A Rant Against Maximization

The problem with the Lean Startup as a mindset is that it leads to a Minimal Viable Life. And I know many people feel like they’re living one these days. The Lean startup is a mental model that is ultimately not helpful for human flourishing. There are metaphysical, creative, and moral issues with it.

there’s simply no way around the fact that we’re pretty fed up with a certain philosophical framework in Silicon Valley. It has many names: the growth mindset. OKRs. KPIs. Even Minimalism — the predominant aesthetic of our era. But at its core, it all comes down to one thing: the relentless optimization of everything in our world.

this mindset has l... See more

This is partly why I find Lean Startup Evangelical Fundamentalism a little weird. Just in case you’re not familiar, “lean startup” is the meme-ified idea that entrepreneurs should build “Minimum Viable Products”, expending the least amount of resources to build the things that are most perfectly adapted to the ‘market fit.’