He wrote most of the book stream of consciousness, often completing 3,000 word chunks a day that he would send to his editor in new york city. Behind the scenes, nick swinmurn quietly built a retail giant named zappos. At the end of the book there is a statement by jeff bezos and also a discussion group with a professor marshall and hsieh. In 2010, hsiehs first book, delivering happiness, was published. In 2009, hsieh began writing delivering happiness over labor day in lake tahoe. Delivering happiness is partly a biography of tony hsieh, partly a history of zappos, and partly a book about how to run a business. In delivering happiness, tony hsieh the hip, iconoclastic, and widelyadmired ceo of zappos, the online shoe retailer explains how he created a corporate culture with a commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors, and backers. Delivering happiness 2010 is a book by zappos ceo tony hsieh. Apr 10, 2011 his company, zappos, is a retailing phenomenon.
An inside view of zappos and the mysterious holacracy. Tony hsieh wouldnt waste time on a book that didnt lead to good business principles, or list it as the book of the biggest impact on his companys culture. The company hsieh build was zappos an online shoe emporium. The book, though not an auto biography, documents the business exploits of tony hsieh, the ceo of zappos. Cofounder of linkexchange tony hsieh is the ceo of zappos and an internet entrepreneur. The zappos ceo is known to have a penchant for research and a knack for using it in business experiments. Summary of delivering happiness by zappos ceo tony hsieh. Recommended book list by zappos ceo, tony hsieh bonnie. Book says zappos ceo didnt just want a company he wanted a. At amazons zappos, ceo tony hsieh delivers on being different. Company culture is something that many corporations take for granted, not realising how important it actually is to employee morale, work quality, and. This blog post is not intended to be a replacement for hsiehs book.
Over the past year, ive been fortunate to talk with tony hsieh zappos ceo and alfred lin zappos coocfo, about ways that zappos grew its culture and its phenomenal customer service. An enthusiastic attendee of raves in college, hsieh was influenced by the cul. Zappos founder tony hsieh made quite a splash with delivering happiness, his 2010 bestselling business book. Along the way, he never considered that a failed business meant he was a failure. Happiness has always been an obsession for tony hsieh, the 43yearold ceo of online shoe and clothing retailer zappos. The 4 books zappos ceo tony hsieh thinks everyone should.
The 4 books zappos ceo tony hsieh thinks everyone should read over the years, hes publicly recommended well over 20 business books. Tony hsieh, zappos, and the art of great company culture neil patel. The american internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist and ceo of the online shoe and clothing shop zappos tony hsieh is one of the most significant people of the entrepreneurial scene. Tony hsieh, the ceo of zappos could buy any type of mansion he fancied but has devoted his multimillion dollar fortune to building a las vegas village where he lives in a 200 square foot trailer. Zappos ceo tony hsieh lives in a trailer park despite being. At amazons zappos, ceo tony hsieh delivers on being.
But with credit tightening and investors eyeing the. His title, delivering happiness, staked claim on the new york times best sellers list for 27 consecutive weeks. While writing the book, hsieh was still acting ceo of zappos as well as a highly sought after corporate speaker. Now lets look into why zappos isnt about shoes or clothes but rather customer service. Lead why i sold zappos for more than a decade, tony hsieh built his online shoe retailer into an ecommerce powerhouse. An enthusiastic attendee of raves in college, hsieh was influenced by the. In fact, if you take a quick look at the zappos website, you might think its a competitor of amazon.
Using anecdotes and stories from his own life experiences, and from other companies, hsieh provides concrete ways that. Tony hsieh co founder in 1999, tony hsieh joined zappos as an advisor and investor, and eventually became ceo, where in just ten years he helped zappos. We learned about zappos by reading the book of founder and ceo tony hsieh and were inspired by his approach to running his company. Zappos says 18 percent of company has left following its. It details his life as an entrepreneur, with emphasis on the founding of linkexchange and.
The article is actually adapted from zappos cofounder and ceo tony hsiehs new book, delivering happiness, while purpose. That more is providing the very best customer service, customer experience, and company culture. Zappos founder tony hsieh literally wrote the book on modern customer service. Reading tony hsieh quotes about passionate customer service practices is the same as reading a customer service bible since in many ways hsieh wrote the book on turning customer service philosophies into sustainable customer service practices. Feb 04, 2016 the 4 books zappos ceo tony hsieh thinks everyone should read over the years, hes publicly recommended well over 20 business books. Tony hsieh is recognized as a passionate customer service expert and legendary retail leader in his role as the ceo of the internet shopping. Zappos ceo tony hsieh is known for his unconventional management style. In delivering happiness, tony hsieh the hip, iconoclastic, and widelyadmired ceo of zappos, the online shoe. The book starts with tony explaining his first attempt at entrepreneurship. Not because it isnt in the book, but because it isnt in the summary. To understand zappos, you need to know ceo tony hsieh. Jun 07, 2010 the article is actually adapted from zappos cofounder and ceo tony hsiehs new book, delivering happiness, while purpose. Zappos founder tony hsieh enjoys the good life the. In 1999, tony joined zappos as ceo and grew the company into a retail giant.
