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How to build a company that withstands any era | Eric Ries, Lean Startup author

10 May 2026 20 published claims 2 attributable people
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Speakers in the public record

Eric RiesLenny Rachitsky

Claim mix

evaluation 8belief 6uncertainty 2prediction 2preference 1recommendation 1

Evidence policy

Every row below preserves an exact excerpt. Identified speakers are linked; unresolved voices are labeled and excluded from people counts.

Claim ledger

The useful parts, with receipts.

20 published records

01 / evaluation

If you're willing to be principled in your decision making, you will get these unexpected rewards. But most leaders, when asked to defend their principles, can't do it because they've been taught ROI-based thinking, shareholder primacy, that's the path of maximum profitability.

“If you're willing to be principled in your decision making, you will get these unexpected rewards. But most leaders, when asked to defend their principles, can't do it because they've been taught ROI-based thinking, shareholder primacy, that's the path of maximum profitability.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

02 / evaluation

I have to convince all these people this is not going to limit us and not hurt us down the road." But just let's remind people again just why this is important, why this is so painful if they don't do it right.

“I have to convince all these people this is not going to limit us and not hurt us down the road." But just let's remind people again just why this is important, why this is so painful if they don't do it right.”
Speaker
Lenny Rachitsky
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

07 / belief

The fact that Anthropic did this is such a huge deal because I think a criticism of all of this that people probably hear is this is going to limit our growth, this is going to hurt our potential.

“The fact that Anthropic did this is such a huge deal because I think a criticism of all of this that people probably hear is this is going to limit our growth, this is going to hurt our potential.”
Speaker
Lenny Rachitsky
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

08 / belief

The better way, I think, according to the evidence, is to have some stakeholder, somebody be the steward of the mission and have a way to renew that person, that set of people.

“The better way, I think, according to the evidence, is to have some stakeholder, somebody be the steward of the mission and have a way to renew that person, that set of people.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

10 / uncertainty

I don't know if you saw this, but everyone's complaining of how they've gotten worse and they have all the highest level of toxins and then they're owned by BlackRock now, it turns out.

“I don't know if you saw this, but everyone's complaining of how they've gotten worse and they have all the highest level of toxins and then they're owned by BlackRock now, it turns out.”
Speaker
Lenny Rachitsky
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

12 / prediction

If you don't get this right, no other decision you make about your company will matter for the long term because you're not going to be the one making it.

“If you don't get this right, no other decision you make about your company will matter for the long term because you're not going to be the one making it.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

13 / evaluation

Because they've been taught ROI-based thinking, they've been taught shareholder primacy, they've been taught that that's the path of maximum profitability.

“Because they've been taught ROI-based thinking, they've been taught shareholder primacy, they've been taught that that's the path of maximum profitability.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

16 / evaluation

They weren't even paying any money. And they're like, "Yes, we will incur the wrath of nation state level hackers to protect you because it's the right thing to do for no reward whatsoever.

“They weren't even paying any money. And they're like, "Yes, we will incur the wrath of nation state level hackers to protect you because it's the right thing to do for no reward whatsoever.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

17 / preference

Everyone's got a friend like that where if they say they're going to do something, they're going to do it. And more importantly, if they're not sure, if they're like, "I think I can be there at two o'clock," they never would say, "I'll see you at two o'clock.

“Everyone's got a friend like that where if they say they're going to do something, they're going to do it. And more importantly, if they're not sure, if they're like, "I think I can be there at two o'clock," they never would say, "I'll see you at two o'clock.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

18 / evaluation

Its purpose is super clear. And again, if you think it doesn't matter what the product manager who runs Hellman's mayonnaise thinks the purpose is, going back to our vital farms question, think how easy it would be when an efficiency consultant shows up and says, "I think we could save three cents on the bill of materials if you just make the thing carcinogenic.

“Its purpose is super clear. And again, if you think it doesn't matter what the product manager who runs Hellman's mayonnaise thinks the purpose is, going back to our vital farms question, think how easy it would be when an efficiency consultant shows up and says, "I think we could save three cents on the bill of materials if you just make the thing carcinogenic.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

20 / evaluation

To them, it's just the obviously right way to go. And it's funny to me, one of the most important aspects of it that I think stands up really well, and it's been 15 years, is that so many of these AI products that leaving the models and the underlying technology aside, these specific products that have taken the world by storm, you can really tell that the AI labs themselves did not know they were going to be as popular as they turned out to be.

“To them, it's just the obviously right way to go. And it's funny to me, one of the most important aspects of it that I think stands up really well, and it's been 15 years, is that so many of these AI products that leaving the models and the underlying technology aside, these specific products that have taken the world by storm, you can really tell that the AI labs themselves did not know they were going to be as popular as they turned out to be.”
Speaker
Eric Ries
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast
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