"In any case, the article seems to conflate undeniable facts (it has become ridiculously cheap to launch a website, if you are willing to write it yourself for free) with some fairly untested but very trendy beliefs about how startups should run (agile, cat-like, continuously releasing, restlessly synergizing)."<p>Hmm I am a bit uneasy about the "lean startup" idea becoming a faddish consultingware trend like "agile". Both ideas repackage some common sense elements with relentless marketing and buzzword terminology. "earlyvangelists" anyone?<p>"lean startup" has seen relentless marketing of late, trying even to co-opt Steve Jobs as some kind of "unconscious lean startup" person. (See "The Steve Jobs Method" - a blog post claiming that SJ is actually using "lean startup" principles (!!) - <a href="http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/steve-jobs-method.html" rel="nofollow">http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/steve-jobs...</a>)<p>The author is supposedly a CTO of a company making a million dollars in revenue a month from paying customers(so his slides on "lean startups" claim). I notice today on his blog that he is setting up a 3000$/month (for 2 days/month!) consulting-ey offer where<p>"this cohort of companies would have the opportunity to act as a learning community, sharing what they've learned and supporting one another as they try to put the techniques into practice. Each month, we'd hold each other accountable for making changes to our product, process, and team. I would also be available to the participants to answer questions one-on-one and act as an advisor to each company"<p>Source <a href="http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/introducing-lean-startup-cohort.html" rel="nofollow">http://startuplessonslearned.blogspot.com/2009/08/introducin...</a><p>Why would a CTO of a "lean startup" making (presumably) millions of dollars a year want to take up a "methodology consultant" type role? Where would a CTO find the time?
"Just-in-time inventory control, an end to “time-quality-money, pick two” thinking, and true continuous improvement are at the heart of the supply chains that feed, clothe and sustain the developed world. They were made possible by a combination of new technologies and new thinking."<p>Seems to me that nearly unlimited cheap labor from the developing world and tarrif-free commerce are what's really at the heart of those supply chains. Maybe that's what the author means by 'new thinking'.<p>In any case, the article seems to conflate undeniable facts (it has become ridiculously cheap to launch a website, if you are willing to write it yourself for free) with some fairly untested but very trendy beliefs about how startups should run (agile, cat-like, continuously releasing, restlessly synergizing).