Eric Ries on Patagonia 1991: 'It is coherent inside and out. It is structurally strong.'

Eric posts a 1991 Patagonia catalog page — "Everything we make pollutes. Buy fewer items and buy things that last." — as a lived case study for Incorruptible's central argument: structural coherence is what lets a company tell the truth.

“In 1991, Patagonia added this blunt language to their own catalog: "Everything we make pollutes. Buy fewer items and buy things that last." That level of honesty is almost unthinkable today. So many companies are too afraid of the backlash, the social media firestorm, or being punished by investors. The employee handbook isn't what actually happens at the company. The EULA is designed as a CYA that nobody reads. Companies have a vaunted "mission statement" but their legal purpose is just "maximize shareholder value." They are lying to you. Patagonia can speak the truth because it is coherent inside and out. It is structurally strong.” — Eric Ries on LinkedIn