Changing how startups
are built.
Changing how startups are built.
Changing how startups
are built.
Helping founders and leaders build enduring companies where mission, innovation, long-term thinking, and responsible use of emerging technologies are protected.
Helping founders and leaders build enduring companies where mission, innovation, long-term thinking, and responsible use of emerging technologies are protected.
Thinker
Thinker
Over the last two decades, Eric’s ideas have reshaped company building and management practices around rapid experimentation and continuous innovation, reforming the financial markets, and long-term thinking. In recent years he has also focused on reorienting governance to protect mission and purpose, particularly in the field of AI.
Over the last two decades, Eric’s ideas have reshaped company building and management practices around rapid experimentation and continuous innovation, reforming the financial markets, and long-term thinking. In recent years he has also focused on reorienting governance to protect mission and purpose, particularly in the field of AI.
From insight to everyday vocabulary.
Terms you know.
Concepts Eric created.
Terms you know.
Concepts Eric created.
Minimum Viable Product
The simplest version of a product built to begin the learning process quickly. The value of the MVP lies in its ability to test core business assumptions with real users before committing significant resources to full product development.
Pivot
a change in strategy without a change in vision. A pivot tests a new hypothesis about the product, strategy, and engine of growth in a startup. The decision to pivot, rather than persevere, is one of the most critical judgments a startup team must make, guided by the insights gained through the Build-Measure-Learn loop.
Validated Learning
actionable data collected during the process of real world experimentation as opposed to superficial "vanity metrics". It demonstrates whether a team is making substantive progress towards building a sustainable business.
Innovation Accounting
A framework for measuring progress in conditions of uncertainty, focused on leading indicators that predict success rather than lagging indicatos or vanity metrics. It creates a shared language for evaluating innovation, guiding the allocation of resources based on learning and validated assumptions instead of forecasts.
Minimum Viable Product
The simplest version of a product built to begin the learning process quickly. The value of the MVP lies in its ability to test core business assumptions with real users before committing significant resources to full product development.
Pivot
a change in strategy without a change in vision. A pivot tests a new hypothesis about the product, strategy, and engine of growth in a startup. The decision to pivot, rather than persevere, is one of the most critical judgments a startup team must make, guided by the insights gained through the Build-Measure-Learn loop.
Validated Learning
actionable data collected during the process of real world experimentation as opposed to superficial "vanity metrics". It demonstrates whether a team is making substantive progress towards building a sustainable business.
Innovation Accounting
A framework for measuring progress in conditions of uncertainty, focused on leading indicators that predict success rather than lagging indicatos or vanity metrics. It creates a shared language for evaluating innovation, guiding the allocation of resources based on learning and validated assumptions instead of forecasts.
Author
Eric is the author of Incorruptible: Why Good Companies go Bad...and How Great Companies Stay Great, The Lean Startup (a New York Times bestseller), The Startup Way, and The Leader's Guide.
Incorruptible
Incorruptible tackles the question of why successful companies founded with strong ideals drift toward short-term thinking, extractive behavior, and mission abandonment—often despite the best intentions of the people inside them. It details why this failure is structural rather than ethical, then offers up a blueprint for building in a new way that protects purpose as the engine of long-term value and growth. Incorruptible offers a clear-eyed diagnosis and a practical blueprint for change by reframing corporate governance not as bureaucracy or compliance, but as a creative and strategic act at the heart of building enduring, mission-controlled companies.
Incorruptible
Incorruptible (2026) tackles the question of why successful companies founded with strong ideals drift toward short-term thinking, extractive behavior, and mission abandonment—often despite the best intentions of the people inside them. It details why this failure is structural rather than ethical, then offers up a blueprint for building in a new way that protects purpose as the engine of long-term value and growth. Incorruptible offers a clear-eyed diagnosis and a practical blueprint for change by reframing corporate governance not as bureaucracy or compliance, but as a creative and strategic act at the heart of building enduring, mission-controlled companies.
The Lean Startup
The Lean Startup is a New York Times bestseller. It has sold over a million copies worldwide and has been published in more than thirty languages, spawning a global movement. As the Financial Times noted, “Every so often a business book comes along that changes how we think about innovation and entrepreneurship...The Lean Startup has the chops to join this exalted company.” The Lean Startup is the original source for many now-common business terms and concepts including the minimum viable product (MVP), the build-measure-learn cycle, and the pivot.
