“There is not one answer.” Anyone who works on product development needs to read this MIT Technology Review article, which mentions some intriguing research by Professor Maria Yang on basic product design lessons, including sketching: “Yang has found that the very existence of those visual representations matters greatly: designers who do even basic, preliminary sketching […]
Product design lessons from MIT: Sketches matter! Read More »
When I first started thinking about creating a lean framework for media content, I wrote some blog posts about Lean Media. As I began to prepare the Lean Media book, I gave a few presentations for which I recorded some simple videos. Recently, I decided it was time to update the Lean Media video content
Lean Media framework basics (video) Read More »
Today, I am starting a new blog series called Media Myths based on my book Lean Media and some of the questions I get from people interested in the framework. The first myth: The sure-fire way to have a successful media launch is working in secret and then launching with a gigantic hype-filled release That’s
Media Myths: A successful media launch requires secrecy and hype Read More »
The following post is excerpted from my draft manuscript about Lean Media. Please leave comments below to help me improve the draft! Looking at the Lean Media flowchart, some creators may be aghast at the use of “prototype” to describe early or incomplete versions of a work in progress: The concern is understandable. The term
How different industries refer to prototypes Read More »
In my July update, I mentioned the development of the three principles of Lean Media, which came out of my work on the Lean Media book as well as my spring presentation to a small audience that included media people. In this post, I will describe the 3 principles of Lean Media in more detail, and present a diagram
The 3 principles of Lean Media (v 0.3) Read More »
I assumed that running lean in the business world boiled down to streamlining manufacturing operations (see my earlier post, “What is lean manufacturing?“). I was wrong. My view of lean concepts, not to mention my pre-existing evaluation criteria for media projects, was shaken up not long after the supply chain management class at MIT ended.
An early encounter with Eric Ries and Lean Startup Read More »
The following post is excerpted from the manuscript of my book about Lean Media. I will respond to comments, corrections, and other feedback at the bottom of the page. I was introduced to lean business theories while attending MIT. One of my Supply Chain Management instructors, Charles Fine, mentioned lean manufacturing in a discussion of different
What is lean manufacturing? Read More »
Over the weekend, I listened to Tim Ferriss interview Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert cartoon strip. Before hearing the interview, I knew about Dilbert. It’s a classic. Everyone who has worked in an office can appreciate Adams’ relentless satire of office life. But I knew very little about the history of the strip, or Adams’
Lean Media example: Scott Adams grows Dilbert Read More »
A local university has invited me to give a presentation about Lean Media to graduate students later this year. Here’s the draft version. It outlines what Lean Media is and how creators/producers/founders can use it. I’ve incorporated lots of examples, including one related to the Lean Media Project Planner described last week. Leave your feedback in the comments below:[slideshare
Lean Media: Draft presentation Read More »
I recently received feedback about various lean media concepts from faculty at the Media Ventures program at the Boston University College of Communication. Jodi Luber, who teaches media entrepreneurship at BU, had a great idea: A one-page template for producers/creators/entrepreneurs based on lean media concepts. Her class already uses the lean canvas one-pager to develop business models
Lean Media Project Planner, v. 0.5 Read More »
