From the Desk of Eric Ries

November 2018

"This is the most remarkable thing about 'The Road Not Taken'—not its immense popularity (which is remarkable enough), but the fact that it is popular for what seem to be the wrong reasons. It’s worth pausing here to underscore a truth so obvious that it is often taken for granted: Most widely celebrated artistic projects are known for being essentially what they purport to be."Even if you only know a line or two--"two roads diverged in a yellow wood" or "and that has made all the difference"--chances are you're familiar with Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken." But as the piece I've quoted from above explains, maybe the most enduring quality of the poem is not how popular it is, but how it's popular for so many different reasons. As its author, David Orr, writes, "Poems, after all, aren’t arguments—they are to be interpreted, not proven, and that process of interpretation admits a range of possibilities, some supported by diction, some by tone, some by quirks of form and structure."This year's Lean Startup Conference in Las Vegas also showed many ways to interpret a single form--in this case, the Lean Startup method. I came away inspired, as always, by the ways people are using Lean Startup not just to improve their businesses but also the lives of others, including in the non-profit world and even the Department of Defense. This video captures some of the sights, sounds, and speakers on Day 1 of the conference in downtown Las Vegas. And here's a good overview of some of the highlights and sessions from the whole conference.Below is a selection of conversations and discussions about my work, along with other pieces that caught my attention over the last month or so.I hope you'll find something of interest on this list, too. I'm always glad to get recommendations, so if there are things you think I should be reading, send them to: [email protected]

[Conversations]Lean Startup Conference 2018 Fireside Chat with Tony Hsieh and Elliot SuselHarvesting Innovation from the DesertThe Lean ComposerThe 25 most influential books about business ever written[Readings]You're Not Managing a Team of Software Engineers, You're Managing a Team of Writers"We are managing a creative process which is by its nature unpredictable and personal, in an environment which craves certainty, predictability and consistency."

Footnotes to Plato: The indefatigable efforts of J.M. Keynes

An argument that "a failure to recognize the economist's work guarantees further crises."How Dad's Stresses Get Passed Along to Offspring"New research suggests...sperm “learn” paternal experiences via a mysterious mode of intercellular communication in which small blebs break off one cell and fuse with another." 

'12 Monkeys’: Why Terry Gilliam’s Movie Is So Relevant Today"What does one do when the end is foreordained? The centrality of this question in 12 Monkeys is what makes it more valuable than ever, and one of the most currently relevant pieces of science fiction ever committed to celluloid."Why We Should Let the Pantheon CrackOn learning from failure in architecture, and why letting the Pantheon fall apart provides lessons that can't be learned any other way.