LEANSTACK

We build world-class tools, content, and coaching resources that help entrepreneurs succeed.

Authored Running Lean
Authored Scaling Lean
Created Lean Canvas

Founder/CEO

WiredReach

WiredReach enables the creation of dead-simple peer to web applications that blur the boundaries between the desktop and web. Our flagship product is BoxCloud - a dead-simple way for creatives to share large files with clients and co-workers.

Founder

Sonus Networks

Prior to founding WiredReach in 2002, Ash was Director of Software Development at telecom technologies inc., which was subsequently acquired by Sonus Networks in 2001. Ash built and led the development team responsible for tti’s distributed Voice over IP Softswitch product.

Director of Software Development

telecom technologies inc

He joined tti as a local number portability (LNP) expert at a time when tti was transitioning from a professional services company to a product company. He help put together a team and led the development project for their flagship product.

Nortel

Was part of an initial team of 5 people that later grew to 70 working on a local number portability administration system.

Software Engineer

Founder/CEO @ LEANSTACK | Bestselling author and founder

I have bootstrapped several products to millions of users and worked with thousands of early-stage entrepreneurs worldwide - helping them systematically find repeatable and scalable business models using my battle-tested playbooks. 

Instead of:
-Spending several months building a product you hope people will buy.

Imagine a world where you:
- Spend several weeks defining a product you know people will buy.

For aspiring or early-stage founders:

If you’re looking to bootstart your idea, consider joining my 30-day Business Model Design Challenge below: 

You'll learn how to:
- Find or test a big idea worth pursuing,
- Design a business model blueprint,
- Stress-test your idea before investing time, money, and effort. 

Join the next Business Model Design Challenge:
https://runlean.ly/challenge

Ash Maurya

“Startups don't starve. They drown...”

They drown in too much information, too much analysis, too much conflicting feedback, too much "important" work.

Where do you start?

Even mantras like "right action, right time," I espouse, run up against practical ground realities.

Most people simply guess or vibe their way, but here’s the expensive reality: When you don’t have a systematic way to prioritize and pick what feels most urgent or what the loudest customer complained about, you end up burning time, cash, and momentum.

In this week's YouTube video, I outline a 4-step prioritization framework I use for picking where to focus. It combines a popular product priorization framework, RICE, with Fermi Estimations.

RICE stands for:
• Reach: How many customers will this impact?
• Impact: What's the value per customer?
• Confidence: How certain are we?
• Effort: What's the cost to build?

The formula: (Reach × Impact × Confidence) ÷ Effort

But here's the problem most people face: How do you score objectively without fooling yourself?

Should onboarding be a 7 or an 8? Is that feature worth $5,000 or $7,500?

This is where Fermi estimation comes in...

Instead of false precision, I use order-of-magnitude scales:
• Reach: 1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000
• Impact: $100, $1K, $10K, $100K
• Confidence: 20%, 50%, 80%
• Effort: 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months

You go from fudging numbers to justify the thing you want to build to prioritizing the right work. More in the full video...

Running Lean & Lean Canvas | Helping first-time founders (everywhere) succeed through battle-tested playbooks.

The biggest mistake in launching a startup isn't moving too fast.

It's validating for too long.

After validating hundreds of business models, I've seen a pattern: Most founders get stuck chasing validation—surveys, interviews, feedback loops—hoping that one more data point will finally give them certainty.

But here's the truth: You'll never have perfect validation because startups are not an exact science. And no funnel ever converts anywhere near 100%.

The real question isn't "How do I get perfect validation?"

It's "How do I know when I have SUFFICIENT evidence to move forward?"

Three validation traps that waste time:

Trap #1: Confusing Learning with Traction
I've had founders tell me: "I ran over 50 customer interviews!" That's great—but when I ask "How many customers did you convert?" the number is disappointingly low or zero. In startups, you don't get a gold star for following a process. You get results from traction.

