
784: How to Protect the Organization You Love, with Eric Ries
From Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak
May 25, 2026 · 38 min · Episode 784
About this episode
Eric Ries discusses how to protect organizations from potential threats while fostering human flourishing.
Eric Ries: Incorruptible Eric Ries is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, The Leader’s Guide, and The Startup Way. Over the last two decades, his ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the author of Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad…and How Great Companies Stay Great ( Amazon , Bookshop )*. If you build a great organization, the predators will come. With the right principles in place, not only can you protect what you love, but help many people flourish because of it. In this conversation, Eric and I show you exactly where to start. Key Points Most leaders are one acquisition, one IPO, one board meeting away from seeing something they love turn into something they hate. If you build something great, they will come. The “they” are the predators who are willing to kill the golden goose. Financial gravity is the force no one controls but everyone obeys. Appreciating its realities and laws will help you build stronger. Rather than framing profit as good or bad, define profit as how you contribute to…
People in this episode
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Eric Ries
Topics covered
- organizational protection
- leadership principles
- continuous innovation
- company management
- financial realities
- human flourishing
Keywords
- Lean Startup
- leadership
- innovation
- company management
- financial gravity
- business model
- principles
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Lean Startup, The Leader’s Guide, The Startup Way, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad…and How Great Companies Stay Great
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