Most new media is destined to fail. Whether it s a song, film, website, book, video game, or advertisement, it s extremely difficult to create works that resonate with audiences.
Lean Media can give creators and media companies an edge. The framework has worked for some of the biggest media brands and most well-known artists, as well as smaller teams and media ventures. It draws on the same "lean" approaches adopted by manufacturing and tech startups, but is optimized for the unique needs and methods used in the media industry.
In LEAN MEDIA, author Ian Lamont shows how the framework can streamline processes, lower costs, reduce the risk of failure, and ultimately create media that matters. Packed with examples as diverse as The Simpsons, Led Zeppelin, Minecraft, and more, LEAN MEDIA outlines the framework for producing high-quality media on time and on budget.
If you create media, the Lean Media framework provides the tools and know-how to develop media that clicks with audiences. Whether you work on a large team or are a solo creator, the framework can help you iteratively develop great media, informed by audience input and with a minimum of bureaucratic overhead.
If you run a media business, Lean Media can help you optimize teams, streamline decision-making, and increase audience engagement. Lean Media can also inform creative and business leaders about how to pivot a media project, or when to abandon projects that simply aren t working out.
All kinds of media professionals can leverage the framework, including:
- Filmmakers
- Publishers
- Broadcasters
- Graphic designers
- Website operators
- Recording artists
- Video game designers
- Copywriters
- Creative directors
- Performance artists
Table of Contents
Introduction<br /> The Lean Media opportunity
Chapter 1: Lean thinking in manufacturing and tech startups<br /> Standard criteria for success and failure<br /> Eric Ries and the Lean Startup<br /> The MVP<br /> Product/market fit vs. product/solution fit<br /> A lean approach to media?
Chapter 2: A new media world<br /> Embracing new production tools<br /> The false allure of chubby media
Chapter 3: Finding a lean fit for media content<br /> Media is not like other products<br /> Data doesn t tell the whole story
Chapter 4: Three Lean Media principles<br /> Principle #1: Reduce waste<br /> Principle #2: Understand audiences<br /> Principle #3: Focus creativity<br /> Example: The making of Led Zeppelin I<br /> Lean Media for small projects
Chapter 5: The Lean Media flowchart<br /> A flowchart for media productions<br /> Modes Vu s photography books<br /> A lean history of The Simpsons
Chapter 6: Building a Lean Media team<br /> How small should the team be?<br /> When nonessential stakeholders get in the way<br /> The role of marketing
Chapter 7: Lean Media audiences<br /> Beyond audience metrics<br /> Recruiting test audiences<br /> Can test audiences be trusted?<br /> Test pods<br /> Surrogate audiences<br />
Chapter 8: Leveraging feedback for Lean Media<br /> Qualitative and quantitative feedback<br /> The problem with stakeholder feedback<br /> What if there are no fans?<br /> Overcoming mental roadblocks<br /> Dealing with disinterest
Chapter 9: Pivot or abandon<br /> Chubby vs. Lean Media pivots<br /> Abandoning a project<br />
Chapter 10: The Lean Media project planner<br /> A project planner for Napoleon Dynamite<br /> Using the project planner for video development
Conclusion<br /> Bibliography<br /> Index
Ian Lamont is founder and president of i30 Media Corp., which publishes the award-winning In 30 Minutes series of guidebooks. He is also the creator of the Lean Media framework, which can help creative people and production teams develop media that matters. Lamont s career has spanned more than 25 years across three continents, including a stint in the British music industry and a six-year residence in Taipei where he worked for a local broadcaster and newspaper. Returning to the United States, he developed websites, online communities, and other digital products for Harvard University and tech publisher IDG. He later served as managing editor of The Industry Standard, winning multiple awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) and Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) for online projects, creative use of online, and online features. Lamont is a graduate of Boston University s College of Communication. In 2011, he completed the Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership, a full-time MBA program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
