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Lean B2B: Build Products Businesses Want
Lean B2B is filled with rock-solid advice for technology entrepreneurs who want a rapid-growth trajectory. Read it to increase your certainty and your success rate. - Jill Konrath, Author of AGILE SELLING and Selling to Big Companies
Finding and validating business opportunities in mid- to large-sized organizations can overwhelm even the most experienced entrepreneurs.
Lean B2B helps technology entrepreneurs meet the challenges while keeping them focused on the right things each step of the way. Packed with more than 20 case studies and insights from over a hundred entrepreneurs, Lean B2B consolidates the best thinking around Business- to-Business (B2B) customer development to help you quickly find traction in the enterprise, leaving as little as possible to luck.
The book helps:
-Assess the market potential of opportunities to find the right opportunity for your team
- Find early adopters, quickly establish credibility and convince business stakeholders to work with you
- Find and prioritize business problems in corporations and identify the stakeholders with the power to influence a purchase decision
- Create a minimum viable product and a compelling offer, validate a solution and evaluate whether your team has found product-market fit
- Identify and avoid common challenges faced by entrepreneurs and learn ninja techniques to speed up product-market validation
Read this book before you schedule even one more meeting about your startup. - Jeffrey L. Cohen, Co-Author, The B2B Social Media Book
Lean B2B nails the key to being nimble and iterative in the complex, drawn-out world of B2B entrepreneurship: relationships. It captures how I've been running my own Lean B2B practice for years and makes it accessible to anyone. - Brian Gladstein, CEO and Founder, Explorics
This book is essential reading for would-be entrepreneurs who face the daunting task of entering B2B markets. - Paul Gillin, Co-Author, Social Marketing to the Business Customer
Treat this book like a map to show you where you are and a compass to show you the direction. I wish I could have read it 2 or 3 years ago. - Jonathan Gebauer, Founder, exploreB2B
This complete collection of stories and experiences is the perfect companion resource as you embark on your entrepreneurial journey. - Ben Sardella, Co-Founder, Datanyze
Lean B2B is a must-read to understand one of the most under-addressed market opportunities by startups: B2B. - Wandrille Pruvot, Chief Revenue Officer, Art of Click"
Finding and validating business opportunities in mid- to large-sized organizations can overwhelm even the most experienced entrepreneurs.
Lean B2B helps technology entrepreneurs meet the challenges while keeping them focused on the right things each step of the way. Packed with more than 20 case studies and insights from over a hundred entrepreneurs, Lean B2B consolidates the best thinking around Business- to-Business (B2B) customer development to help you quickly find traction in the enterprise, leaving as little as possible to luck.
The book helps:
-Assess the market potential of opportunities to find the right opportunity for your team
- Find early adopters, quickly establish credibility and convince business stakeholders to work with you
- Find and prioritize business problems in corporations and identify the stakeholders with the power to influence a purchase decision
- Create a minimum viable product and a compelling offer, validate a solution and evaluate whether your team has found product-market fit
- Identify and avoid common challenges faced by entrepreneurs and learn ninja techniques to speed up product-market validation
Read this book before you schedule even one more meeting about your startup. - Jeffrey L. Cohen, Co-Author, The B2B Social Media Book
Lean B2B nails the key to being nimble and iterative in the complex, drawn-out world of B2B entrepreneurship: relationships. It captures how I've been running my own Lean B2B practice for years and makes it accessible to anyone. - Brian Gladstein, CEO and Founder, Explorics
This book is essential reading for would-be entrepreneurs who face the daunting task of entering B2B markets. - Paul Gillin, Co-Author, Social Marketing to the Business Customer
Treat this book like a map to show you where you are and a compass to show you the direction. I wish I could have read it 2 or 3 years ago. - Jonathan Gebauer, Founder, exploreB2B
This complete collection of stories and experiences is the perfect companion resource as you embark on your entrepreneurial journey. - Ben Sardella, Co-Founder, Datanyze
Lean B2B is a must-read to understand one of the most under-addressed market opportunities by startups: B2B. - Wandrille Pruvot, Chief Revenue Officer, Art of Click"
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 25, 2014
134 people are currently reading
861 people want to read
About the author
Étienne Garbugli
7 books37 followersEtienne works at the intersection of Technology, Product Design and Marketing. He’s a three-time Startup Founder (Highlights, Flagback and HireVoice), a five-time entrepreneur, and a recognized Usability and UX research expert.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 16, 2023
I was looking for a book that could explain the lean methodology clearly and concisely, and this was it. The book is filled with practical tips, real-life examples, and step-by-step instructions that made it easy for me to understand.