The Lean Startup
The Lean Startup (2011) has sold over a million copies worldwide and has been published in more than thirty languages, spawning a global movement. As the Financial Times noted, “Every so often a business book comes along that changes how we think about innovation and entrepreneurship...The Lean Startup has the chops to join this exalted company.” The Lean Startup is the original source for many now-common business terms and concepts including the minimum viable product (MVP), the build-measure-learn cycle, and the pivot.
The Startup Way
The Startup Way takes Lean Startup principles to the next level, laying out a framework for entrepreneurial management and its relationship to long-term value creation. It was born from Eric’s work helping large organizations transform from sluggish 20th century artifacts to nimble, innovative modern companies poised to take advantage of a new era.
The Startup Way
The Startup Way (2019) takes Lean Startup principles to the next level, laying out a framework for entrepreneurial management and its relationship to long-term value creation. It was born from Eric’s work helping large organizations transform from sluggish 20th century artifacts to nimble, innovative modern companies poised to take advantage of a new era.
The Leader’s Guide
The Leader’s Guide (2015) is a practical handbook for applying Lean Startup principles at any scale. Funded by one of Kickstarter’s most successful publishing campaigns, it raised over half a million dollars through collaboration with readers and researchers. In 2019, Eric released a revised and updated Audible edition.
The Leader’s Guide
The Leader’s Guide (2015) is a practical handbook for applying Lean Startup principles at any scale. Funded by one of Kickstarter’s most successful publishing campaigns, it raised over half a million dollars through collaboration with readers and researchers. In 2019, Eric released a revised and updated Audible edition.
Founder
Founder
Eric has founded or co-founded many companies over the course of his career. Together, they embody his commitment to the ideas of continuous innovation, long-term thinking, reforming markets, reimagining governance and AI governance, and how R&D should be done.
Eric has founded or co-founded many companies over the course of his career. Together, they embody his commitment to the ideas of continuous innovation, long-term thinking, reforming markets, reimagining governance and AI governance, and how R&D should be done.
Long-Term Stock Exchange
Born from an idea in The Lean Startup, LTSE became the first new U.S. stock exchange in decades. Founded by Eric in 2012, it promotes sustainable value creation and long-term governance. Approved by the SEC in 2019, LTSE now helps companies manage capital, hiring, and growth with a long-term perspective.
Long-Term Stock Exchange
Born from an idea in The Lean Startup, LTSE became the first new U.S. stock exchange in decades. Founded by Eric in 2012, it promotes sustainable value creation and long-term governance. Approved by the SEC in 2019, LTSE now helps companies manage capital, hiring, and growth with a long-term perspective.
Long-Term Stock Exchange
Founded by Eric in 2012 and launched in 2019, LTSE was born from an idea in The Lean Startup. As the first new U.S. stock exchange in decades, it promotes sustainable value creation and long-term governance, helping companies manage capital, hiring, and growth with a long-term perspective.
Answer.ai
Eric is the Founding Director of Answer.ai, an AI R&D lab focused on building practical applications using existing models and research. Its mission is to “tame AI” by making it genuinely useful, aligning profit with purpose, and expanding access to AI’s long-term benefits for society.
Answer.ai
Eric is the Founding Director of Answer.ai, an AI R&D lab focused on building practical applications using existing models and research. Its mission is to “tame AI” by making it genuinely useful, aligning profit with purpose, and expanding access to AI’s long-term benefits for society.
Lean Startup Co
Lean Startup promotes and supports the implementation of the Lean Startup methodology globally though education, training, coaching, consulting services, live events, and online resources. Its clientele is diverse, encompassing startups, large enterprises, government agencies, and non-profits including Sony, Universal Robots, Legal Zoom, Ikea and FedEx among its clients.
Lean Startup Co
Lean Startup promotes and supports the implementation of the Lean Startup methodology globally though education, training, coaching, consulting services, live events, and online resources. Its clientele is diverse, encompassing startups, large enterprises, government agencies, and non-profits including Sony, Universal Robots, Legal Zoom, Ikea and FedEx among its clients.
Lean Startup Co.
Lean Startup Co. promotes and supports the implementation of the Lean Startup methodology globally though education, training, coaching, consulting services, live events, and online resources. Its clientele is diverse, encompassing startups, large enterprises, government agencies, and non-profits including Sony, Universal Robots, Legal Zoom, Ikea and FedEx.
