5. Critical feedback on the Lean Startup

While it is true that the Lean Startup has truly revolutionized the way many professionals approach innovation, this methodology is by no means universal. Furthermore, as a victim of its own success, the Lean Startup and its concepts have sometimes been misinterpreted, or at the very least, some organizations have misapplied the methodology. In some large organizations, the term “Lean Startup” has become a buzzword stripped of its deeper meaning. Even more problematic is that some organizations have confused “Lean” with “cheap” and reduced the methodology to a mere quest for cost savings rather than a systematic process of learning and validation.

With nearly fifteen years of hindsight and changes in the environment, many limitations have been identified.