What Does Genchi Genbutsu Mean? How to Go and See

What Does Genchi Genbutsu Mean? How to Go and See

In lean management, what does Genchi Genbutsu mean? Why is it so important for your business? Learn the principles of “go and see” to better meet your customers’ needs and build a winning product.

Literally, Genchi Genbutsu means “go and see” in Japanese. It came from the famous Toyota Production System to figure out the reality of what’s happening. But how does it work in general, outside of manufacturing, and what does it mean for Lean Startup?

The ORIGINAL Dropbox MVP Explainer Video

The ORIGINAL Dropbox MVP Explainer Video

Dropbox is now a technology giant, valued at $10 billion in a 2014 funding round. It’s a very complex product, honed over a decade of development and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment.

But Dropbox didn’t start with the slick, seamless product you use today.

So let’s go back to the beginning, before Dropbox had a polished product and thousands of employees. Back to Dropbox’s original Minimum Viable Product (MVP). If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, be emboldened by the idea that Dropbox started with just about as much as you have right now.

What’s a Concierge MVP? How Do You Build One?

What’s a Concierge MVP? How Do You Build One?

The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is one of the most important concepts in Lean Startup methodology. A well-designed MVP tests your core business hypotheses with a dramatically simplified product that saves you a huge amount of time and effort.

The Concierge MVP, and its sibling the Wizard of Oz MVP, are clever techniques that replace a complicated technical product with humans. With minimal engineering time, you’ll be able to test the key question of your business: “does anyone even want what you’re building?”

In this guide we’ll learn:

  • what the Concierge MVP and Wizard of Oz MVP are
  • examples of effective MVPs
  • which MVP type to choose for your business