The book is well-structured and covers all the key aspects of starting a B2B business, from customer development to product development, marketing, and sales.
The book is also well-designed, with visual aids and diagrams that help explain complex concepts in a simple and straightforward manner. Definitely an excellent guide for anyone looking to build a sustainable and scalable B2B business.
The book is well-structured and covers all the key aspects of starting a B2B business, from customer development to product development, marketing, and sales.
The book is also well-designed, with visual aids and diagrams that help explain complex concepts in a simple and straightforward manner. Definitely an excellent guide for anyone looking to build a sustainable and scalable B2B business.
March 18, 2021
Just another lean playbook. It mentions some B2B nuances, but the core of the book was repetitive for me(I've read The Lean Startup, Running Lean, and looked at the Lean Product Playbook before reading this).
If you are in B2B space and haven't read a lean playbook before, I recommend this. Either way, I just recommend skimming this book.
If you are in B2B space and haven't read a lean playbook before, I recommend this. Either way, I just recommend skimming this book.
May 24, 2019
Amazing book, very relatable, the author literally spoonfed Lean into B2B environment. I was having hard time relating Lean to my B2B venture, this made things easy. I even keep the book within reach for reference while taking tele interviews. A must read for IT entrepreneurs, a very good read for new B2B entrepreneurs, very helpful even if you are new to Lean itself, as it also covers the basics very much in the author's own way. Loved the book, was very helpful, best wishes for the author on all his future projects and ventures.
May 9, 2022
Clarified all confusions I had around how B2B building is different from B2C!
May 2, 2021
Lean B2B premise is simple, a description of the steps to follow to do customer validation for startups trying to sell to the enterprise; so that you don't make the same mistakes others did before you.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lean B2B, it is a book eminently pragmatic with a great balance between theory and practice. One aspect that stood out to me was that the different cases studies to be found in every chapter were short, sweet and relevant to the point the author was trying to make. In my experience, this type of case studies are normally used as fillers by publishing firms.
Lean B2B successfully fills the gaps that other seminal works like The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company or The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses may have left when introducing the idea of validating business models in the B2B context.
Perhaps the book lacks in depth in some departments, I was left wondering if there is any specific set of metrics that are more useful than others. The author does mention Dave McClure's AARRR metrics, so it seems that the same metrics to be used in B2C still apply here.
Other than that I do highly recommend anyone who is involved in B2B startups to read this book as a primer on how to approach such landscape. It is also beneficial if the reader is already familiar with material written by Steve Blank or Eric Ries.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lean B2B, it is a book eminently pragmatic with a great balance between theory and practice. One aspect that stood out to me was that the different cases studies to be found in every chapter were short, sweet and relevant to the point the author was trying to make. In my experience, this type of case studies are normally used as fillers by publishing firms.
Lean B2B successfully fills the gaps that other seminal works like The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company or The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses may have left when introducing the idea of validating business models in the B2B context.
Perhaps the book lacks in depth in some departments, I was left wondering if there is any specific set of metrics that are more useful than others. The author does mention Dave McClure's AARRR metrics, so it seems that the same metrics to be used in B2C still apply here.
Other than that I do highly recommend anyone who is involved in B2B startups to read this book as a primer on how to approach such landscape. It is also beneficial if the reader is already familiar with material written by Steve Blank or Eric Ries.
May 1, 2022
With so much of the classic product content out there being focused on learnings from the biggest B2C companies, it sometimes feels that people building B2B products are left hunting for scraps. The first version of Lean B2B tried to bridge this gap and this new, updated, version is an essential guide for B2B entrepreneurs & product managers looking to make a big difference. I recommend this to anyone building products for B2B in any capacity, from early stage through to scale up & beyond.
March 16, 2021
As a recent B2B Saas founder and CEO this book is everything I was specking for. Actually, this book gives you return of your investment in time and money straightforward. All the lessons and advices it gives you about B2B product validation and product market fit achievement are so valuable that it is just worth the time reading it, from the most economic point of view.
I really recommend this book to every one who is on B2B sales, even more if you are starting o validating a product or business, as founder or as part of a company.
