Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great

"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, Mondrag鏮, 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