How do you run a business without supporting unethical corporations?
Running a successful business often requires buying supplies from Amazon or paying for Meta and Google ads, which forces owners to fund corporations they fundamentally disagree with. Because it is impossible to avoid every compromise, the real challenge is deciding which operational shortcuts and ethical trade-offs you can actually live with.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Ordering directly from vendors and suppliers instead of using platforms like AmazonDid this help you?
- 2Researching the ownership of companies before repping or carrying their productsDid this help you?
- 3Shifting back to analog methods to avoid corporate subscriptionsDid this help you?
- 4Switching to local advertisements, sponsorships, or direct supplier relationshipsDid this help you?
- 5Accepting minor conveniences or compromises while setting strict personal non-negotiablesDid this help you?
- 6reframing marketing as providing value for consumers as part of the supply chainDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Anyone else struggle with trying to be ethical and run a successful business? Every time I pay for meta and google ads, and buy supplies from Amazon I feel like I’m feeding the beast. Just knowing how shitty these corporations are makes me not want to give them my money.”source ↗
“ive been feeling so conflicted because i myself am trying to get rid of my social media addicition and i feel like id be "taking advantage" of people's doomscroll addicitions by playing into what every marketing guru says to "keep videos short and hook them in the first second" and etc.”source ↗
“I am unconventional in that I will pay more, accept a little more inconvenience, and sometimes sacrifice a bit of efficiency, all to avoid feeding the beast where I’m able.”source ↗
“I think the hardest part is realizing you can’t avoid every compromise, so you have to decide which ones you can actually live with.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 19Should I keep going with my stagnating business or quit?