Why Most Corporate Innovation Fails, and What to Do Instead, with Eric Ries on Trust, Governance & Transformation

Why do so many big companies fail at innovation—even when they say it’s a top priority?

In this episode, we sit down with Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way, to unpack what it really takes to drive transformation inside legacy organizations—and why most of them get it wrong.

Eric shares hard-won lessons from working with companies like GE, P&G, and some of the most ambitious innovation teams on the planet. We go deep on the disconnect between startup-style thinking and corporate reality, and why trust—not process—is the prerequisite for real innovation.

You’ll hear:

✅ Why most innovation efforts die in phase one—and how to push through

✅ The role of “constancy of purpose” in long-term transformation

✅ Why strong governance often makes companies weaker

✅ Why shadow brands are necessary in low-trust orgs

✅ How corporations confuse short-term efficiency with long-term progress

✅ What mission-controlled companies can teach us about building trust

Whether you’re leading a venture studio, launching a new initiative, or trying to modernize your company’s governance structure—this episode is a wake-up call.

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