I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible"

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#191

Post by sdellis » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 5:59 PM UTC

eries wrote: post #3

For those that want to go deeper with _Incorruptible_, I've spent the past few months doing hundreds of interviews and events discussing its various themes and topics. I'm having Claude Code summarize this progress along the way at https://howisincorruptiblegoing.com/ You can also see the various accolades, reviews, and awards that it's accumulated so far.

I agree with your premise that the unethical behavior in the markets is structural. I also commend your work on this book. The creation of the LTSE is also a huge and laudable accomplishment. Kudos!

However, I have to express some skepticism that through regulations and reforms, we can reverse the entire incentive structure for public investment to be aligned with stewardship rather than extraction. How do you plan to defy the "financial gravity" between you and this dream?

Finally, I think that Claude Code has misinterpreted your request to summarize your interviews and events. Instead, it created a marketing and promotional website with not a summary to be found!

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#192

Post by eries » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:04 PM UTC

arpinum wrote: post #173

My book arrived today. Q1: You have done a few friendly interviews on YouTube, but I haven't seen one that challenges you much. Do you know if there are upcoming interviews that you found pushed back? Q2: Is the idea of shareholder supremacy fundamentally at odds with your with your preferred alternative governance structures, or is it just a time preference and risk attitude issue? Q3: You will get sympathetic ears…

Honestly, there hasn't been that much pushback, and I've done something like 200 interviews for the book. I think it might have to do with the fact that we all secretly kind of agree with this thesis, even though we know we're not supposed to say so out loud. I'm sure there will be some pushback coming, especially if the book starts to become more popular or gets more famous.

Though I did get a pretty funny piece of pushback on one consulting company's podcast. The person said, "But wait a second, I learned in business school that everything you're saying here is wrong. Are you asking me to rethink that?" Something like that. I said, "Well, are you interested in looking at the evidence that what I'm saying is the truth?"

I think he was really genuinely struggling, because I don't think he was that interested. Many of us are not that interested in seeing the evidence that the things we believe or were taught are not quite true.

Q2: shareholder primacy is a bad idea on its own terms, as I lay out in the book. It doesn't prevent people from adopting any of governance structures I recommend, it just makes it more difficult, by creating career incentives that add friction to doing the right thing. That's partly why it's so value-destroying.

Q3: I don't understand this question, sorry. Maybe it's because I've spent many lonely years being berated for this subject matter and am only getting the sympathetic treatment lately...

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#193

Post by eries » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:05 PM UTC

stackbutterflow wrote: post #176

Most books, guidance and wisdom about startups appeared during a ZIRP era. How relevant all of this remains today?

Most? I don't think that can quite be right. But I do think the stuff I'm writing about has held up pretty well through many, many cycles of boom and bust. In fact, Steve Blank has a great new essay out about the coming crash and how ideas in the new book might be useful in helping us reorganize our economy afterwards, kind of the same way The Lean Startup did after the dot-com crash.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#194

Post by eries » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:06 PM UTC

volandovengo wrote: post #71

Thanks Eric - been a fan of your work for years! I remember Steve Blank bragging in his early courses that you evangelized his work to the masses. I applaud writing a book on the challenges of making a business that is net good for society. I've personally found that there are just so many forces pushing towards the status quo (make more $$), that it's really hard to create a company that prioritizes public good. How…

Yes, that's right. But I also think that business can be the catalyst for getting us out of this mess too, because ultimately, mission-driven companies are a source of tremendous and surprising power.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#195

Post by damnitbuilds » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:06 PM UTC

Books like this are for tech bros what horoscopes are for sad old ladies.

They are full of platitudes that sound relevant to people's problems and desires, that pretend to be based on science but have no actual basis in facts, provably do not work, and yet are still popular amongst the people they let down again and again.

Anyone who could write a book with advice that worked the way this purports to would be too rich to need Kickstarter to fund his books, for a start.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#196

Post by jpadkins » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:06 PM UTC

I don't have any questions for you. Just wanted to thank you for writing Lean Startup, it was very influential to me.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#197

Post by eries » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:07 PM UTC

mklarmann wrote: post #70

The question has been also on our mind. We restructure now towards a https://steward-ownership.com/ company structure (in CH). The hard challenge will be fundraising - so we are actually considering selling "Partizipationsscheine" which are stocks without a vote, but still a dividend. On a open market (maybe through polygon / base coins). I just wonder how to resolve the initial funding question on those companies. A…

Don't think you need anything like polygon or tokens for this. I think you just have to have the courage to ask investors to play the proper role within the governance of your company and, frankly, have the business results such that they are willing to accept those terms.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#198

Post by bsammon » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC

nradov wrote: post #147

Boxxed wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And from an investor perspective, as a group they have underperformed the S&P 500. This should be kind of obvious -- if they are avoiding doing awful things in the name of money, then they are leaving something on the table. You can't have your cake and eat it too. This is why the real solution is some kind of governance/regulation, because otherwise the market incentivizes being awful.

I don't understand your comment. Companies like Netflix, Old Dominion Freight Line, Nvidia, Comfort Systems USA, and Intuitive Surgical have all significantly outperformed the S&P 500. What "awful" things have they done in the name of money?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Netflix

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nvidia#Controversies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_Systems_USA#Anti-union...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intuitive_Surgical#Lawsuits

Depending on your political leanings, you may pick and choose which of these you consider "awful".

Didn't find anything in my five-minute scan for Old Dominion.

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#199

Post by mustaphah » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC

I finished The Lean Startup a few days ago, and I really felt the power of the ideas you've shared there coming from a heavily technical background; incredible work.

It's already been 14+ years since you wrote the book; I wonder if a second edition is something you have in mind, or at least on your consideration list

Re: I'm Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and new book "Incorruptible" – AMA

#200

Post by eries » Wed, Jun 10, 2026, 6:08 PM UTC

theuri wrote: post #118

What type of software businesses survive and thrive in the era of AGI? Which ones get wiped out? Is there any moat in the era of AGI?

You need to learn the parable of picking up dimes in front of the steam roller, which I think originally is attributed to Jean-Louis Gasset, the founder of BOS. The idea is that in a genuine platform war (which in the tech industry we haven't had for a while), new business opportunities are kind of like little dimes you see in the street in front of a giant platform steam roller. If you're agile enough, you can jump into the street, grab the dime, and jump out. In fact, you can do it repeatedly. The only problem is that if you stumble and fall once, you die.

There used to be a lot of wisdom in the entrepreneurial ecosystem about how to survive such a platform in a more durable way. For example, if you own the customer, then you can play the major platforms off against each other. Or, if you study the case, for example, of Intuit, which survived the attempt of Microsoft to absorb that product feature into their own platform monopoly at the time, there are lessons to be learned. But of course, every platform war is different, and I'm sure there will be new lessons that we will learn from this one.