Lean startup as a model for smart city projects: the case of Tel Aviv-Yafo

The global competition between cities over residents and businesses, as well as environmental considerations, force cities to employ information and communication technology (ICT), to become more effective and efficient. This development is often labelled 'smart city'. We suggest that incorporating ICT often entails adopting managerial methods that are taken from the ICT industry, such as lean startup. This article illustrates it by a case study of Tel Aviv-Yafo's Smart City Project. The lean startup development process starts with a value and growth hypotheses, and a minimum viable product (MVP) to test them. The test determines whether to continue the development (persevere), to make substantial changes (pivot), or abandon it altogether (perish). Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality's modus operandi, regarding its smart city project, reveals many similarities with the lean startup model. Its acknowledged success suggests that it might be a suitable model for other smart city projects.