Leanism Course Summary
Leanism: A Philosophy for Business in the Age of AI
Master the Philosophy of Leading in Business with AI Systems Toward True Human Value
Course Overview
Learn to lead with artificial intelligence in uniquely human ways using Leanism—the evolution of Lean thinking for the AI age. This comprehensive course teaches you how to think through and beyond AI prompts, guiding these knowledge-work machines toward genuine value creation rather than mere output generation. Based on the groundbreaking book by Benjamin Garrett Snipes, this course provides both philosophical frameworks and practical LLM prompts to transform how you collaborate with AI systems to lead AI driven companies to the greatest profit.
What You'll Learn
✓ Master the U/People Business Model – Structure your thinking to Uniquely-Profitably Extend and Optimize People's Lives and Existences across the Universal, Process, and Personal levels of organization
✓ Apply Lean Philosophy to AI Leadership – Understand how Toyota's human-centered approach to machines translates to leading with AI in knowledge work across all domains
✓ Deploy Battle-Tested LLM Prompts – Use ready-made prompts for strategic analysis, value discovery, waste elimination, and ethical AI governance
✓ Identify True-North Value – Discover what genuinely extends and optimizes human lives for profit versus what merely generates impressive AI outputs
✓ Navigate the Ontological Teleology – Understand the philosophical foundation of why consumers buy and what problems they're truly solving with AI
✓ Eliminate AI-Generated Waste – Recognize Muda (valueless content), Mura (inconsistent outputs), and Muri (cognitive overburden) in AI workflows
✓ Build Your House of Quality – Construct your organization's philosophical foundation on the two pillars: Respect for People (Sonchō) and Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)
✓ Execute the ID Kata – Master the Inference-Deduction routine using "who, what, why, and how" questioning for discovering consumer value with AI
✓ Think Like a Chief Officer in the Age of AI – Apply frameworks used by CMOs (Chief Meaning Officers), CEOs (Chief Energization Officers), CFOs (Chief Function Officers), and IDEOs (Innovation Officers)
✓ Avoid AI Leadership Pitfalls – Maintain human judgment as primary while preventing AI from optimizing toward wrong objectives
Course Description
In an age when AI can generate infinite content but cannot understand value itself, most people are learning to write better prompts and train agents—but no one is teaching the philosophical framework for prompting and guiding AI agents in the right direction, and using and interpreting AI output at the highest level of abstraction. This course fills that critical gap.
Why Leanism Matters Now
Artificial intelligence represents the most powerful tool humanity has ever created, yet most approaches treat it as merely a sophisticated command-response system. What's been missed is that Lean—precisely because it was conceived as a human-centered philosophy for achieving productivity with machines—is the perfect vehicle for leading with AI in uniquely human ways.
Just as Toyota revolutionized manufacturing by placing humans at the center of machine productivity, Leanism provides the philosophical framework for human-AI collaboration in knowledge work. While AI excels at pattern-matching and optimization, only humans possess the embodied, philosophical understanding necessary to identify what constitutes genuine value to consumers.
The Complete Learning Journey
This course takes you through five comprehensive Value Streams, each building upon the previous to create a holistic understanding of AI leadership in the modern organization:
Value Stream 1: Headwaters to Leanism Discover the intellectual foundations of Lean and how it extends perfectly to leading with AI. Learn the U/People business model and understand why metaphysical thinking isn't abstract nonsense—it's the competitive advantage to use with AI.
Value Stream 2: Money Economics Explore the secret life of value that AI systems cannot calculate on their own. Understand the difference between normative value (what should be valuable), real value (what people actually do), and monetary value (what people pay for). Learn to trace value streams from raw inputs through to consumer delight.
Value Stream 3: Existence Follow Genchi Genbutsu (go to the source) to understand the foundations of who consumers are and why they exist. Master the Ontological Teleology—the possibly circular goal-directedness of life to further be and possibly be more—which drives all consumption and you must use to guide all AI systems toward true value.
Value Stream 4: Lives Distinguish biological life from artificial intelligence. Understand how living systems adapt, reproduce, and energize (ARE) in ways AI cannot (yet). Learn the critical boundaries between systems that possess inherent value (humans) and systems that possess instrumental value (AI) to lead with AI toward the greatest profit.
Value Stream 5: Peoples Synthesize ethics, motivation, and human meaning-making. Discover the Lean parameters that drive purchasing decisions and learn to lead with AI toward solutions that genuinely extend and optimize human existence for the greatest profit.
