Lean Thinking

Lean Thinking

Posts 11-15 of 15
  • Gerold Keefer
    Gerold Keefer    Premium Member
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    Re^4: Swedish Startups with interesting presentation
    hi ralf,

    with regards to the "business plan" ( a business
    plan is something that you present to potential
    investors or lenders - right? ):

    i have for years studied the start-up thing.
    recently, i followed two cases among friends of mine.

    after months and years of looking for an investor
    nothing came out of it - for them. the "big" advisors
    and industry wizards they contacted, however,
    participated quite a bit with their fees.

    my conclusion is:
    the time used for investor search
    is much better spent on customer search.

    best regards,

    gerold
    • 03 May 2009, 1:16 pm
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  • Ralf Lippold
    Ralf Lippold    Premium Member   Group moderator
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    Re^7: Swedish Startups with interesting presentation
    Hello Mari,

    You are pointing to the most precious process in any
    business (of life):

    communication!

    My own experience in a three rather large companies
    (ranging from 120, 2.000 to 100.0000 employess)
    has shown that open communication (crossing boundaries)
    often is a thread to some persons in the system who have
    their very own agendas (not congruent with the company's
    ones).

    This leads to mis-communication (intended or unintended)
    and this really cripples the outcome, the committment of
    people and relationships to other stakeholders.

    What you tell us about your father is the kind of approach
    that is truely lean and pretty easily to be achieved. Would
    love to see that more in business life.

    Before I see more of it I am going along that path for my own
    actions, sharing information,asking someone who knows better,
    seeking advice and get into conversation with others who are
    also playing a role in the "game".

    Best regards

    Ralf

    PS.: Now enjoying the atmosphere in the SLUB the library of
    the Technical University of Dresden - AWESOME:-))
    • 03 May 2009, 2:12 pm
  • Ralf Lippold
    Ralf Lippold    Premium Member   Group moderator
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    Re^8: Swedish Startups with interesting presentation
    Hi Ronny,

    Thanks for your comment, that is what one could read in the
    papers as well.

    So going to your customer base(s) is essential to keep above
    the water-line:-)

    The same thing happened with DEC (Edgar Schein most eye-
    opening book, "DEC is Dead, Long Live DEC") when they just
    played games amongst the departments (mainly the the managers
    of them) instead of clearly listening or even even seeing what
    was going on in the outside world.

    Edgar Schein, in his workshop at Cape Cod 2007 even proposes
    to use the book as an intense and real case study (actually he
    followed DEC 30 years as a process consultant). Whould be
    worthwhile to get deeper in that issue.

    Will think about preparing a session at LTT in Karlsruhe on that.

    Cheers,

    Ralf

    PS.: BTW there is no mentioning of Lean on any page of Schein's book!
    • 03 May 2009, 2:50 pm