GOTO - The Brightest Minds in Tech The Lean Tech Manifesto • Fabrice Bernhard & Steve Pereira
Mar 6, 2026
Fabrice Bernhard, co-founder and CTO of Theodo and co-author of The Lean Tech Manifesto, explains why lean thinking matters for scaling software teams. He recounts a Japan study trip that reframed agile into lean, explores tech-enabled networks of teams, and shares practical leadership habits like visiting the Gemba and using visual management to sustain learning.
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Agile Lives Inside Lean Historically
- Fabrice argued agile is largely contained within lean because many agile ideas were inspired by lean thinking.
- He traced Scrum's roots to the HBR article on the new product development game and Toyota's influence on tech leaders.
Tech Enabled Networks Of Teams
- Fabrice identified tech-enabled networks of teams as a distinct phenomenon not fully covered by classic lean.
- He linked this to digital-native practices like Linux and Git that allow empowered, distributed teams without heavy management layers.
Network Topologies Are A Nascent Management Idea
- The discovery of tech-enabled team networks was a major surprise during writing and is still a nascent management idea.
- Fabrice cited Team of Teams and HBR pieces as early references pushing this networked model forward.