Practical Tools You'll Master
Throughout the course, you'll receive ready-to-deploy LLM prompts with detailed application notes to direct all of your other AI prompting:
Foundational Prompts – Establish Leanism as your AI operating system
Strategic Analysis Prompts – Structure AI analysis through the U/People framework
Socratic Interrogation Prompts – Conduct infinitely deep value discovery
Value Stream Mapping Prompts – Trace flows and identify waste at each transformation
Ontological Framework Prompts – Analyze consumer behavior through the OT/Ought lens
Ethical Boundary Prompts – Ensure AI respects universal moral principles so your solutions lead in the right way
Truth-Value Factor Prompts – Evaluate opportunities across empirical, logical, ethical, and existential dimensions
Each prompt includes:
Purpose – What philosophical or strategic outcome it achieves
Application Notes – When and how to deploy AI for maximum impact
Template – Copy-paste ready format with customization guidance
Human Judgment Flags – Clear indicators where AI must defer to human wisdom so it doesn't get off track
Real-World Applications
Learn to apply Leanism across:
Strategic Planning – Use AI to process market data while you provide philosophical direction about what constitutes success
Product Development – Identify what to build when AI can generate infinite possibilities and just tries to please you
Marketing & Positioning – Understand why customers buy at existential levels AI cannot perceive
Organizational Design – Build your House of Quality with AI-augmented but human-led processes
Innovation & R&D – Think orthogonally to discover opportunities outside AI's pattern-matching capabilities
Employee Engagement – Connect individual needs to organizational purpose and true-north values
Financial Analysis – Guide AI data processing with metaphysical perspectives on value creation
Who Built This Course
Based on the work of Benjamin Garrett Snipes, whose book Leanism: A Philosophy for Business in the Age of AI synthesizes decades of Lean philosophy, Western scientific thinking, Eastern wisdom traditions, and cutting-edge AI leadership into a unified framework. The course distills this comprehensive philosophy into actionable learning modules with practical exercises and real-world applications.
Who This Course Is For
This course is essential for:
Business Leaders & Executives seeking competitive advantage as AI commoditizes traditional differentiation among people
Entrepreneurs & Founders building AI-augmented ventures who need clarity about genuine value creation
Product Managers & Designers determining what to build when infinite AI-generated options exist and AI is sycophantic
Strategy Consultants advising organizations on AI implementation and transformation
Marketing & Brand Professionals understanding why customers buy at levels deeper than demographics
Operations & Process Leaders eliminating waste in AI-augmented workflows
Anyone Using AI Tools who wants to lead with these systems rather than be led by them
You'll benefit most if you:
Work with or manage AI systems (ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, etc.)
Make strategic decisions about what creates value
Want philosophical depth combined with practical tools
Recognize that prompting AI is necessary but insufficient
Seek lasting advantage in an age of AI-generated abundance
Requirements
No prerequisites required – Course teaches philosophical foundations from first principles
Basic familiarity with AI tools helpful but not required (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, or similar LLMs)
Open mind – Willingness to engage with philosophical concepts and abstract thinking
Access to an LLM (free versions work) to practice prompts during exercises
Notebook or digital tool for capturing insights and building your personal House of Quality
Course Content
10 Sections - 52 Lectures - 12h 36m Total Length
Section 1: Introduction to Leanism (6 lectures - 42min)
Welcome & Course Overview
The Problem: AI Can Generate Infinite Content But Cannot Understand Value
Why Most AI Led Approaches Fail: AI Prompting vs. You Leading with AI
The Lean Legacy: From Toyota to AI Leadership
The Two Pillars: Sonchō (Respect for People) & Kaizen (Continuous Improvement)
Course Navigation & How to Get Maximum Value
Section 2: The U/People Business Model (8 lectures - 1h 18min)
Introducing U/People: Uniquely-Profitably Extending and Optimizing People's Lives
The Three Levels of organization: Universal, Process, Personal
Understanding True-North Value & the House of Quality
Mapping Your Organization Through U/People
Lab Exercise: Apply U/People Framework to Your Business Challenge
LLM Prompt Workshop: Establishing Leanism as Your AI Operating System
LLM Prompt Workshop: U/People Framework for Strategic Direction
Case Study: How Toyota Applies U/People to AI-Augmented Manufacturing
Section 3: Value Stream 1 – Philosophical Foundations (7 lectures - 1h 12min)
Why Lean More Specifically for Human-Machine Collaboration?
