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by Eric Ries
Founder, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of The Lean Startup Eric Ries discusses how to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. Ries talks with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others working to create a new ecosystem of trustworthy organizations with limitless potential for growth and a deep commitment to purpose. Together, they uncover the tools and methods to ensure the next generation of companies are designed to maximize human flourishing for generations.
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- 5 days ago1h 26m
Building Taylor Guitars to Last: Employee Ownership, Craftsmanship, and Thinking in Centuries | Andy Powers
Andy Powers is the President, CEO, and Chief Guitar Designer at Taylor Guitars. The son of a woodworker, Andy built his first guitar at age seven, repaired instruments for music shops as a teenager, and went on to build guitars for famous musicians. He joined Taylor as a guitar designer before eventually becoming CEO.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Andy to discuss his unconventional path to leadership and Taylor Guitars' transition to 100% employee ownership. We explore how founders Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug approached succession with a determination to preserve the company they'd built, and the challenges of structuring an ESOP designed for long-term success.We also discuss how Andy earned employees' trust, what it takes to build a healthy company culture, and why he prioritizes long-term value over short-term profits. Andy explains why building guitars that last a lifetime makes continuous innovation essential to the business, and how Taylor uses technology and automation to support rather than replace human creativity and judgment.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/eric —Where to find Andy Powers: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andytaylorpowers—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro Introducing Andy Powers The moment Taylor Guitars became employee-owned How Taylor navigated the pandemic during its transition to employee ownership Andy’s childhood and path to CEO What Bob Taylor was looking for in a successor Why Andy initially declined the offer How Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor approached succession and protecting the company How Andy gained the trust of the employees Andy’s advice for founders planning for succession How to build a healthy culture Putting written values into practice Andy’s commitment to longevity over short-term profit Craftsmanship and innovation How Andy used parallels with music and instrument-making to understand business How Andy, Kurt, and Bob learned about ESOPs Designing the ESOP for longevity How Taylor Guitars financed its employee-ownership buyout Making capitalism work for everyone How Taylor Guitars uses automation What Andy looks for in a successor —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- 1 weeks ago1h 15m
Conscious Capitalism, the Limits of Profit, and Leading with Love | Raj Sisodia
Raj Sisodia co-founded the Conscious Capitalism movement and co-authored Firms of Endearment, Conscious Capitalism, and The Healing Organization. His research challenges the conventional wisdom that businesses must choose between doing good and making money.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Raj to explore how purpose-driven companies can outperform their competitors while creating value for employees, customers, and communities.We discuss the research that led to Firms of Endearment, why purpose and profitability can reinforce each other, and what happens when companies lose sight of their founding principles. Through examples including Costco and Whole Foods, we explore how governance and leadership decisions can protect or undermine a company's purpose.We also explore the personal side of conscious leadership, from the importance of self-awareness and healing to Raj's belief that business can reduce suffering in the world.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/eric —Where to find Raj Sisodia: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajendrasisodia• X: twitter.com/rajsisodiacc • Website: https://rajsisodia.com—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro The origins of Firms of Endearment Discovering a different way of doing business What we know about purpose-driven companies How purpose and profitability reinforce each other Overcoming skepticism about purpose-driven business How Costco’s governance protects against short-termism How Whole Foods lost its independence Key purpose indicators Putting conscious capitalism into practice Real-world examples of companies shifting toward conscious capitalism An unexpected conscious capitalism success story Bob Chapman’s leadership philosophy and working with him Raj’s recent work on conscious awakening Raj’s personal healing journey The ancient wisdom behind conscious capitalism—You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- 3 weeks ago53 min
Standing out, finding the right investors, and the future of work | Roy Bahat (Bloomberg Beta)
Roy Bahat leads Bloomberg Beta, a venture capital firm focused on the future of work and how AI is reshaping it. The firm’s investments include Slack, Replit, Flexport, and MasterClass. Before launching Bloomberg Beta, Roy founded a venture-backed startup, served as an executive at News Corp., and worked in New York City government.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Roy to explore the relationship between founders, investors, and employees, and how to build companies that balance long-term success with the interests of the people who make it possible.We discuss why founders need to maintain control of their vision, how to make governance decisions that reflect a company’s priorities, and why Roy sees organized labor and employee ownership as opportunities rather than obstacles to business success.We also explore what distinguishes promising founders and Roy’s optimistic vision for a future where AI changes not only how we work, but the roles we take on throughout our careers.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/eric —Where to find Roy Bahat: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roybahat• X: https://x.com/roybahat• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3jWOtpQs-BvP-om7veItKYYWkrpeYLj• Website: https://also.roybahat.com —Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro Roy Bahat and Bloomberg Beta Why founders should treat VCs as vendors, not bosses Getting investors on board with Incorruptible-style governance Identifying founders who have thought deeply Why governance advice is hard to generalize Three things every company should do How Roy became passionate about organized labor Empowering employees to participate in the business Creating magnetic attraction at Bloomberg Beta What Roy looks for in founders and startups Managing people and agents side by side The future of work —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- Sep 24, 202642 min
