Lean is not minimizing cost, cycle time, or waste. Lean is maximizing value. In product development (PD)-a process where the systems engineering (SE) of products plays a significant role-sometimes getting lean requires doing more, not less. Providing a preferred combination of technical performance, affordability, and lead time requires a flexible and lean PD process. Value is affected not only by the presence of necessary (value-adding) activities in the PD process but also by the way those activities work together (as a system) to ensure that they use and produce right information. Thus, value is a function of cost, schedule, and performance. Lean PD requires the right information in the right place at the right time. The kernel of the idea is based on systems thinking. The value of a system is more than the value of its individual components. Similarly, the value of a process is more than the value of its individual activities. In both cases, it is how well the components or activities work together (or fail to do so) that makes the difference. If all the activities add value, how can we ensure that they work together in such a way that the overall process maximizes its potential value? Lean PD requires the systems engineering of processes as well.