#488 Eric Ries - A Dire Warning for Every Founder Who Thinks They Are the Exception

<p>Eric Ries changed how a generation of founders build companies with The Lean Startup. Now he is back with Incorruptible, a blueprint for making sure the company you build never betrays the mission that made it worth building in the first place. </p><p>In this episode, Eric breaks down the invisible force he calls financial gravity, the force that quietly pulls even the most well-intentioned companies toward short-term thinking and eventual corruption. You will hear the real story behind building the Long-Term Stock Exchange, why only 20% of venture-backed founders are still CEO three years after an IPO, and the one two-page legal filing that could protect everything you are building. </p><p>If you are a founder, an operator, or anyone who cares about doing business the right way, this conversation will change how you think about building for the long term.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Chapters:</strong></p><p>0:00 - Eric Ries on Building Companies That Never Lose Their Soul </p><p>1:22 - Did Eric Know The Lean Startup Would Change the World? </p><p>3:17 - The Origin of the Title of His New Book, "Incorruptible"</p><p>5:30 - <strong>Rapid Fire #1:</strong> Most Humbling Setback as a Founder </p><p>6:07 - <strong>Rapid Fire #2:</strong> How Do You Decide What Is a Priority When Everything Feels Urgent </p><p>11:10 - <strong>Rapid Fire #3:</strong> How Do You Decide What to Track With KPIs </p><p>14:47 - <strong>Rapid Fire #4:</strong> The One Tool You Cannot Live Without </p><p>16:40 - <strong>Rapid Fire #5: </strong>When Did You Last Want to Give Up But Did Not </p><p>18:26 - Why Eric Finally Wrote "Incorruptible" </p><p>22:49 - Why Corporate Corruption Is Getting Worse Not Better </p><p>26:52 - Value Destroying vs. Value Creating: The Sol Price and Costco Story </p><p>36:25 - How Founders Avoid Becoming Corrupt as They Scale </p><p>40:06 - The One Action Every Founder Should Take Today </p><p>45:30 - What Got Cut from the Book and Where to Find It </p><p>47:22 - Where to Find Eric Ries and How to Get Incorruptible</p><p><br /></p><p><br /><a href="https://www.incorruptible.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.incorruptible.co/</a></p><p>Linkedin: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/</a></p><p>X: <a href="https://x.com/ericries" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://x.com/ericries</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ericriesactual/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/ericriesactual/</a></p><p>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ericriesactual" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@ericriesactual</a></p><p>Newsletter: <a href="https://news.theleanstartup.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://news.theleanstartup.com/</a></p><p>Podcast: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow or </a></p><p><a href="https://www.ericriesshow.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.ericriesshow.com/</a></p><p><br /><strong>👋It’s your host, Brian! Come say hi!</strong><br /></p><p>Website:<a href="https://brianondrako.com" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> https://brianondrako.com</a></p><p>LinkedIn:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&amp;redir_token=QUFFLUhqbllxVUNEa012VjNvODh3OXQwX0VyUHVrT1dsQXxBQ3Jtc0ttckVBSkhmMXR1OEZmMTRGOVRoMGJYbE9YZG1lMUJ2dS1GR1FVcktSQ0tLdDQyR3NCUXdxcVJuenBYQnktZ3c4UXl5NHZ2UlYzR0RpQkt1M2c0WGJLbjl3N1djMGFSVnBZTzVfcDhCcmhCODh1a2NsMA&amp;q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fsaraondrako&amp;v=eXUbUyxWQMg" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/</a> </p><p>Youtube: <a href="ht