Spreading the Gospel on a Lean, Mean Startup Strategy Eric Ries talks about the ideas behind his new book 'The Lean Startup.'

Eric Ries is spreading the gospel on a lean, mean startup strategy

Photo© Nick Wilson

It began three years ago, when Eric Ries posted a blog he called "The lean startup," in which he outlined a new way to build a company: cheaply, efficiently and, above all, quickly. Now it's a full-blown entrepreneurial movement, with thousands of devotees, hundreds of monthly meetings, a big annual conference and an official book, The Lean Startup.

The methodology is a real crowd-pleaser. "You're not born with innate entrepreneurial talents, and success isn't about being in the right place at the right time," says Ries, who has founded several tech companies and is currently serving as Harvard Business School's entrepreneur-in-residence. "Executing a great vision has more to do with being taught the science behind efficiently managing risk and failure."