"Advice for entrepreneurs looking to build a business people actually want to invest inDesigned to reduce waste by testing the market for a product early and often, the concept of the lean startup has been embraced around the world, and successful entrepreneurs and authors Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits join the conversation with their own personal experiences. The Lean Entrepreneur is designed to make lean startup and customer development principles immediately actionable no matter what the industry, size, or stage.This must-read book presents a lexicon of concepts and a universally applicable road map to success, as well as illustrative examples of innovative approaches to industry-specific disruption ranging from technology startups to consumer packaged goods to music to investment and finance. Providing a step-by-step approach to best practices, and giving readers a business model analysis guide, the book is rich in cases studies, illustrative graphics, worksheets, and exercises for a truly immersive guide to starting or improving a company. Invaluable reading for all readers in all businesses, the book teaches entrepreneurs how to approach risk head-on and test market ideas immediately, foster stronger customer relations, test different business model risks, and create a customer funnel based on buyers' process in order to eliminate unnecessary time and effort.A lean entrepreneur has already bought into lean startup, customer development, design thinking, and other iterative, customer-centric methods of product development. The lean entrepreneur wants to know how to apply these to their business. In other words: how to get started tomorrow. This book shows the way. Expands on the core ideas of the "Lean Startup" concept, adding the use of powerful, low-cost analytics to the mix Explains how earlier, more frequent market research can save a business time and money Incorporates cases studies, graphics, worksheets, and exercises to help readers better understand the key concepts expounded in the text Packed with information that can help business at all levels of development--from initial ideas to established companies looking to innovate--The Lean Entrepreneur is the field guide for creating innovative businesses"--

Is your company a storyteller or a storydoer? The old way to market a business was storytelling. But in today's world, simply communicating your brand's story in the hope that customers will listen is no longer enough. Instead, your authentic brand must be evident in every action the organization undertakes. Today's most successful businesses are storydoers. These companies create products and services that, from the very beginning, are manifestations of an authentic and meaningful story, one told primarily through action, not advertising. In True Story, creative executive Ty Montague argues that any business, regardless of size or industry, can embrace the principles of storydoing. Indeed, our best-run companies, from small start-ups to global conglomerates, organize around a coherent narrative that is then broadcast through every action they take (from product design to customer service to marketing). Montague shows why storydoing firms are nimble, more adaptive to change, and more efficiently run businesses.

"An inspiring case study for the next generation of start- ups by the unconventional founders of Method. Founded ten years ago by childhood pals Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry, Method has been making headlines and profits with a revolutionary blend of culture and commerce, style and substance. Today, Method's ecofriendly soaps, detergents, and cleaners are ubiquitous in stores, capturing valuable shelf space long dominated by the tired old products of giants P&G and Unilever. Ryan and Lowry obsess over seven principles at the heart of Method's business philosophy, including: Kick Ass at Fast: Use small size to your advantage; by bringing innovations to market faster, you can stay out in front of larger rivals. Inspire Advocates: Rather than getting caught up in costly battles for market share, foster deeper relationships with fewer customers in pursuit of greater wallet share. Win on Product Experience : Beyond satisfying your customers' rational needs, design experiences for them. The Method Method is an irreverent, candid, firsthand case study. Readers will learn how today's consumers behave, how today's companies compete, and how both groups are acting together to drive profound global change"--

Following the smashing success of Material World 1 and Material World 2, the third edition in this series, Material World 3: Innovative Materials for Architecture and Design, offers another hundred-plus materials and semi-finished products carefully selected by matériO, the library of emerging materials. Highlighting this exclusive collection, which covers materials with a wide variety of properties and aesthetic qualities, are modular, undulating wall coverings, fish-skin leathers, photovoltaic textiles, and LED lighting systems powered by wafer-thin batteries. Material World 3 promises to satisfy the demand among architects, designers, and students for product information, technical specifications, and suggestions for ways in which to use the latest fascinating materials and finishes. Above and beyond inspiration, the reader finds the names, addresses, phone numbers, and websites of suppliers—all the information needed to contact and purchase every item featured in the book. The team at matériO—intent on informing readers about materials and convinced that innovation emerges largely from maximizing the use of materials and technologies through in-depth knowledge—summarizes fifteen basic concepts to help novices gain a better understanding of this complex topic and to point out, even to the more well-informed reader, aspects of materials that are often overlooked. What do FSC, COV, Cradle to Cradle, and oxo-degradable mean? What are Damascus steel, float glass, and electroluminescence? What’s the story behind the invention of nylon, or of Velcro? Find the answers to these and many other relevant questions in Material World 3. Taken as a whole, these features make Material World 3 a virtually encyclopedic survey of exciting materials and finishes for use in interior design and architecture.

"The Specifications Practice Guide is focused on the roles and responsibilities of the specifications professional in meeting the challenges of the changing world of construction. In this volume, guidelines on topics like writing quality construction specifications and product selection are meshed with best practices for managing project information, working with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery, and writing sustainable design specifications. The companion web site contains a PDF of the full text of the book, CSI Glossary Documents, Format Documents, and CCA Forms"-- "The Specifications Practice Guide is focused on the roles and responsibilities of the specifications professional in meeting the challenges of the changing world of construction. In this volume, guidelines on topics like writing quality construction specifications and product selection are meshed with best practices for managing project information, working with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery, and writing sustainable design specifications"--