How Veeva Became the First Public Company to Convert to a Public Benefit Corporation | Peter Gassner
What if maximizing shareholder value can actually make a company less valuable?Peter Gassner is the founder and CEO of Veeva Systems, a cloud software company serving the life sciences industry. Before founding Veeva, Peter built enterprise software at IBM, PeopleSoft, and Salesforce. Under his leadership, Veeva became the first publicly traded company to convert to a public benefit corporation.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, Peter joins me to explain why profit is necessary for a healthy company but should be the result of fulfilling its mission, not the mission itself. We discuss his belief that companies create lasting value when their employees, customers, and investors are aligned around a larger purpose, his discomfort with founding documents that prioritized shareholder returns, and Veeva’s two-and-a-half-year journey to becoming a public benefit corporation.We also explore how shareholder primacy can narrow a company’s thinking and limit innovation, how Veeva’s new structure opened the door to providing free software to clinical research sites, and why Peter believes the conversion has benefited employees, customers, and investors alike.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/eric —Where to find Peter Gassner: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgassner • Website: https://www.veeva.com—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro Signing the founding papers for Veeva Why Peter founded a for-profit company despite his discomfort with shareholder primacy Peter’s original thesis for Veeva Peter’s career journey from IBM to Salesforce Why Peter chose life sciences as the industry to build for When Peter knew Veeva was going to work What a public benefit corporation is and Veeva’s path to becoming one Peter’s argument for converting Veeva into a public benefit corporation How Veeva defined the public benefits in its charter How Veeva is doing now 2 years after the PBC conversion How becoming a PBC opened the door to new projects Why Peter has no regrets and sees no downside to Veeva’s PBC conversion How Veeva embodies the “harder is easier” principle How Veeva creates alignment around its values at scale Market volatility, AI, and the future of SaaS Peter’s hope for Big Tech —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- Jan 8, 20261h 3m
A Founder’s Guide to Pivoting Without Killing the Company | Misha Esipov
Misha Esipov is the co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit. In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I talk with Misha about what it takes to build a company inside one of the hardest parts of finance to break into.Misha immigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union as a child and watched his parents rebuild their lives from scratch. Years later, after a conventional path through math, finance, and business school, that experience resurfaced as a question that wouldn’t let go. Why do capable people lose access to credit simply because they cross a border?Nova Credit began by tackling that problem directly, starting with international students and immigrants who were being shut out of the system. Then the pandemic hit. Immigration stopped, and the company’s core market disappeared almost overnight.Misha shares what it was like to lead through that moment, how crises clarify where leaders should focus their energy, and how Nova Credit found a way forward without abandoning its original purpose.If you’re interested in entrepreneurship and what it really takes to build something that lasts, this conversation is for you.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/design Use code "ERIC"—Where to find Misha Esipov: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mishaesipov • X: https://x.com/MishaEsipov —Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro How Misha immigrated to the United States and found his path to entrepreneurship Summers in the Soviet Union and why so many scientists left Why Misha studied math and entered finance What Misha noticed was different when he moved to the West Coast How Nova Credit got started and why international students couldn’t access credit Steve Blank’s approach to interviewing Why Nova Credit intentionally started with a small market What credit bureaus do and what it’s like entering a highly regulated industry The leap of faith required to build this kind of business What inspired Misha to take the leap How the pandemic upended Nova Credit’s business How Nova Credit responded when immigration came to a halt What it was like trying to rebuild while losing momentum and people How customer conversations guided the rebuild Why Nova Credit added a new focus without abandoning the original How Nova Credit’s products came together as a platform What Nova Credit’s evolved mission became How trust is built with consistency Where Nova Credit is today Why Nova Credit focuses on principles over politics The importance of building for the long term Why consistency only works when paired with value and mission Misha’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- Dec 11, 20251h 24m
Escaping the Zero-Sum Economy: A New Model for Local Prosperity | Zita Cobb
Zita Cobb grew up on Fogo Island, a remote fishing community off the coast of Newfoundland that operated for centuries without cash. Her childhood was shaped by a deep sense of place, the collapse of the inshore fishery, and a belief that communities survive through mutual care. When she left to study business, and later helped build JDS Uniphase into one of the most successful high-tech companies of its era, she carried those ideas with her. The rise and fall of the telecom bubble gave her a front-row view into what happens when profit and speed outrun purpose, sending her searching for a different model of development.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Zita to talk about that journey and the philosophy that guides her work today. We discuss why she believes business is a tool for solving real problems and how communities can reclaim agency by understanding their own assets. Zita explains how Shorefast grew into a holistic set of enterprises on Fogo Island, including the Fogo Island Inn, which reinvests all surpluses into local culture and economic development. We talk about how communities can build their own pathways to development and why Zita believes lasting change begins close to home.