Living Lean Startup: Why Saying "I Don't Know" Is the Key
It's not about MVPs and pitch decks — it's about humility
By Tristan Kromer · Quick Answer: Living lean startup means more than using tactics like MVPs or smoke tests — it requires a deep mindset of humility. As entrepreneurs, we must genuinely say “I don’t know” and recognize that our dreams are too loud to distinguish from reality. Our success depends entirely on admitting ignorance and asking the right questions of customers, teammates, and the market — not on slapping “lean” into a pitch deck.
Lean Startup is not easy.
It sounds easy when you hear Eric talk. “Of course! I should build an MVP! I’ll put up a launchrock page! Now I’m a Lean Startup.” Sorry… … it doesn’t work like that. There’s a difference between using a lean tactic like concierge testing, a smoke test, or a business model canvas and really living lean. There are lean CEOs with big bold visions, dreams for the future, talent, dedication, and yet still hang onto a surprising ability to step back and say, “I don’t know.” If you think you know the right thing to build, you think you know the customer, you think you know the market, the price point, the future. Great! Go build that thing and take as long as you want. There’s no edict that says you have to do lean and VCs aren’t going to give you brownie points for putting the word lean into your pitch deck. They don’t care. Go, “build it and they will come.” …or… Say, “I don’t know” We must start with a recognition of our own ignorance. We must realize that we cannot even identify our own assumptions. Our dreams, the dreams of an entrepreneur, are too loud. We are too close to our dreams to tell them from reality. We must be humble enough to say “I don’t know” until we’re not just giving lip service but truly recognize on a deep level that our ability to make an impact on the world is entirely dependent on factors outside ourselves. Our success depends on our ability to admit ignorance and ask the right questions of our customers, our teammates, and the outside world in its entirety.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does living lean startup actually mean compared to just using lean tactics?
Living lean startup goes beyond using individual tactics like smoke tests or business model canvases. It means fundamentally embracing a mindset of humility and saying “I don’t know.” As entrepreneurs, we can use every lean tool in the book, but if we still assume we know what’s right to build, we’re not truly living lean — we’re just borrowing techniques.
Why is Lean Startup harder than it sounds?
It sounds simple when you hear the concepts — build an MVP, test assumptions, iterate. But the hard part isn’t the tactics; it’s the mindset shift. As entrepreneurs, our dreams are so loud that we can’t distinguish them from reality. Truly living lean startup requires us to recognize our own ignorance on a deep level, which goes against every instinct we have as passionate founders.
Do investors care if you use Lean Startup methodology?
No. VCs aren’t going to give you brownie points for putting the word “lean” into your pitch deck. They don’t care about methodology labels. What matters is whether you’re building something that works. Lean Startup is a tool for reducing risk and finding product-market fit — it’s not a badge to impress investors.
Why is saying “I don’t know” so important for entrepreneurs?
Because we are too close to our own dreams to separate them from reality. We can’t even identify our own assumptions without first admitting ignorance. Our ability to make an impact depends entirely on factors outside ourselves — our customers, teammates, and the broader market. Starting with “I don’t know” is the foundation that makes genuine learning possible.
Can you succeed without Lean Startup?
Yes. If you genuinely believe you know the right thing to build, the customer, the market, and the price point, then go build it. There’s no rule that says you have to do lean. But if you’re wrong about any of those assumptions, you’ll have spent significant time and resources before finding out. Lean Startup is simply a framework for navigating uncertainty more efficiently.
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