A lean start-up, coined by Eric Ries, is the application of lean thinking to the process of innovation in start-up companies. The practice is to identify ideas early and cheaply with the ability to acquire customer feedback frequently and early in the process. Companies are able to test the viability before spending time and resources perfectly a new innovation that is not scalable or viable.
The New York Times article titled, “What Start-ups Can Teach Big Companies,” discusses this new way of approaching innovation. It’s an interesting perspective on how new business methods and practices can really change the way companies, large and small, value innovation.