Ryan Honeyman (B Corp Handbook): 'Incorruptible is one of the most important books for B Corps and mission-driven businesses I have ever read'

B Corp Handbook co-author Ryan Honeyman releases his Next Economy Now interview with Eric and warns the B Corp movement that benefit corporation status helps but isn't enough — Allbirds was a B Corp and a public benefit corporation, but financial gravity still unraveled it. The mission-locked architectures that hold steady, he says, are companies like Tony's Chocolonely, Patagonia, Mondragon, Anthropic, IKEA, Novo Nordisk, and Costco.

“Incorruptible is one of the most important books for B Corps and mission-driven businesses I have ever read. Eric's main point in the book is that good companies do not usually lose their way because people stop caring. They drift because "financial gravity" pulls their ownership, governance, incentives, investors, and accountability systems away from their stated purpose. His warning for the #BCorp movement is especially important: benefit corporation status helps, but it is not enough. Allbirds is a vivid example. The company was both a B Corp and a public benefit corporation, yet financial gravity pushed them to rapidly scale and overextend in search of profitability. Eventually, as we saw in recent news headlines, this pressure contributed to a dramatic unraveling of the company's original business model and mission identity. For B Corps, Incorruptible is a reminder that going beyond the standard "B Corp + benefit corp" structure is needed to build companies that are set up for the next 50 to 100 years or longer.” — Ryan Honeyman on LinkedIn