I will with no doubt read it again.
I really recommend this book to every one who is on B2B sales, even more if you are starting o validating a product or business, as founder or as part of a company.
I will with no doubt read it again.
October 7, 2021
If there is one book that a product manager should read then this is it. This is now my go to book for reference as a product manager. The chapter around validating hypothesis and how-to through interviews is an eye-opener.
November 9, 2021
Highly recommended book for B2B entrepreneurs.
It's not as pathbreaking as "Four Steps to the Epiphany", "Crossing the Chasm" or as visionary as "Lean Startup", but it describes itself well as "if Lean Startup is the vision, Lean B2B is the cookbook."
It's not as pathbreaking as "Four Steps to the Epiphany", "Crossing the Chasm" or as visionary as "Lean Startup", but it describes itself well as "if Lean Startup is the vision, Lean B2B is the cookbook."
November 1, 2018
Alot of great information and insight, i felt the narrative wavered a bit.
April 14, 2018
Excellent
Marvelous book to instigate for how to work on market B2B. It is very focused in Eric Ries way to see and write inclusive. Is an didatic reading and very descritive step by step. Good complement to YOU are thinking to be entrepreneur (not go out your job before read it).
Marvelous book to instigate for how to work on market B2B. It is very focused in Eric Ries way to see and write inclusive. Is an didatic reading and very descritive step by step. Good complement to YOU are thinking to be entrepreneur (not go out your job before read it).
February 15, 2020
I had been sure that I wouldn't get disappointed when I decided to read this book. Now, I just finished it and I'm really fascinated by Garbugli's thoughts, techniques, and ideas. This book is undoubtedly magnificent, you won't be able to find any better book about Lean B2B than this one.
July 4, 2025
Absolutely terrific. Coherent, on point, prescriptive. I wish I'd read it before spending 2 years aimlessly building the product. Read it along with "Talking to humans".
August 26, 2014
I needed to read this book a few months ago. Although I knew the principles in the book (having read the Lean Start-up a few years ago and followed its development), I could have been much more organised in my approach. Although I'm creating a training programme/framework rather than a technology product, I felt that much of the book was still applicable to my business.
The author has experienced first hand what it's like to fail at a tech start up and knows the pain of wasting time on creating something for which the customer doesn't see enough need and for which they are therefore not willing to pay a business-sustaining price.
The author says, "'Interesting' is a distraction. Watch out." Prospects might be academically really interested in your idea but when it comes to buying they don't see the real value or how it applies to them.
The book is practical with suggestions of action points at the end of each chapter. There is a great push to interact with prospects and dig deep to learn their true pain points or the areas where you can help them help their customers or help them beat their competitors. The more you are able to help your prospects achieve their aims and demonstrate a concrete ROI, the more sought-after your product or service will be.
It seems like trivial common sense to write that but many of us, including me, sometimes take our eyes of the customers/prospects while we get absorbed in developing useful features or ironing out the bugs in our systems.
I found the book helpful as a checklist to remind me of the things that I need to focus on and the gaps in my current research/thinking. I would recommend it to anyone who is running a start-up, particularly a tech start-up that is directed at B2B (though I think some of the basics apply to B2C too).
The author has experienced first hand what it's like to fail at a tech start up and knows the pain of wasting time on creating something for which the customer doesn't see enough need and for which they are therefore not willing to pay a business-sustaining price.
The author says, "'Interesting' is a distraction. Watch out." Prospects might be academically really interested in your idea but when it comes to buying they don't see the real value or how it applies to them.
The book is practical with suggestions of action points at the end of each chapter. There is a great push to interact with prospects and dig deep to learn their true pain points or the areas where you can help them help their customers or help them beat their competitors. The more you are able to help your prospects achieve their aims and demonstrate a concrete ROI, the more sought-after your product or service will be.
It seems like trivial common sense to write that but many of us, including me, sometimes take our eyes of the customers/prospects while we get absorbed in developing useful features or ironing out the bugs in our systems.
I found the book helpful as a checklist to remind me of the things that I need to focus on and the gaps in my current research/thinking. I would recommend it to anyone who is running a start-up, particularly a tech start-up that is directed at B2B (though I think some of the basics apply to B2C too).
March 6, 2016
The book I read of which I leaned the most.
April 24, 2023
Great step-by-step book to help you achieve Product-Market fit.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews