Article
Harvard Business Review

Lean Strategy

Format:Print

Abstract

Strategy and entrepreneurship are often seen as polar opposites. Yet the two desperately need each other: strategy without entrepreneurship is central planning; entrepreneurship without strategy leads to chaos. The two approaches can be reconciled through the Lean Strategy process which ensures that startups innovate in a disciplined fashion and make the most of their limited resources by knowing "what not to do". Deliberate strategy sets the bounds within which entrepreneurial experimentation takes place, while the results of that innovation leads to learning that reshapes the strategy. Lean Strategy enables company builders to pursue viable opportunities, stay focused, and align the entire organisation while supporting front-line entrepreneurial activities.