“The grim reality is that most startups fail.”

The first pages establish the reality of a startup’s future. Entrepreneurs must be aware of the inherent risk when building startups. This sets the book’s tone as being serious about its topic and shows the high stakes that building a startup involves.

“Despite the volumes written on business strategy, the key attributes of business leaders, and ways to identify the next big thing, innovators still struggle to bring their ideas to life.”

Here, Ries separates himself from other books in the business genre. With the Lean Startup model, he tells readers that he can teach them how to innovate while reducing wasteful time and effort. Since startups are usually low on funds and personnel to begin with, this is an enticing promise.

“I found that by applying ideas from lean manufacturing to my own entrepreneurial challenges – with a few tweaks and changes – I had the beginnings of a framework for making sense of them.”

This quote hints at the inspirations for the Lean Startup method (Toyota Production Systems) while firmly stating the uniqueness of that method. This builds Ries’s credibility as an expert in the field and as an innovator who practices what he preaches.