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/design Use code "ERIC"—Where to find Zita Cobb:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zita-cobb• Website: https://shorefast.org —Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro How her father nudged her to leave Fogo Island What life was like growing up on Fogo Island A short history of Fogo Island Leaving home to recover from tuberculosis The experience of leaving for university Early challenges at university What education looked like on Fogo Island How adapting to modern life shaped Zita’s systems thinking Zita’s travels and early roles at Texaco and Shell How Zita got into tech How Zita learned that technical possibility alone is not enough Joining JDS and taking it public The rise and fall of the telecom bubble Why taking JDS public felt like a mistake and what she learned about putting profit first Zita’s father’s legacy Why Zita spent five years sailing after ending her tech career Zita’s work distributing radios in Rwanda Why she went back to Fogo Island to spark economic development The beginnings of Shorefast How the ownership model protects Shorefast’s mission from the pitfalls of money An overview of Fogo Island Inn and how its local-first mission spread Why Shorefast chose the harder path and paid deep attention to details What community means How Shorefast Institute models a new approach to investing for development Learnings from The Third Pillar Why Shorefast created the economic nutrition label —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- Nov 20, 20251h 3m
The Ultimate Guide for Creating Products People Trust | Seth Goldman (Honest Tea)
Most companies scale by cutting corners. Seth Goldman built a brand by refusing to.Seth is one of the founders of Honest Tea, a longtime chair at Beyond Meat, and the cofounder of Just Ice Tea. His career has been defined by a belief that business can be a force for human and environmental good. From a thermos of tea brewed in his kitchen to national distribution and acquisition by Coca-Cola, he has spent decades exploring how values can live inside systems built for profit.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Seth to talk about the full story of Honest Tea, from its founding to its sale and eventual shutdown, and how those experiences shaped his approach to building again. We discuss how trust and long-term relationships helped him rebuild quickly, what it takes to embed purpose in supply chains, and why he believes even B Corp standards do not go far enough.—Brought to you by: Framer: Build better sites, faster at https://www.framer.com/design Use code "ERIC"—Where to find Seth Goldman:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-goldman-234bb7124• X: https://x.com/HonestSeth—Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro Seth’s early career in politics and how he saw business as a faster path to change The early ideas he explored before landing on tea How Seth connected tea to an ethical, fair-trade mission How Honest Tea aligned profit with purpose Honest Tea’s role in expanding organic and fair-trade sourcing How Seth got Whole Foods on board The next steps in scaling the business The value of the in-person pitch When Whole Foods’ local buyers could still take a chance on new brands The case for mission transmission How Honest Tea raised money from friends and family to major corporations How the Coca-Cola deal came together How a kids’ juice box carried Honest Tea’s mission forward The end of Honest Tea and the start of Just Iced Tea How existing relationships and lean habits helped Just Iced Tea move faster The magnetic power of a shared mission to attract teams, partners, and customers Why trust is the most valuable asset a company can build What the Purpose Pledge is and how it raises the bar for ethical business Why great products and purpose are not mutually exclusive The story of Tony’s Chocolonely and Seth’s role as a mission guardian Seth’s parting advice —You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
- Nov 6, 20251h 32m
How the Former U.S. CTO Built a $3B Healthcare Company Powered by Love | Todd Park
Most companies optimize for profit. Devoted Health was built to serve people.In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I sit down with Todd Park, co-founder of Devoted Health and former U.S. Chief Technology Officer, to explore what it looks like to design a company for human flourishing at scale.Todd shares how Devoted earned one of the highest trust scores in the industry and how he and his brother, Ed, built a business that treats every member like family. We talk about what it takes to operationalize love inside a system as complex as healthcare and how Devoted never saw any problem as outside its mission. In our conversation today, we talk about: • What it means to have love as an operational framework • How Devoted’s unambiguous mission became a superpower for alignment and trust• The formula Todd uses to define what world-class healthcare really means• Why Todd believes hard problems belong inside the company’s mission, not outside it• The role of trust as both Devoted’s core metric and its greatest moat• Lessons from Howard Schultz on scaling culture • What it takes to design an ecosystem where business, technology, and community all serve the same goal• And more—Where to find Todd Park:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-park-3232573• X: https://x.com/Todd_Park44 —Where to find Eric:• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/ • Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/ • YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow —In This Episode We Cover: Intro How Todd turned Devoted Health’s founding vision into a full-stack healthcare system How Devoted’s virtuous performance cycle turns love into trust in action Guide: the guardian angels who embody Devoted’s mission How loyalty drives Devoted’s word-of-mouth growth Why Devoted’s marketing materials don’t mention love Harder is easier: Why Devoted built a full-stack healthcare system The four powers ‘harder is easier’ unlocks The case for radical transparency with your investors The elements of alignment and the power they unlock Howard Schultz’s advice for scaling culture A story from Starbucks about creating culture How Devoted addresses different determinants of health through separate entities Inside Devoted’s Elders Councils Building mission protection into Devoted’s DNA through founder control Final thoughts from Eric and Todd—You can find episode references at https://www.ericriesshow.com/—Production and marketing by Pen Name.Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
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About The Eric Ries Show
Founder, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of The Lean Startup Eric Ries discusses how to build profitable companies for the long-term benefit of society. Ries talks with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others working to create a new ecosystem of trustworthy organizations with limitless potential for growth and a deep commitment to purpose. Together, they uncover the tools and methods to ensure the next generation of companies are designed to maximize human flourishing for generations.
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