Eric Ries wrote The Lean Startup — a book that has sold over 2 million copies and reshaped how a generation of founders and product teams build products. Fifteen years later, he's back with a new book, Incorruptible, and a harder question: not how to build a great company, but how to keep it th
Establish systems of control and accountability in the organization to prevent corruption of the company's original purpose as it grows.
Good companies become bad when they lose sight of their original mission and control systems weaken
Design decision-making processes that distribute power and prevent the concentration of authority that can lead to organizational corruption.
Concentrated power without controls is the breeding ground for corruption in organizations
Regularly measure and monitor organizational alignment with foundational values as an integral part of your business health dashboard, not as a separate exercise.
What is not measured is not managed. Organizational values must have concrete metrics like any other aspect of the business
When prioritizing features, explicitly include an evaluation criterion based on whether the feature maintains or compromises the company's fundamental values and mission.
Every prioritization decision is a decision about who we are as a company. If we don't evaluate it against our values, eventually we will have become something we don't recognize.
Develop an explicit and continuous conversation with your team and stakeholders about ethical dilemmas in the product. Do not assume that everyone shares the same definition of what is right.
Corruption thrives in silence. Companies that remain incorruptible are those where there is space to question and openly discuss what it means to do the right thing.