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Lean development is a method of building apps that focuses on delivering the most valuable features quickly, using minimal resources, and continuously improving based on real user feedback.
Why It Matters
Why Founders Should Care About This Term:
- Speeds up time-to-market by focusing only on high-impact features.
- Reduces wasted effort, saving time and development costs.
- Allows quick pivots based on real user behaviour and feedback.
- Supports continuous improvement, helping you stay aligned with user needs.
- Ideal for validating app ideas before making big investments.
Use This Term When...
- Planning your MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
- Budgeting and scoping your first app release.
- Trying to test product-market fit with limited resources.
- Discussing agile methodologies and product iteration cycles.
- Making roadmap decisions based on user feedback or analytics.
Real-World Example
In one of our projects, we applied lean development principles to release the core version of the app quickly. By focusing on essential property-saving features first, we helped the client launch sooner and validate user interest before expanding the feature set.
Founder Insight
Many founders try to build the ‘perfect app’ from day one. Lean development reminds you that done is better than perfect — and that real users are your best guide for what comes next.
Key Metrics / Concepts
- Cycle Time – How quickly you can release new features or updates.
- Waste Reduction – Avoiding unnecessary features or processes.
- Validated Learning – Making decisions based on real usage data, not assumptions.
Tools & Technologies
- Trello / Jira – For prioritising lean feature backlogs.
- Firebase – Fast deployment and real-time feedback tools for MVPs.
- Hotjar / Mixpanel – Tools to gather early user feedback and behaviour analytics.
What’s Next / Future Trends
Lean development is evolving with AI-assisted prototyping, predictive analytics for user needs, and rapid low-code tools that support even faster testing of product hypotheses.
Related Terms
- MVP (Minimum Viable Product) – A core concept in lean development.
- Iteration – Lean relies on small, continuous improvements.
- Agile Development – Lean shares many principles with Agile.
- App Estimation – Lean requires careful scoping to stay efficient.
- User Feedback – Essential for guiding lean product updates.
Helpful Videos / Articles / Pages
Call to Action
Want to launch your app faster and smarter? Book a discovery call — we’ll help you apply lean principles to your development plan.