PLAY THE BOOK

The Lean Startup

by Eric Ries

This book explains how startups can use validated learning, rapid experimentation, and the Build-Measure-Learn loop to build products people actually want, instead of following rigid business plans. In this world you practise identifying leap-of-faith assumptions, designing MVPs, reading actionable metrics, and deciding when to pivot or persevere.

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32 maps · 156 characters · 530 questions · free to try, no account needed · book links are affiliate links

Two ways to play the same book. Walk the maps and challenge the characters.

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Arrow keys to walk, Space to talk or fight. Use the on-screen controls to walk and talk. Signs hold the book's ideas; every character is a quiz.

What's inside

32 maps, 156 characters and 530 questions, all generated from the book.

MAP 01

Startup Fundamentals Forest

Discover the core principles that separate successful startups from traditional business approaches.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 02

Vision Caverns

Explore how to develop and articulate a compelling startup vision that guides decision-making.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 03

Learning Castle

Master the art of validated learning as the fundamental unit of progress for startups.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 04

Experimentation Desert

Navigate the harsh landscape of business experiments and hypothesis testing.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 05

Build-Measure-Learn Ocean

Sail through the continuous cycle that drives all successful startup activities.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 06

Minimum Viable Product Volcano

Forge your first product version with maximum validated learning and minimum effort.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 07

Innovation Accounting Ice Fields

Track progress in the uncertain world of startups using new metrics and accountability.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 08

Customer Development Ruins

Uncover the secrets of understanding customer needs through direct engagement.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 09

Pivot Strategy Forest

Learn when and how to change direction while staying grounded in your vision.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 10

Leap of Faith Caverns

Identify and test the critical assumptions that determine your startup's fate.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 11

Value Hypothesis Castle

Build strong foundations by testing whether your product creates real customer value.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 12

Growth Hypothesis Desert

Traverse the challenging terrain of customer acquisition and sustainable growth.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 13

Genchi Gembutsu Ocean

Dive deep into customer reality through direct observation and engagement.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 14

Concierge MVP Volcano

Create explosive learning through hands-on, personalized customer service.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 15

Wizard of Oz Ice Plains

Test product concepts without building full functionality using manual processes.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 16

Split-Test Ruins

Discover the power of A/B testing to make data-driven product decisions.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 17

Cohort Analysis Forest

Track customer behavior patterns over time to understand true product performance.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 18

Actionable Metrics Caverns

Mine for metrics that actually drive business decisions and behavior change.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 19

Vanity Metrics Castle

Defend against misleading numbers that make you feel good but don't drive progress.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 20

Three A's Desert

Navigate using Actionable, Accessible, and Auditable metrics in the data wasteland.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 21

Kanban Ocean

Flow through work efficiently using visual management and pull-based systems.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 22

Small Batch Volcano

Harness the explosive power of working in smaller, faster iterations.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 23

Continuous Deployment Ice Bridge

Cross the gap between development and customers with automated, frequent releases.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 24

Five Whys Ruins

Excavate the root causes of problems using systematic questioning techniques.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 25

Startup Growth Forest

Cultivate sustainable growth through the three engines of viral, sticky, and paid growth.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 26

Engine of Growth Caverns

Explore the deep mechanics that drive customer acquisition and retention.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 27

Viral Growth Castle

Build viral loops that turn customers into your most effective marketing channel.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 28

Sticky Growth Desert

Survive in competitive markets by maximizing customer lifetime value and retention.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 29

Paid Growth Ocean

Navigate the vast possibilities of sustainable paid customer acquisition.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 30

Adaptive Organization Volcano

Transform traditional organizations to embrace startup-style innovation.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 31

Portfolio Thinking Ice Shelf

Balance innovation investments across a portfolio of experiments and initiatives.

5 characters · 17 questions

MAP 32

Lean Startup Legacy Ruins

Discover how lean startup principles apply beyond startups to all innovation.

1 characters · 3 questions

How the book becomes practice

Reading puts ideas in. Retrieval keeps them there. The game is the retrieval.

Walk the world of the book

32 maps, one per part of the book. Signs along the way hold its key ideas, so the walk itself is a refresher.

Battle the characters

156 characters, each a short quiz on one idea. Answer well and the map opens up; a boss guards the end of each one.

Missed ideas come back

Every question you get wrong is re-asked in rematches and boss fights until you get it right. That is the part that makes it stick.

Keep what you learn

Sign up for free and your demo progress, XP and best tower stage move to your account. Come back whenever a chapter starts to fade.

Questions

Is this the actual book?

No. This is a quiz game built from the ideas in "The Lean Startup": 530 multiple-choice questions with explanations, spread over 32 maps. It works best alongside the book, which is why the page links to where you can get it.

Is it free to play?

You can play the demo on this page without an account (5 battles in the RPG and 10 questions in the tower). Sign up for free to keep going; premium worlds come with a preview and Lifetime Pro unlocks everything.

Do I need to have read the book?

It works either way. If you have read it, the game is spaced repetition for what you learned. If you have not, every question comes with an explanation, so the game is a fast tour of the main ideas.

Does my demo progress carry over?

Yes. Sign up from the game and the characters you beat, your XP and your best tower stage move to your account.

Are the book links affiliate links?

Yes. If you buy the book through one of them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the free worlds free.