Trap #2: Waiting for Statistical Significance
Some founders dismiss customer conversations as "not statistically significant" and instead chase landing page experiments. Here's reality: When 10 out of 10 people tell you they don't want your product, that IS statistically significant. Plus, people grossly underestimate how much traffic and conversions you need for statistical significance. With limited runway, you can't afford to wait.

Trap #3: Over-Planning
Founders spend months creating pixel-perfect pitch decks, 5-year financial models, comprehensive competitive analysis, and elaborate business plans. Then they launch and learn it's all wrong. This isn't "being thorough." This is analysis paralysis disguised as validation.

The solution? The Minimum Success Criteria Framework.

You don't need perfect validation. You need minimum sufficient evidence at three levels:
- Founder level (3-year goal)
- 90-day cycle (quarterly traction)
- Experiment level (2-week tests)

Define your minimum threshold BEFORE you start, not AFTER. Make it specific, measurable, and tied to traction—not vague vibes like "everyone loved it."

Full framework breakdown in this week's YouTube video.

First-time founders obsess about their

- company/product name,
- domain name,
- logo.

Good names and domains are hard to come by and premature optimization. 

Second-time founders obsess about building something worth naming. 

Then they buy whatever name they want. 

Starting Risks  Scaling Risks.

Stop Obsessing Over Your Startup Name

You can teach an AI agent to code, but can you teach it to build, measure, and learn? 

We just did. 

Check out the latest LEANSpark episode here: 
https://lnkd.in/gDcqKPwz

Next unlock achieved: 
LEANSpark can now design and run 90-day cycles and LEAN sprints. 

It has full memory of your business model, metrics, and experiments... So you don't have to do context/prompt sit-ups... It's ready to hit the ground running when you are.

Stop building MUPs
MUP = Maximally Undifferentiated Product

Most MVPs Fail Because Founders Build the Wrong Thing

When there's lots of uncertainty, you need light-weight dynamic models, not heavy-weight static plans.

Choose
- a Lean Canvas over a Business Plan
- a Fermi Estimate over a financial forecast spreadsheet
- a Traction Roadmap over a Product Roadmap

Yesterday: Episode 1 went live.

146 founders got full access to the first behind-the-scenes validation session.

What they're watching: The backstory behind the most ambitious project I'm undertaking: Build a daily AI-cofounder for systematic startup validation.

This isn't theory. It's real work. Real uncertainty. Real decisions.

13 weeks of systematic validation, completely over-the-shoulder.

You can watch Episode 1 (the pilot) here: https://lnkd.in/g9WvtG9H

Full access (all 13 weeks): https://lnkd.in/gBSar2bS

Next Friday: Week 2 - Business Model Stress-testing

 #LeanStartup #ProductValidation #BuildingInPublic

Open article: Your AI co-founder for systematic validation by leanspark.leanfoundry.com

Your AI co-founder for systematic validation

You have a starting business model. You know what needs to be tested.

But you're staring at 50 different experiments you could run.

Which one do you start with?

Most founders freeze. Analysis paralysis sets in.

Or worse - they try running all 50 at once and make slow progress on everything.

Time is your scarcest resource. 

And you make the most progress by focusing on the right actions, not all actions, at the right time. 

---

Episode 3 of the LEANSpark Over-the-Shoulder series (dropping Friday) shows you how I solve this:

✓ Why 90-day cycles are the "Missing Middle" between your 3-year goal and daily tasks

✓ How to design a validation cycle that prioritizes your riskiest assumptions

✓ The actual 90-day plan LEANSpark designed for me 

✓ Real results: 142 paying customers in 14 days using this framework

Practice trumps theory. 

I'm documenting the entire LEANSpark launch in real-time - the decisions, the pivots, the lessons learned.

Watch the full series:
👉 https://lnkd.in/gDcqKPwz

Episode 1: How LEANSpark started (the origin story)
Episode 2: Business Model Stress Testing (finding blind spots)
Episode 3: 90-Day Cycle Planning (drops Friday)

If you're building a startup and tired of guessing which experiment to run next, this is for you.

Open article: LEANSpark - Over the Shoulder Series by leanfoundry.com

Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide

Today I'm Visionary at EOS Worldwide. But full transparency: 

I've failed more than I've succeeded.

