have seen most often over here in the UK. I might describe these as more Mom-an-Pop, non-VC, small-business, proto-businesses as exemplified by "Dragons Den" and launched by what Michael Gerber refers-to as the "technician". As a 5+ years Princes Trust business mentor I have seen any number of these.<br /><br />From your comments I think maybe you had more in mind the high-powered, VC-backed, hope-to-be-huge business, proto-Googles launched by teams of "seasoned pros". We don't see many of those over here in this "nation of small shop-keepers" :} Oh, and those that we do see have more in common with the other kind of UK startup I describe above.<br /><br />So I hold that my earlier comments apply to the kind of start-ups I had in mind, but entirely accept they may not apply to the kind of start-ups of which you may have been thinking.<br /><br />Best,<br />Bob Jamie, Jim,
I think our differing views may arise in some part from a different use of the word "startup". In my comment, I had in mind the kind of start-up I have seen most often over here in the UK. I might describe these as more Mom-an-Pop, non-VC, small-business, proto-businesses as exemplified by "Dragons Den" and launched by what Michael Gerber refers-to as the "technician". As a 5+ years Princes Trust business mentor I have seen any number of these.

From your comments I think maybe you had more in mind the high-powered, VC-backed, hope-to-be-huge business, proto-Googles launched by teams of "seasoned pros". We don't see many of those over here in this "nation of small shop-keepers" :} Oh, and those that we do see have more in common with the other kind of UK startup I describe above.

So I hold that my earlier comments apply to the kind of start-ups I had in mind, but entirely accept they may not apply to the kind of start-ups of which you may have been thinking.

Best,
Bob

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]]> By: Jim Baran, Owner Value Stream Leadership http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5742 Jim Baran, Owner Value Stream Leadership Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:40:31 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5742 Bob, how would you ever find a product with market appeal if you weren’t obsessed with customer need? I agree with Jamie, it’s a process, not a poker hand. <br /><br />Entrepreneurship is an undeveloped skill. Successful entrepreneurs have developed and evolved this skill into a mindset. The migration from tinkerer to craftsman is very similar. <br /><br />Learning entrepreneurship isn’t about making money. It’s a process of connecting random to relative to reality. <br /><br />I commented to Jamie’s Twit on this post as “timely”. Financially, it’s harder now than ever to start-up a business. <br /><br />Bob, I agree, to start-up a business today without entrepreneurial skills would certainly classify as “dumb luck” if your primary expectation is financial independence. <br /> <br />I believe it’s timely for many to begin exploring entrepreneurship as a skill. If you’re employed – happy or sad, what better skill can you have to widen and deepen your job satisfaction? If you’re unemployed what better skill can you develop to find your next career connection? Like lean, entrepreneurship developed and practiced well makes YOU repeatable. If you’re repeatable, you come closer to not being replaceable. <br /><br />Like lean, there is much to learn about entrepreneurship. It can be applied to any circumstance or event. Expectation is usually where we fall down. Great entrepreneurs have a well defined sense of the customer reality and respect for people, places, and things. The magic is that we make it look easy. In reality, it never is. <br /><br />So, who invented the Dream Catcher? The Legend of the Dream Catcher http://ow.ly/ADJS. <br /> <br />Jim Baran<br />Value Stream Leadership <br />New website: www.valuestreamleaders.com<br />Twitter: LEANVSL Bob, how would you ever find a product with market appeal if you weren’t obsessed with customer need? I agree with Jamie, it’s a process, not a poker hand.

Entrepreneurship is an undeveloped skill. Successful entrepreneurs have developed and evolved this skill into a mindset. The migration from tinkerer to craftsman is very similar.

Learning entrepreneurship isn’t about making money. It’s a process of connecting random to relative to reality.

I commented to Jamie’s Twit on this post as “timely”. Financially, it’s harder now than ever to start-up a business.

Bob, I agree, to start-up a business today without entrepreneurial skills would certainly classify as “dumb luck” if your primary expectation is financial independence.

I believe it’s timely for many to begin exploring entrepreneurship as a skill. If you’re employed – happy or sad, what better skill can you have to widen and deepen your job satisfaction? If you’re unemployed what better skill can you develop to find your next career connection? Like lean, entrepreneurship developed and practiced well makes YOU repeatable. If you’re repeatable, you come closer to not being replaceable.

Like lean, there is much to learn about entrepreneurship. It can be applied to any circumstance or event. Expectation is usually where we fall down. Great entrepreneurs have a well defined sense of the customer reality and respect for people, places, and things. The magic is that we make it look easy. In reality, it never is.

So, who invented the Dream Catcher? The Legend of the Dream Catcher http://ow.ly/ADJS.

Jim Baran
Value Stream Leadership
New website: http://www.valuestreamleaders.com
Twitter: LEANVSL

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]]> By: Jamie Flinchbaugh http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5739 Jamie Flinchbaugh Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:47:49 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5739 Interesting. As an entrepreneur myself several times over, coach of other entrepreneurs, and student of the process, I have to say the evidence that I have would suggest that's just not true. <br /><br />Even if it were, then why bother working on it at all. Everyone should start multiple things at once. <br /><br />Was Amazon lucky or were they customer obsessed and developed great solutions to solve real problems? Zappos could ask the same question. Was Netflix lucky? There was entrenched product - Blockbuster. But they studied, experimented, and their final product was the output of a process. <br /><br />Here's a fact - almost no startups are overnight successes but have success after many grueling months and years, making changes to everything from strategy to product to team. That sounds like a process to me. Interesting. As an entrepreneur myself several times over, coach of other entrepreneurs, and student of the process, I have to say the evidence that I have would suggest that's just not true.

Even if it were, then why bother working on it at all. Everyone should start multiple things at once.

Was Amazon lucky or were they customer obsessed and developed great solutions to solve real problems? Zappos could ask the same question. Was Netflix lucky? There was entrenched product – Blockbuster. But they studied, experimented, and their final product was the output of a process.

Here's a fact – almost no startups are overnight successes but have success after many grueling months and years, making changes to everything from strategy to product to team. That sounds like a process to me.

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]]> By: zx12bob http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5737 zx12bob Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:17:39 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2009/03/the-lean-entrepreneur/#comment-5737 Hi Jamie,<br /><br />Nice post. But can't help thinking it's the product of a rationalising mind ;)<br /><br />Sadly, I believe that start-up success is more often down to dumb luck in finding a product with market appeal, rather than customer obsession; blindness to reality than a firm grasp of same; and sheer bloodymindedness rather than respect for people.<br /><br />Still, I'm with you in wishing it could be otherwise.<br /><br />Cheers<br />@flowchainsensei Hi Jamie,

Nice post. But can't help thinking it's the product of a rationalising mind ;)

Sadly, I believe that start-up success is more often down to dumb luck in finding a product with market appeal, rather than customer obsession; blindness to reality than a firm grasp of same; and sheer bloodymindedness rather than respect for people.

Still, I'm with you in wishing it could be otherwise.

Cheers
@flowchainsensei

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