Socrates, one of ancient Greece's greatest philosophers, left no writings behind but his legacy lives on through the works of his student, Plato. Reacting against the elitist Sophists, who taught deceptive rhetoric, Socrates engaged in humble conversations to uncover deeper truths through continuous questioning. This method is valuable for startup founders, aligning with principles from Eric Ries' "The Lean Startup" and enhancing critical thinking, informed decision-making, and efficient problem-solving.

The Socratic method is a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, typically involving asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions. It is named after the classical Greek philosopher Socrates, who was immortalized in the writings by his most famous student, Plato. Condemned to death by the Athenian state due to charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, Socrates is a hero of Western philosophy for his unrelenting pursuit of truth.