IMVU
IMVU was conceived as a social network and virtual world platform. It aimed to blend instant messaging with a video game revenue model. It was the crucible where the Lean Startup methodology was forged. Influenced by investor Steve Blank's "customer development" methodology Eric, integrated these ideas with lean software development principles. where he served as CTO.
IMVU
IMVU was conceived as a social network and virtual world platform. It aimed to blend instant messaging with a video game revenue model. It was the crucible where the Lean Startup methodology was forged. Influenced by investor Steve Blank's "customer development" methodology Eric, integrated these ideas with lean software development principles. where he served as CTO.
IMVU
Conceived as a social network and virtual world platform, IMVU was the crucible where the Lean Startup methodology was forged. It aimed to blend instant messaging with a video game revenue model. Influenced by investor Steve Blank's "customer development" methodology, Eric integrated these ideas with lean software development principles as co-founder and CTO.
First Momentum Capital
First Momentum Capital is a fund of funds that backs mission-driven emerging VCs with strategic, flexible, and long-term capital. We partner with our managers to gain privileged access to valuable companies across startup ecosystems globally. Our driving mission: empowering the next generation of companies and investors tackling global-scale problems.
First Momentum Capital
First Momentum Capital is a fund of funds that backs mission-driven emerging VCs with strategic, flexible, and long-term capital. We partner with our managers to gain privileged access to valuable companies across startup ecosystems globally. Our driving mission: empowering the next generation of companies and investors tackling global-scale problems.
First Momentum Capital
First Momentum Capital backs mission-driven emerging VCs with strategic, flexible, and long-term capital. As co-founder, Eric supports its mission to empower the next generation of companies and investors tackling global-scale problems.
Virgil
Virgil is a tech-enabled law and professional services firm for venture-backed or backable startups. It was born out of a belief that meaningful technological breakthroughs in the professional services space will come from putting engineers and lawyers in the same room with tight feedback loops. As a Co-Founder and Director, Eric helps shape Virgil into a uniquely founder-friendly firm.
Virgil
Virgil is a tech-enabled law and professional services firm for venture-backed or backable startups. It was born out of a belief that meaningful technological breakthroughs in the professional services space will come from putting engineers and lawyers in the same room with tight feedback loops. As a Co-Founder and Director, Eric helps shape Virgil into a uniquely founder-friendly firm.
Virgil
Virgil is a tech-enabled law and professional services firm for venture-backed or backable startups. It was born out of a belief that meaningful technological breakthroughs in the professional services space will come from putting engineers and lawyers in the same room with tight feedback loops. As a co-founder and Director, Eric helps shape Virgil into a uniquely founder-friendly firm.
Speaker
Speaker
Eric speaks on innovation, entrepreneurship, long-term value creation, governance, and the impact of AI on business and society. He’s shared his insights with audiences ranging from entrepreneurs and executives to students and policymakers at leading conferences, universities,
and global events.
Eric speaks on innovation, entrepreneurship, long-term value creation, governance, and the impact of AI on business and society. He’s shared his insights with audiences ranging from entrepreneurs and executives to students and policymakers at leading conferences, universities,
and global events.
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Eric has had the privilege of partnering with hundreds of organizations as an advisor, expert in-residence, investor or consultant.
Reshaping how companies build and scale, turning bold ideas into lasting movements
Reshaping how companies build and scale, turning bold ideas into lasting movements
Reshaping how companies build and scale, turning bold ideas into lasting movements
Latest
Episode
Latest Episode
His First Company Went Public For $3.5 Billion, Now He’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million | Sami Inkinen (Trulia, Virta Health)
His First Company Went Public For $3.5 Billion, Now He’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million | Sami Inkinen (Trulia, Virta Health)
Eric Ries sits down with world-class founders and executives to uncover what it really takes to build companies with purpose, profit, and staying power.
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LATEST PODCAST
His First Company Went Public For $3.5 Billion, Now He’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million | Sami Inkinen (Trulia, Virta Health)
LATEST PODCAST
His First Company Went Public For $3.5 Billion, Now He’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million | Sami Inkinen (Trulia, Virta Health)
LATEST PODCAST
His First Company Went Public For $3.5 Billion, Now He’s Reversing Type 2 Diabetes For 100 Million | Sami Inkinen (Trulia, Virta Health)