608 - Incorruptible: How Great Companies Stay Great with Eric Ries

About this episode

Eric Ries discusses how small business owners can build mission-driven companies that earn trust and create long-term value.

How small business owners can build mission-driven companies that earn trust, create long-term value, and avoid the traps that cause good businesses to lose their way. Show Notes Page: https://www.thehowofbusiness.com/609-eric-ries-incorruptible/ What causes good companies to go bad? According to Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and his new book Incorruptible, it often begins when organizations lose sight of their true mission and start making decisions based solely on short-term financial results. In this episode, Henry Lopez speaks with Eric Ries about how entrepreneurs can build businesses that stay true to their purpose as they grow. Eric shares why mission is much more than a statement on a wall, how trust becomes a powerful competitive advantage, and why governance structures matter even for small businesses. They discuss real-world examples from companies like Cloudflare, Patagonia, Costco, and Taylor Guitars, exploring how organizations can make principled decisions that strengthen trust and create long-term value. Eric also explains why profit is often misunderstood and how business owners can think differently about profitability, purpose, and organizational…

People in this episode

Host: Henry Lopez

Guest: Eric Ries

Topics covered

• mission-driven companies
• trust
• long-term value
• entrepreneurship
• organizational governance
• profitability
• AI in business

Keywords

• business growth
• entrepreneurship
• mission statement
• competitive advantage
• organizational longevity
• AI
• profit

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cloudflare, Patagonia, Costco, Taylor Guitars

Books & works: The Lean Startup, Incorruptible

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