# How The Best Companies Defend Against Mediocrity And Rot

An episode of [Y Combinator Startup Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1236907421), 25 May 2026, 50 min.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/8c1524bc/podcast/play/120518617/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-25%2F424857770-44100-2-13252d234815c.mp3

In this episode of the Main Function Garry sits down with Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup", about his new book, "Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad And How Great Companies Stay Great". Ries breaks down why shareholder primacy often leads to company and product degradation, how founders can lose control of the companies they build, and what legal structures and governance models can protect a company's core mission from outside threats.

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