On today’s episode, we welcome Eric Ries, bestselling author of The Lean Startup and now Incorruptible — a new take on why good companies go bad, and what it actually takes to build one that doesn’t.
Eric has spent decades shaping how founders think about building companies. But this conversation goes beyond startups and into something bigger: what happens as companies scale, when pressure builds, incentives shift, and mission starts to drift. Because the reality is, most companies don’t fail overnight—they slowly lose their way.
In this episode, Eric breaks down the hidden forces that push companies off track, from what he calls “financial gravity” to the subtle ways governance and incentives shape behavior over time. We get into redefining profit, why mission has to be built into the operating system—not just the brand—and what founders often get wrong when it comes to long-term thinking. He also shares real examples of companies that have gotten this right—and why they’ve been able to endure when others haven’t.
If you care about building something that lasts—or making sure what you build doesn’t turn into something you never intended—this is a conversation you’ll want to hear.

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To learn more about Eric Ries and Incorruptible:
https://www.incorruptible.co
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/
https://x.com/ericries
https://www.instagram.com/ericriesactual/

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Check out our website to view this episode’s show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/841