The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use Entrepreneurial Management to Transform Culture and Drive Long-Term Growth

by Eric Ries

looks different depending on the organization, but I’ve noticed certain common patterns that recur in many different kinds of organizations: Start with a limited number of projects and build from there in order to create a comprehensive set of cases, stories, and results to show how the new method works in this particular organization. Create dedicated, cross-functional teams to undertake the pilot projects in order to embed functional diversity from the start. Create a growth board–type system that allows executives to make swift, clear decisions about the projects presented to them. Teach early teams how to design Lean Startup–type experiments that help them plot a course through uncertain terrain. Use the right startup-style metrics to measure the results of those experiments. Build a network of leaders in the organization who can help resolve problems that come up as the new way of working comes into conflict with entrenched methods. Work by exception at the start in order to move forward quickly and to defer deep changes to organizational structures until later phases. Translate the new concepts into company-specific language and tools.