After starting my entrepreneurial journey at 29, I built and sold 9 companies for 7 figures, made the Inc. 5000 thirteen times, and earned Inc's Honor Roll. 

I also started businesses that completely tanked (landscaping, furniture, boot camps, HVAC, and yes, a 660-acre ranch in Wyoming).

The failures taught me more than the wins.

In one of my "successful" companies, we hit pure chaos:

- Nobody agreed where we were going
- Everyone stepped on everyone else
- We fought fires daily instead of building
- We'd set goals then ignore them
- We hit a ceiling and stayed stuck

I knew there had to be a better way to run a business.

That search led me here: 

Helping leadership teams implement EOS to get control of their business and their lives.

We strengthen 6 key components: 

Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. 

Most companies run at 20-40% strength. 

We get them to 80%+ so entrepreneurs can have what they really want: freedom of time, money, relationships, and purpose.

Ready to get what you want from your business? Start here: https://bit.ly/47a5Nfj

Built a business and want to help others? Consider becoming an EOS Implementer: https://bit.ly/49kWB99

Mark O'Donnell

Great teams solve 5-10 issues per meeting.

Weak ones waste two hours and solve one.

So many teams will sit in the same room week after week,
Discuss the same issues,
But end up resolving nothing.

That's because talking about problems isn't the same as solving them.

In Traction, we discuss the 10 Commandments of Solving Issues.

Functional filters that healthy teams use to make decisions and move forward:

1️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rule by Consensus
↳ Trying to please everyone makes progress hard.
↳ Make space for discussion, but appoint an owner to decide.

2️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Be a Weenie
↳ Avoiding tough decisions creates confusion.
↳ Say what needs to be said. It's better to be clear than liked.

3️⃣ Thou Shalt Be Decisive
↳ Indecision is a decision. And usually a bad one.
↳ Use what you know now. Make the best call you can, and adjust if needed.

4️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Rely on Secondhand Information
↳ Hearing something third-hand leads to bad choices.
↳ Go to the source. Always check facts before solving the wrong problem.

5️⃣ Thou Shalt Fight for the Greater Good
↳ Solve for what's best for the company, not egos.
↳ When in doubt, ask: what helps the business most right now?

6️⃣ Thou Shalt Not Try to Solve Them All
↳ Not every issue needs fixing now.
↳ Pick your top priorities. Work through the real ones, let the rest wait.

7️⃣ Thou Shalt Live with It, End It, or Change It
↳ You have 3 choices. Staying stuck isn't one of them.
↳ Accept it, fix it, or move on. Stalling helps no one.

8️⃣ Thou Shalt Choose Short-Term Pain and Suffering
↳ Avoiding discomfort only makes it worse.
↳ Have the hard talk. Deal with it now to avoid bigger pain later.

9️⃣ Thou Shalt Enter the Danger
↳ The real issue is usually the one no one wants to say.
↳ Name the elephant in the room. Be brave enough to say what others won't.

🔟 Thou Shalt Take a Shot
↳ No one knows everything. That's not the point.
↳ Trust your gut. Use what you know. Action beats perfection every time.

If your team is stuck rehashing the same issues,
It's not because the issues are too complex.

You're likely just not following a clear process to solve them.

These 10 Commandments are just one piece of the Issues Component in EOS.
The full breakdown is in Traction.

📌 Grab a copy here https://bit.ly/490hqqy

Do you need to revisit any one of these with your team?

♻️ Share this if you know a leader frustrated by unproductive meetings.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on systems-based leadership.

Simple systems for stronger businesses and freer lives | Visionary and CEO at EOS Worldwide | Author of People: Dare to Build an Intentional Culture & Data​: Harness Your Numbers to Go From Uncertain to Unstoppable

 10 Commandments of Solving Issues

I believed every single one of these when I started.

Until EOS showed me what really works:

"Why does success feel this hard?" 

That's the question I kept asking myself early in my entrepreneurial journey.

