The Lean Startup methodology used to promote innovation in existing companies

Abstract

The Lean Startup methodology, whose implementation was first thought for startups, has been progressively gaining impact in established companies. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate to what extent this methodology can be used to foster innovation in mature companies. To this end, a survey was conducted and sent to 50 established corporations from 7 different industries, of which 23 companies answered (46% response rate). A follow-up interview was also prepared, which in turn was answered by 7 participants, and additionally, a real case study made by Millennium BCP was analyzed. Based on the answers, it was found that 78% of the participants think that innovation is very important. In general all companies use different types of innovation, one way or another, and think about getting better in the way they innovate. A total of 14 participants (61%) said they have never used the Lean Startup methodology while the other 9 respondents reported having already applied it (39%). This methodology was strongly related to the use of radical innovation and to the success of projects. The results also showed great familiarity with the methodology’s fundamental cycle for those who knew the Lean Startup method. The results demonstrate that the Lean Startup methodology can bring benefits to companies that use it and, more importantly, it can provide more benefits than the methodology traditionally employed. The discussion of the working hypotheses made, limitations of the investigation as well as suggestions of other axes of analysis and research are also provided.

Date of Award	2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	António Francisco Faria (Supervisor)