Incorruptible - by Eric Ries (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Indispensable!" --Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor

"Ries shows us, with rigor and optimism, how to build organizations that are worthy of our trust." --Frances Frei, Harvard Business School

"A playbook to help avoid the inevitable pitfalls and find your path to the business you set out to create." --Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and investor

What if the most radical idea in business is that purpose is the best tool for unlocking long-term growth? And what if the secret to sustaining your organization's integrity is readily available if we look in the right places?

The Lean Startup transformed the way a generation of entrepreneurs built products, sparking a global movement for smarter, faster innovation. Now with Incorruptible, Eric Ries delivers "the book I wish I'd had while building" (Leah Busque, founder of TaskRabbit), and takes the next step by answering a deeper question: how can we build companies that stay true to their mission even after they become successful?

In Incorruptible, Ries reveals the hidden forces that cause even great organizations to drift from their original reason for being. Then he shows how to design businesses that can withstand that pressure. Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, and investors, he exposes the flaws that make companies vulnerable to short-term thinking. He offers a blueprint for "mission-controlled" organizations that can grow, prosper, and endure without losing their soul.

Using lessons from generations-old retailers and manufacturers to recently founded tech sector stars, Incorruptible reframes the ethical longevity of business as a practical design problem. It gives every builder--founder, executive, investor, or citizen--"a playbook to help avoid the inevitable pitfalls" (Mark Cuban, entrepreneur and investor) and the tools to create enterprises that uplift rather than exploit.

Success alone will not protect what matters most. Only incorruptible design can. "For any founder who truly wants to make a difference, this is a must read" (Vlada Bortnik, founder and CEO of Marco Polo).

Case studies in Incorruptible include:

Positive models: Bob's Red Mill, Cloudflare, Cost Plus Drugs, Costco, Devoted Health, Duolingo, Eileen Fisher, W.L. Gore, GitLab, Grundfos, H-E-B, Hershey's, John Lewis, Khan Academy, King Arthur, Mondragón, Novo Nordisk, REI, Shorefast, Tony's Chocolonely, Vanguard, Volvo.

Cautionary tales: American Apparel, Bank of America, Cadbury, Casper, Etsy, J Crew, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, The Limited, Maytag, Nokia, Polaroid, Revlon, Sears, Toys R Us, Whole Foods, Zappos

Review Quotes

"Incorruptible is a must-read for any founder, board member, investor, or consumer who cares about protecting entrepreneurship, innovation, and the productive power of capitalism from the dangers of short-term thinking--and for anyone who recognizes the importance of trustworthy and enduring institutions for a thriving democracy." --Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn and Bestselling Author of Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future

"Incorruptible is not just a book. It's permission. It's a blueprint. And it's proof that you're not crazy for wanting to build something that's both wildly successful and deeply good, something that lasts. For any founder who truly wants to make a difference, this is a must read."--Vlada Bortnik, founder and CEO of Marco Polo

"Incorruptible is the rare business book that is both a moral compass and a practical playbook. Ries shows us, with rigor and optimism, how to build organizations that are worthy of our trust."--Frances Frei, UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management, Harvard Business School

"Better is possible, but only if we understand what we're up against. This profound book will inform and infuriate, and then it will help you see a path forward. It should be required reading for anyone who manages (or has a manager). Gravity is real."--Seth Godin, Bestselling Author and Entrepreneur

"Eric Ries makes a compelling case that governance is not an administrative afterthought but a creative act at the very heart of building enduring companies. Incorruptible explains why even visionary founders lose control of their companies--and it shows how intentional governance can enable builders to achieve escape velocity."--Scott Stern, David Sarnoff Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management

"Every founder hopes their path is a straight line. It won't be. They hope they will have the right mentor to help them avoid problems. They won't. Eric Ries gives founders a playbook to help avoid the inevitable pitfalls and find your path to the business you set out to create."--Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur and Investor

"If you want the world to be a better place than it is, this book is a good place to start."--Tim O'Reilly, Bestselling Author and Founder of O'Reilly Media

"If you want to build a company that will be making the world a better place a hundred years from now, it's not enough to be a great person with good intentions-you need to consciously build incorruptible governance. Ries shows you how. Indispensable!"--Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor

About the Author

Over the last two decades, Eric Ries's ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He 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. As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; the Lean Startup Co, which teaches and supports the implementation of Lean Startup; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU, where the ideas that became the Lean Startup method were forged. On his podcast, The Eric Ries Show, he talks to guests including world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives working to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.