The lean app movement is all about flipping the innovation iceberg and creating a world where 90% of your team's time, energy, and infrastructure spend goes towards innovation and competitive differentiation. But how do you achieve this transformation? In this article, we'll explore the key principles and rules that will help you create a lean app startup that drives real results.
The Lean App Goal: Shift Away from Undifferentiated Work
Every company talks about innovating to serve customers, but modern application development is dominated by undifferentiated activities. What would it take to flip the iceberg – to get to a place where most of your team's time and energy goes towards innovation? The answer lies in creating an associated application transformation that moves from a broad, expensive surface area to one with minimal complexity.
The Lean App Manifesto: Less Over More
The lean app movement is driven by a simple idea: less over more. If a technology or process can do something effectively that's not your core business, then let it. Outsourcing work helps avoid the tyranny of choice and removes costly liabilities. By focusing on what matters most – your company's unique value proposition – you'll be able to create innovative apps that drive real results.
6 Rules for Creating Lean Apps
#1 Differentiated Business Logic Over Undifferentiated Code: Focus on what sets your app apart from others. If it's not unique, don't waste time and resources on it.
#2 Smart APIs Over Dumb Pipes: Concentrate on application concerns rather than the details of data security, replication, or shipping across clouds.
#3 Schemas Over Code: Use standards-based solutions to express your data model or integrity constraints. This will save you from writing expensive, custom code.
#4 Automation Over Manual Effort: Automate repetitive tasks like API generation, schema evolution, and transactional data replication.
#5 Off-the-Shelf Data Sharing Over DIY Data: Don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to cross-company or cloud data sharing. Leverage existing solutions to save time and resources.
#6 SaaS Over IaaS; Serverless Over Serverful: Deploy or operate software from other companies, rather than trying to create your own. This will help you avoid undifferentiated heavy lifting.
Getting Started with Lean Apps
Can you create lean apps today? Absolutely! While change takes time, the benefits of lean app development are undeniable. Start by adopting incremental migration strategies and applying lean principles to existing applications.
Vendia and Lean Apps: A New Era in App Development
Companies like Vendia will let you move directly to a lean app methodology for new application development or feature creation. Where wholesale adoption isn't possible, developers can still benefit from the concept through incremental steps in various areas of application development – APIs, data storage, and more.
By embracing the lean app movement, you'll be able to create innovative apps that drive real results and transform your business. It's time to flip the innovation iceberg and start building a brighter future for your company.