Ethics in Entrepreneurship: Building Brands for Long-Term Success
EIC MBM
Published on September 29, 2025
"Short cuts may give quick wins, but only ethics build lasting success."
On Day 8 of Nava-aarambh: The Founder’s Journey, we draw inspiration from Goddess Mahagauri, who stands for purity, honesty, and peace. She reminds us that integrity is one of the strongest assets a founder can have. In entrepreneurship, this translates into one clear message: short cuts may give quick wins, but only ethics build lasting success.
Step 1: Create Your Ethical Foundation
Every startup should start with a simple code of values - guidelines that define what you stand for and what lines you will never cross. Share these clearly with your co-founders, teammates, and stakeholders.
Example
Johnson & Johnson’s famous “Credo” (written in 1943) placed patients, employees, and communities before profits. This culture of responsibility helped them remain a trusted brand for decades.
Step 2: Build Awareness Through Training
It’s not enough to have values written on paper - your team must live them. Organize regular discussions, workshops, or even informal sessions about making ethical choices at work. This keeps integrity at the center of your culture.
Example
Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE Lab and AlphaLab Gear Accelerator worked with startups early on to embed ethics in product design, employee treatment, and marketing. By starting young, they set the right culture from day one.
Step 3: Make Ethics Part of Every Decision
When making tough calls - whether about customers, product features, or money - pause and ask: “Is this the right thing to do?” Encourage your team to evaluate how decisions affect not just profits but also people and society.
Example
PerceptIn, a startup in autonomous driving, designed a framework to always weigh safety, data privacy, and societal impact before making product decisions. This made them both innovative and responsible.
Step 4: Keep Improving
Ethics is not “set it and forget it.” As your startup grows, new challenges will arise. Keep updating your policies, hold regular reviews, and create open spaces where team members can raise concerns.
Example
A data analytics startup conducted quarterly training on data privacy and algorithmic bias, while also inviting feedback from employees and stakeholders. This made sure their ethical framework stayed relevant and strong.
Final Thoughts
Goddess Mahagauri teaches us that true strength comes from honesty and integrity. For student founders, the takeaway is simple: trust is your biggest asset. By embedding ethics in every step of your journey, you not only build stronger ventures but also inspire others and contribute to a more conscious business world.