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

When I ask startup founders what an MVP is, I get wildly different answers:
- "It's a landing page."
- "It's a prototype."
- "It's the first version of our product."

They can't all be right, but they're all using the same term.

In my latest video, I break down 
- how the term MVP lost its meaning,
- why that matters, and 
- how to reclaim the concept with a clearer definition that actually helps your startup move faster toward product-market fit.

Watch the video:

Ash Maurya

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

Open video: Stop Building MVPs (Until You Watch This) on youtu.be

Stop Building MVPs (Until You Watch This)

Counterintuitive startup truth: If you can't convert a prospect in a 20-minute face-to-face meeting, you'll never convert an unaware visitor in 8 seconds on your landing page.

Start high-touch, then scale.

10 Uncomfortable Truths About Startups Most Founders Learn Too Late 👇

The top reason startups fail isn't lack of funding or poor execution—it's building something nobody wants.

After working with thousands of founders, I've noticed a pattern: What seems like "common sense" in startups is actually uncommon sense.

For example:
- Most founders build first, then try to sell (backwards!)
- They prioritize their easiest assumptions, not their riskiest ones
- They listen to users instead of customers

In my latest video, I break down the 10 counterintuitive maxims that separate successful founders from those who waste years building products no one buys.

These principles have helped founders avoid months of wasted effort and millions in burned capital.

If you're building or considering a startup, these 10 minutes could save you years of pain:

My Top 10 Uncommon Sense Startup Maxims
==================================
1. Love the problem (not your solution)
2. Solve problems (customers are currently trying to solve)
3. Chase problems (worth solving)
4. The true product of an entrepreneur is a business model (not solution)
5. Stress-test your business model (before testing it)
6. Prioritize testing your riskiest (not easiest) assumptions
7. Demo-Sell-Build (versus Build-Demo-Sell)
8. Talk to customers (not users)
9. Chase failures (unexpected outcomes) for explanations
10. Focus on repeatability (before scalability)

Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/dzpVgEYh

What "common sense" startup advice have you found to be completely uncommon in practice? Share in the comments!

Open video: 10 Startup Truths No One Tells First-Time Founders on youtu.be

10 Startup Truths No One Tells First-Time Founders

The 3 types of risk every startup founder must tackle:

1️⃣ Customer Risk - Building a path to customers
2️⃣ Market Risk - Creating a viable business
3️⃣ Product Risk - Getting the product right

Tackle them in this order for maximum learning and odds of success. 

For the perfect way to align your product rollout with these risks, see:

Open video: The 10x Product Launch Playbook: From 10 to 10,000 Customers on youtu.be

The 10x Product Launch Playbook: From 10 to 10,000 Customers

"Is it a landing page? A prototype? A working product?"

When I ask founders what MVP means, I get wildly different answers - all using the same term. 

No wonder teams get confused!

I just published a new video untangling the MVP mess and redefining it for today's founders.

You'll discover:

▪️The surprising origin of MVP (hint: not from who you think)
▪️Why Dropbox's famous demo was NOT an MVP
▪️ A practical redefinition that cuts through the confusion

Most importantly, you'll learn when to validate with offers vs. when to actually build an MVP - a distinction that could save you months of wasted effort.

"If you can't sell the demo, why build the product?"

Link to video in comments 👇

The most dangerous words in product launches:
"Let's wait until..."

If you're about to launch your startup, this strategy will save you months of wasted time:

Open video: The 10x Product Launch Playbook: From 10 to 10,000 Customers on youtube.com

Most founders hide behind "beta" labels because they lack conviction in their own product. 

This signals uncertainty to customers and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of mediocre adoption.

For years, I dreaded the pricing part of sales calls. I'd talk about my product all day, but when it came time to discuss money? Instant anxiety.

But I discovered a systematic 3-step approach that changed everything:
1️⃣ Break their old way (Emotional Buy #1) 
2️⃣ Demo your new way (Emotional Buy #2) 
3️⃣ Share your pricing model (Rational Buy)

The key insight: When you get customers to "own" both the cost of their current approach AND the value of your solution BEFORE discussing price, they've already emotionally bought. The pricing conversation becomes rational, not emotional.

I just released a new video that breaks down exactly how I pitch pricing without getting butterflies in my stomach. I even share a bonus tip that helped us 5X our pricing, and happy customers are still saying yes!

If you're a product-focused founder who gets nervous talking money, check out the full video here:

Open video: Stop Underpricing: How to Sell Your True Value on youtu.be

Stop Underpricing: How to Sell Your True Value

"Pricing isn't just part of your product - it defines your customers."

Charging from day one isn't just about revenue. It filters out noise and focuses your efforts on building something people actually value.

Taplio

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