Incorruptible
Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great
Published on 28. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
432 pages
978-0-241-69202-8 (ISBN)
Description
"MAGNIFICENT." - Rory Sutherland
"INDISPENSIBLE!" - Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor
"THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR." - Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling author of Reset
The most radical and powerful idea in business isn't disruption... it's integrity.
The Lean Startup transformed how a generation of entrepreneurs build products and sparked a global movement for smarter, faster innovation. Now Eric Ries takes the next step, asking a deeper question: how can we build companies that stay true to their mission once they succeed?
In Incorruptible, Ries reveals the hidden forces that cause even great organizations to drift from their values and shows how to design businesses that can withstand that pressure. Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, and investors around the world, offers the blueprint for "mission-locked" organizations that can grow, prosper, and endure without losing their soul.
Including wide-ranging examples such as Cadbury, John Lewis Partnership, Vanguard and Anthropic, Incorruptible uncovers the urgent need for purpose-driven leadership. It gives every builder, founder, executive, investor or citizen the tools to create enterprises that uplift rather than exploit.
We all have a role to play in shaping a better future. This book is the place to start.
"INDISPENSIBLE!" - Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor
"THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR." - Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling author of Reset
The most radical and powerful idea in business isn't disruption... it's integrity.
The Lean Startup transformed how a generation of entrepreneurs build products and sparked a global movement for smarter, faster innovation. Now Eric Ries takes the next step, asking a deeper question: how can we build companies that stay true to their mission once they succeed?
In Incorruptible, Ries reveals the hidden forces that cause even great organizations to drift from their values and shows how to design businesses that can withstand that pressure. Drawing on two decades of work with founders, CEOs, and investors around the world, offers the blueprint for "mission-locked" organizations that can grow, prosper, and endure without losing their soul.
Including wide-ranging examples such as Cadbury, John Lewis Partnership, Vanguard and Anthropic, Incorruptible uncovers the urgent need for purpose-driven leadership. It gives every builder, founder, executive, investor or citizen the tools to create enterprises that uplift rather than exploit.
We all have a role to play in shaping a better future. This book is the place to start.
Reviews / Votes
Magnificent.... It is everything I have intuitively believed translated to paper. -- Rory Sutherland The best and most important business book of the year. -- Dan Heath, New York Times bestselling author of Reset 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, bestselling author of 'Radical Candor' 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 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 of 21 books, including 'This is Strategy' 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 Incorruptible destroys the myth that only sleazy founders and companies get rich. Eric Ries shows you how to build a mission-driven company that will be humane, ethical, and make piles of money for decades. And Eric's charm, wonderful writing, and warm wisdom make this book a rare joy to read. -- Robert I. Sutton, Professor Emeritus at Stanford and bestselling author of eight books 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 If you want the world to be a better place than it is, this book is a good place to start. -- Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media Incorruptible demonstrates the importance of mission-driven leadership and defying the status quo to build organizations that withstand the test of time. -- Ken Chenault, chairman and managing director, General Catalyst and former chairman and CEO, American ExpressMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
520 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-69202-8 (9780241692028)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2026
Penguin Books Ltd
€12.99
Available for download
Person
Eric Ries is an entrepreneur and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, which has been translated into nearly thirty languages. He is the creator of the Lean Startup methodology, which has become a global movement in business, practiced by individuals and companies around the world.
He has founded a number of startups including IMVU, where he served as CTO, and he has advised on business and product strategy for startups, venture capital firms, and large companies. Eric served as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School, IDEO, and Pivotal and he is the founder and CEO of the Long Term Stock Exchange. Eric lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.
He has founded a number of startups including IMVU, where he served as CTO, and he has advised on business and product strategy for startups, venture capital firms, and large companies. Eric served as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Harvard Business School, IDEO, and Pivotal and he is the founder and CEO of the Long Term Stock Exchange. Eric lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.