Most UX practitioners have spent their careers fighting for the user — pushing back against dark patterns, advocating for quality, and insisting that making things better for people is also better for the business. Eric Ries would say that instinct is exactly right. And that it's not enough.

In this episode, host Laura Klein talks with Eric Ries — New York Times Best Selling Author of The Lean Startup and founder of the Long Term Stock Exchange — about his new book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad...and How Great Companies Stay Great. Eric makes the case that most of today's business best practices are actively value-destroying, and that the builders, designers, and makers who already believe product quality matters are more revolutionary than they realize — they just lack the tools to protect that belief inside their organizations.

They dig into the history of shareholder primacy, why corporate governance is something every practitioner should understand, and the very specific questions you can ask in a job interview to find out whether a company is genuinely mission-driven or just mission-hopeful.

About Eric Ries | Linkedin

• The Eric Ries Show
• Incorruptible (New Book) - Available Now!
• The Lean Start Up (Book)

Related NN/G Articles & Videos

• UX Stakeholder Engagement 101
• Deceptive Patterns in UX: How to Recognize and Avoid Them
• Four Factors in UX Maturity
• UX Maturity Is a Living System, Not a Ladder
• UXers Need to Think Like Product Leaders

Try One of Our Courses

→ Becoming a UX Strategist (Live Online)→ Successful Stakeholder Relationships (Live Online)→ Lean UX and Agile (Live Online)→ Demonstrating UX Value (Self-Paced)→ UX Maturity: Elevating Organizational UX Practices (Self-Paced)

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📹 Post-production by

Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant)

Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)

Navigating the UX job market has always had its ups and downs, especially with AI reshaping the industry. In this episode, host Laura Klein sits down with Evan Sunwall, NN/G's Director of Self-Paced Training, to share candid advice for UX practitioners trying to actively job search or level up in today's competitive market. With nearly 19 years in the field as both a designer and a hiring manager, he has a lot to say about where the field is headed — no matter what stage you're at in your career.

That experience is also what shaped Evan's self-paced course on getting a job in UX, part of NN/G's new and growing library of practical, pre-recorded courses built around real skill gaps. Evan was one of the first to help develop the format — running experiments and prototypes to figure out what actually works for self-directed learners.

Evan also previews a companion course aimed at hiring managers and shares that he's looking for sharp instructors to help expand the library into new topics across research, design, and AI.

Check out our NEW Self-Paced Courses!

About Evan Sunwall | Bio | Linkedin

• Successful UX Job Searching (Course)
• Hiring UX Talent (Course)

Free NN/G Articles:

• How to Apply and Secure a UX Job
• Advice for Approaching a UX Job Search
• Templates and Tools for UX Job Seekers
• Preparation Tactics for a Tough UX Job Market
• Growing in Your UX Career: Study Guide

Don’t forget to like and subscribe! ❤️

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📹 Post-production by

Tiago Pedro (Design Assistant)

Megan Brown (Social Media Lead)

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