# 135: The Lean Maniac: Paul Akers on Eliminating Waste

An episode of [The Dwayne Kerrigan Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1708323202), 15 Apr 2026, 1 h 10 min.

Audio: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/5ef92b35-cc11-43f0-944d-a4f066030344.mp3

Paul Akers started FastCap in his garage with no MBA, no funding, and one simple conviction: fix what bugs you. Today FastCap ships over 2,000 products to more than 40 countries, and runs on a philosophy so simple it fits in two words — eliminate waste. In Part 1 of this conversation, Dwayne Kerrigan sits down with Paul to unpack the Lean methodology that made it all possible, and why it has nothing to do with manufacturing. In this episode: • Paul breaks down the eight wastes of Lean thinking — overproduction, transportation, inventory, defects, over-processing, wasted motion, customer waiting, and wasting human potential — using a Costco toilet paper run as the most memorable example you'll ever hear • Why Paul calls himself a "Lean maniac", not a lean practitioner: "How do I improve this? And how do I make it easier for everyone around me?" — the two questions that drive every decision at FastCap • The communication standard Paul holds his entire organization to: no one should ever have to ask you a question twice, and why every back-and-forth email chain is a symptom of a deeper waste problem • How FastCap documents every single process — from cleaning a toilet to setting up a $250,000 injection molding machine — using eight-step visual SOPs, QR codes, and unlisted YouTube videos that any employee can access instantly • Why Paul starts every Lean implementation the same way, regardless of company size: the bathroom. And why every visitor to FastCap — including presidents of major corporations — cleans the bathroom before they're allowed a tour • The mindset Paul refuses to argue with: if you're not ready to change, he's not interested in convincing you — and why that boundary is itself a Lean principle Episode Highlights: 00:00 - No Questions Twice 00:22 - Podcast Welcome 00:54 - Meet Paul Akers 04:37 - FastCap Origin Story 08:31 - Lean Gospel Mindset 10:34 - Lean Maniac Defined 13:42 - Eight Wastes Explained 17:03 - Small Daily Improvements 20:10 - Hunger and Underdogs 28:31 - Lean History Lesson 31:36 - Toyota Just In Time 34:15 - Skeptic to Believer 35:25 - Lean Is People First 36:33 - Stop The Line Mindset 38:00 - Three Habits Of Toyota 40:46 - Morning Meetings 42:45 - Dialogue Not Monologue 43:26 - Keynote Agenda And Culture 48:03 - Defects And Kanban Flow 51:56 - One Hour Before Work Pays 53:59 - Ego And Leadership Growth 57:08 - How To Start 01:03:16 - Standard Work And QR Training 01:07:30 - Who Actually Changes 01:08:22 - Wrap Up And Disclaimers Resources mentioned: • 2 Second Lean — Paul Akers • Lean Health, Lean Travel, Lean Life, Banish Sloppiness — Paul Akers • The Amezawa Legacy — Paul Akers • Lean the Gospel Dressed Up in a Business Suit — Paul Akers (in progress at time of recording) • Out of the Crisis — Dr. W. Edwards Deming • Toyota Production System (TPS) • FastCap — Paul Akers' company • Bob Taylor / Taylor Guitars — referenced as Paul's early mentor • Training Within Industry (TWI) — referenced framework • FastCap YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/user/fastcaptv Quotes: "I have no time whatsoever to convince you of common sense. Zero." - Paul Akers “ I read Dick and Jane like 10 times when I had to read it in front of the class. I had to read it over and over and over again and memorize it so I didn't screw it up when I read in front of the class.” - Paul Akers “ But there's one thing that I've kind of realized in life is that the reason why we don't have something in our life is because of the story that we're telling ourselves.” - Dwayne Kerrigan “Everything I look at, I'm always thinking, how do I improve? How do I increase the quality and reduce the burden on me and the people around me? So I want everything to be. Easy for everyone. No struggle in flow.” - Paul Akers “ No one should ever ask you a question twice. If you communicate to someone, your communication should be so clear that when you say it and the words come out of your mouth, they go, I…

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