
#488 Eric Ries - The Blueprint Every Founder Needs To Become Incorruptible
From Just Get Started by Brian Ondrako
May 26, 2026 · 48 min
About this episode
Eric Ries discusses his new book 'Incorruptible' and the importance of maintaining a company's mission against financial pressures.
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. 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. 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. Chapters: 0:00 - Eric Ries on Building Companies That Never Lose Their Soul 1:22 - Did Eric Know The Lean Startup Would Change the World? 3:17 - The Origin of the Title of His New Book, "Incorruptible" 5:30 - Rapid Fire #1: Most Humbling Setback as a Founder 6:07 - Rapid Fire #2: How Do You Decide What Is a Priority When Everything…
People in this episode
Host: Brian Ondrako
Guest: Eric Ries
Topics covered
- founder mindset
- long-term business strategy
- corporate ethics
- financial gravity
- venture capital
Keywords
- founders
- business ethics
- financial gravity
- venture-backed
- long-term thinking
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Long-Term Stock Exchange
Books & works: The Lean Startup, Incorruptible
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