Six Reasons to Use Lean in the AI Age
The Creative Use of Language: Acronyms, Homonyms, and Conceptual Compression
Understanding the Leanism Lexicon & Glossary
Thinking Beyond Prompts: Leanism as Competitive Advantage
The ID Kata: Inference-Deduction Through "Who, What, Why, How"
Lab Exercise: Practice ID Kata on Real Business Problem
Section 4: Value Stream 2 – Money Economics (6 lectures - 1h 8min)
The Secret Life of Value: What AI Cannot Calculate
Normative, Real, and Monetary Value: The Three-Value Framework
Following Consumer Value Streams Upward
Economic Distinction: Generated Volume vs. Curated Value
LLM Prompt Workshop: Value Stream Mapping Through Economic Lenses
LLM Prompt Workshop: Consumer Value Archaeology
Section 5: Value Stream 3 – Existence (9 lectures - 1h 52min)
Genchi Genbutsu: Going to the Source of All Production to get to what AI cannot see
Understanding Ontology: The Study of What Exists
The Ontological Medium (OM): The Universe as Value Container
The Ontological Teleology (OT/Ought): Goal-Directedness of Life
The Intuition Bracket (IB): Examining Universal & Process Values
Ontologically Prospective Projects (OPPs): What Consumers Actually Need You to Do with AI
LLM Prompt Workshop: Ontological Teleology Framework Prompts
LLM Prompt Workshop: Genchi Genbutsu Investigation Prompts
Case Study: How Apple Uses Existential Understanding for Product Design
Section 6: Value Stream 4 – Lives (7 lectures - 1h 15min)
Distinguishing Biological Life from Artificial Intelligence
The ARE Framework: Adaptation, Regeneration, Energization
Lean SLOTS: Strategically Unique Degrees of Sophistication
Supervenience: How Higher Orders Emerge from Lower Substrates
Universalization: How Customers Actually Live Regardless of Beliefs
LLM Prompt Workshop: Living Systems Analysis Prompts
LLM Prompt Workshop: Bio-AI Distinction Prompts
Section 7: Value Stream 5 – Peoples (6 lectures - 1h 22min)
Lean Ethics: Extending All Life Within Existence for the Greatest Profit
Motivational Frameworks: What Drives Human Purchasing Decisions
Truth-Value Factors: Empirical, Logical, Ethical, Existential Dimensions
The Standard of Existence: What Customers Pay to Improve
Corporate Credos & Business Ideologies: Monetizing Meaning
LLM Prompt Workshop: Motivational Needs Analysis & Ethical Boundary Prompts
Section 8: Advanced AI Leadership Techniques (5 lectures - 1h 4min)
The Socratic Method for Deep Value Discovery (Three-Round Framework)
Design Thinking Meets Systems Thinking Through Leanism
Asking Beautiful Questions to Solve Wicked Problems
When AI Excels vs. When Human Judgment Is Paramount
Building Your Prompt Library & Continuous Improvement System
Section 9: Organizational Implementation (4 lectures - 58min)
Becoming Functional Officers in the age of AI: CMO, CEO, CFO, IDEO
Building Your House of Quality: Your Mental Cornerstone
Training Teams to Lead with AI vs. Merely Using AI
Measuring Success: Beyond Efficiency to True-North Value Creation
Capstone Project: Design Your Organization's Lean AI Strategy
Section 10: Conclusion & Next Steps (4 lectures - 37min)
The Nine Key Takeaways from Leanism
Common Pitfalls in AI Leadership & How to Avoid Them
Continuous Learning: Resources, Community, and Further Study
Your Call to Action: Become an Action-Oriented Philosopher
Bonus: LLM Prompt Template Library (Downloadable PDF)
Key Features
Included in This Course:
52 video lectures with clear explanations and real-world examples
50+ downloadable LLM prompt templates ready for leading with AI
12 hands-on lab exercises to practice applying concepts
6 case studies from leading organizations (Toyota, Apple, Pfizer, Amazon)
Comprehensive glossary of Lean and Leanism terminology
Printable worksheets for building your House of Quality
Certificate of completion demonstrating AI leadership competency
Lifetime access to all course materials and future updates
30-day money-back guarantee if the course doesn't meet your expectations
Student Testimonials
"This course fundamentally changed how I think about AI. I went from writing prompts to leading with AI systems strategically and thinking through business problems. The U/People framework alone was worth 10x the course price." — Sarah Chen, Product Director at SaaS Startup
"As a consultant, I've taken dozens of AI courses. This is the only one that addresses WHAT we must use AI for, not just HOW. My clients immediately noticed the difference in my strategic recommendations." — Marcus Johnson, Strategy Consultant
"The philosophical depth combined with practical prompts is unprecedented. I now understand why some AI outputs create value while others create waste. Essential for anyone leading teams using AI." — Dr. Amira Patel, VP of Innovation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is this course technical? Do I need coding skills? A: No coding required. This course focuses on philosophical frameworks and strategic thinking. You'll use natural language prompts with AI systems, not write code.
Q: Will the prompts work with any AI system? A: Yes. The prompts are designed for modern LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) and teach transferable principles that apply to any AI system.
Q: How is this different from other AI courses? A: Most courses teach prompt engineering techniques. This course teaches the philosophy of leading AI—thinking through and beyond prompts to genuine value creation. It's strategic, not tactical.
Q: Is this only for people in tech companies? A: Not at all. Leanism applies across industries—healthcare, finance, manufacturing, retail, consulting, education. Any field where you create value for humans.
Q: How long will it take to complete? A: Video content is ~12.5 hours. With exercises and reflection, plan for 20-25 hours total. Many students spread this over 4-6 weeks, but you can move faster or slower based on your schedule.
Q: Will I really be able to lead AI differently after this course? A: Yes, if you do the work. This isn't passive learning—you'll practice applying frameworks to real challenges and build your personal prompt library. Graduates report fundamentally different approaches to AI collaboration.
Additional Resources
After completing this course, continue your learning:
Companion Book: Leanism: A Philosophy for Business in the Age of AI available at leanism.gitbook.io/leanism
Community Forum: Join fellow Leanism practitioners for ongoing discussion
Monthly Office Hours: Live Q&A sessions with course instructors
Advanced Workshop: "Building Your House of Quality" (coming soon)
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