Lean Startup Thinking vs. Survival Startup Thinking — VC-driven dependence versus crisis-driven speed, autonomy, and Minimal Usable Solutions.
Ukrainian founders rejected Lean Scaling not because of war, but because the framework benefits U.S. corporates and consultants — not citizens or soldiers. They replaced corporate scaling rituals with Survival Scaling: fast, independent, frontline-driven innovation that serves Ukraine, not Silicon Valley.
Ukrainian startup founders abandoned The Lean Startup for one clear reason: it benefits the U.S. ecosystem, not Ukrainians. Lean Startup, Lean Scaling and MVP thinking serve Silicon Valley investors and consultants—not citizens or soldiers who need real solutions now. Ukrainian innovators chose survival, independence, and sovereignty over U.S. startup ideology by Tony de Bree.
A clear, accessible overview of the PayPal Mafia, its most influential members, and how their ideology still shapes today’s VC-funded startup and AI Big Tech landscape.
A critical look at how a small, interconnected U.S. network — the “Lean Startup Mafia” — shaped a global innovation doctrine. This post explains how their ideology spread through VCs, corporates, universities, and governments, and why alternative models like survival innovation and Ukrainian MUS-thinking are now challenging this one-size-fits-all approach.
