Lean Impact How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good

Despite enormous investments of time and money, are we making a dent on the social and environmental challenges of our time? What if we could exponentially increase our impact?

Around the world, a new generation is looking beyond greater profits, for meaningful purpose. But, unlike business, few social interventions have achieved significant impact at scale. Inspired by the modern innovation practices, popularized by bestseller The Lean Startup, that have fueled technology breakthroughs touching every aspect of our lives, Lean Impact turns our attention to a new goal - radically greater social good.

Social change is far more complicated than building a new app. It requires more listening, more care, and more stakeholders. To make a lasting difference, solutions must be embraced by beneficiaries, address root causes, and include an engine that can accelerate growth to reach the scale of the need. Lean Impact offers bold ideas to reach audacious goals through customer insight, rapid experimentation and iteration, and a relentless pursuit of impact.

Ann Mei Chang brings a unique perspective from across sectors, from her years as a tech executive in Silicon Valley to her most recent experience as the Chief Innovation Officer at USAID. She vividly illustrates the book with real stories from interviews with over 200 organizations across the US and around the world.

Whether you are a nonprofit, social enterprise, triple bottom line company, foundation, government agency, philanthropist, impact investor, or simply donate your time and money, Lean Impact is an essential guide to maximizing social impact and scale.

Foreword xiii

Introduction 1

Part I Inspire

One Innovation Is the Path, Impact Is the Destination 13

Two What Is Your Audacious Goal? 27

Three Love the Problem, Not Your Solution 39

Four Finding the “Big Idea” 53

Five Lessons from The Lean Startup 61

Part II Validate

Six Start Small, Iterate Fast 85

Seven Value 105

Eight Growth 129

Nine Impact 155

Part III Transform

Ten Systems Change 181

Eleven Financing Innovation 191

Twelve A Message to Funders 209

Thirteen Making It Stick 229

Fourteen A World of Impact 243

Disclosures 261

Acknowledgments 263

About the Author 269

Index 271

ANN MEI CHANG is the Executive Director of Lean Impact at Lean Startup Company. Previously, she served at USAID (one of the largest funders of international development) as Chief Innovation Officer and the Executive Director of the U.S. Global Development Lab. Prior to her pivot to social good, Ann Mei was a seasoned Silicon Valley executive, with more than twenty years' experience at such leading companies as Google, Apple, and Intuit, as well as a number of startups.