We were winning by every outside measure, but I was exhausted.
My team was confused. And every new level of growth brought more chaos.

Turns out, I'd been believing 9 myths that made everything harder than it should be.

Discovering EOS completely reframed my understanding of a healthy business:

❌ "More hours = more success"
✅ More structure = more success 

Systems multiply your impact, and free you from the work you think only you can do.

❌ "Vision will take care of itself"
✅ Vision only works when it’s shared

Vision has to be documented and shared constantly so everyone is working towards the same goal.

❌ "I have to do everything myself"
✅ Right people, right seats = freedom

When people own outcomes instead of tasks, they solve problems you'll never even see.

❌ “Meetings are a waste of time”
✅ Effective meetings create alignment

90 minutes a week in a Level 10 Meeting builds more alignment than 10 hours of status updates.

❌ “We can grow through chaos”
✅ You can’t scale what isn’t organized

Predictable systems give you the confidence to grow without breaking everything you built.

❌ “Accountability means micromanagement”
✅ Accountability creates ownership

Scorecards turn guesswork into data. When people measure their own numbers, they manage their own performance.

❌ “Hiring fast solves problems”
✅ Hiring right solves problems

The People Analyzer keeps you honest about fit. Slow down the hire, speed up the results.

❌ “Every issue needs my input”
✅ Leaders solve root causes, not every symptom

Stop being the bottleneck. IDS trains your team to solve issues without waiting for you.

❌ “Traction happens by chance”
✅ Traction happens by design

Rocks turn 90 days into progress you can measure. Traction is the outcome of doing the right things consistently.

Structure doesn't slow you down.
In fact, it's the only thing that lets you speed up.

If you're stuck believing any of these, EOS can help. 

See if it's right for you: https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

♻️ Share to help bust these common myths.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on EOS & systems-based leadership.

9 Myths Entrepreneurs Believe

If it feels like your business is fighting back, it’s not just you.

The problem is one of five predictable frustrations:

If you're an entrepreneur, you've probably hit all five at some point.

I know I did.

After starting nine companies, selling a few, and watching a couple tank,
I started seeing a pattern.

Now, after two decades of helping leadership teams run EOS,
The frustrations come up everywhere.

But these aren't random. They point to something specific.

Something you can fix:

1. Lack of Control
↳ Your business is running you.
↳ You're buried in decisions and can't find time to think.

✅ EOS Fix: Get your vision onto paper. Build structure and be driven by purpose.

2. People Problems
↳ Your team isn't listening or following through.
↳ Deadlines are slipping and there's no ownership.

✅ EOS Fix: Create and assign clear roles. When everyone knows what they're responsible for and they share your core values, things start to click.

3. Not Enough Profit
↳ You're working hard, but the margin isn't there.
↳ Growth costs more than it gives back. Revenue doesn't equal reality.

✅ EOS Fix: Focus on the vital few. Track the right numbers. Simplify your business so you can actually grow it.

4. Hitting the Ceiling
↳ You're always busy, but not growing.
↳ Every new idea dies in execution.

✅ EOS Fix: Delegate. Build systems. Think in 90-day priorities that compound over time.

5. Nothing's Working
↳ You've tried books, consultants, programs... but nothing sticks.
↳ You've lost belief that change is even possible.

✅ EOS Fix: Stop chasing quick fixes. Start running an operating system that aligns your people, process and purpose.

Every entrepreneur comes across these five frustrations eventually.

The question isn't whether you'll face them.

It's whether you'll stay stuck or systemize your way through.

Ready to get what you want from your business?

Let's figure out where you are and where you're going:
https://bit.ly/3X7GIeV

What's one frustration you're in right now?

♻️ Share this to help another entrepreneur out of these problems.
Follow me Mark O'Donnell for more on building systems-based businesses.

taplio

The Battle

Ash Maurya

Mark O'Donnell

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAsh Maurya's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMark O'Donnell's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Ash Maurya

Mark O'Donnell

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ash Maurya's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreMark O'Donnell's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAsh Maurya's LinkedIn Performance