Mark by Mark Graban

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 20, 2026

The Pilot Light That Saved Me After $800K in Debt

Joel Steele's switch went from on to off the day his restaurants failed. What brought him back wasn't a plan. It was a…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 20, 2026

$800K in Debt at 24 - Here's What He Missed | Joel Steele

At 24, Joel Steele was buried in roughly $800,000 of debt (in today's dollars) after his healthy fast food restaurant…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 15, 2026

MIT Grad Couldn't Find Her Spark in Tech -- Until AI Helped

Finding the overlap between what you can do, what you want to do, and what others will pay you for -- that's the hard…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 14, 2026

4 Types of Mistake-Proofing: Prevention, Detection, Mitigation, and Warnings

What's more effective than a warning sign? Almost anything. Mark Graban walks through four types of mistake-proofing…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 14, 2026

She Left Tech Because It Felt "Soulless" -- Her Favorite Mistake

Irna Hutabarat Athans walked away from technology entirely because it felt empty and soulless. Despite her MIT MBA,…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 14, 2026

Hotels Pay $200 More for Mistake-Proof Coffee Makers | 4 Types of Mistake-Proofing

Some hotel rooms use a Keurig that won't dispense coffee unless it detects a cup on the tray -- a sensor-based…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 13, 2026

She Uses AI to Beat Writer's Block (Here's How)

Irna Hutabarat Athans explains how AI can help you push through writer's block -- not by writing for you, but by…

Mark Graban: Lean Leadership & More Apr 12, 2026

Apple MagSafe as Mistake-Proofing | Mitigation Through Smart Design

When you can't prevent a mistake, you can reduce the impact. The Apple MagSafe power adapter is a perfect example of…