Tony hsieh is a bigger risk taker than most, so some of his ideas are more creative and experimental. What i wish id done differently published tue, sep 2016 9. And every publication from forbes to fast company has distinguished the eretailer as a standout in consumer support yet few companies heed zapposs example. Jul 19, 2015 tony hsieh, the ceo of zappos could buy any type of mansion he fancied but has devoted his multimillion dollar fortune to building a las vegas village where he lives in a 200 square foot trailer. But with credit tightening and investors eyeing the exits, hsieh was forced. It is intended to provide the advice that hsieh has given publicly during interviews and talks. And every publication from forbes to fast company has distinguished the eretailer as a standout in consumer support. Lessons we can all learn from zappos ceo tony hsieh. Co founder of linkexchange tony hsieh is the ceo of zappos and an internet entrepreneur. While most people cringe at information overload, tony hsieh appears to welcome it. Photo by charley gallaygetty images for cinemacon silicon valley has a lot of odd characters, but tony hsieh, the founder and chief executive of zappos, is. Tony hsieh became involved with zappos as an advisor and investor in 1999, about two months after the company was founded. Today, we still sell shoes as well as clothing, handbags, accessories, and more.
Zappos continues to operate independently of amazon. Tony hsieh recommends 7 books that will blow your mind. Recommended book list by zappos ceo, tony hsieh bonnie barnard. Please take 30 minutes to read through the email in its entirety.
He is the ceo of the online shoe and clothing company zappos. Jun 01, 2010 lead why i sold zappos for more than a decade, tony hsieh built his online shoe retailer into an ecommerce powerhouse. Company culture is something that many corporations take for granted, not realising how important it. Tonys book, delivering happiness, was published in 2010, and follows his path from starting a worm farm to life at zappos. Along with good to great and tribal leadership, haidts happiness book struck a big and positive nerve with the ceo of zappos, perhaps because of the emphasis on giving and serving as a. Delivering happiness via zappos self help book reports. Tony hsieh pronounced shay, ceo of the phenomenally successful online shoe and clothing retailer zappos, shares his perspective. It details his life as an entrepreneur, with emphasis on the founding of linkexchange and zappos. Tony hsieh, ceo of zappos, owns a party bus, a party house, and what could be termed a party insecta 40footlong praying mantis that shoots fire from its antennas. May 20, 20 while most people cringe at information overload, tony hsieh appears to welcome it. Sep, 2016 zappos ceo tony hsieh on getting rid of managers. Zappos ceo tony hsieh wants his employees to continuously explore new ideas. Tony hsieh tells competitors what they should and shouldnt take from zappos company culture culture is important, says zappos founder tony hsieh. Tony hsieh is an american entrepreneur and venture capitalist, best known as the ceo of zappos.
He sees works as not something you go to as a separate part of life. The 4 books zappos ceo tony hsieh thinks everyone should read. Tony hsieh, chief executive of, the online shoe and clothing retailer, was sitting in an office he rarely uses at the companys headquarters here, recollecting the. May 16, 2015 on march 24, zappos 1,500 or so employees got a memo from ceo tony hsieh. Zappos founder tony hsieh enjoys the good life the seattle. To tony, liking who you work with is vitally important to a companys success.
Black and blue are designed for light backgrounds, while white is ideal on dark backgrounds. Thats why theres a library of some of his favorite books at. Tony hsieh, zappos, and the art of great company culture. Apr 24, 2017 zappos founder tony hsieh literally wrote the book on modern customer service. Tony hsieh sold earthworms, greeting cards, and slices of pizza. Most people dont know that zappos had a very turbulent history when it was founded, or about the many personal sacrifices that tony hsieh and early zappos employees made to help zappos achieve such. Tony hsieh explains why he sold zappos to amazon under. Why multimillionaire zappos ceo tony hsieh lives in a. Zappos ceo tony hsieh has some interesting things to say about business. Twenty years ago, we began as a small online retailer that only sold shoes. Zappos ceo tony hsieh lives in a trailer park despite. On march 24, zappos 1,500 or so employees got a memo from ceo tony hsieh. Thats why theres a library of some of his favorite books at zappos las vegas headquarters. A path to profits, passion, and purpose, he shares the most important life and business lessons that he has learned along his entrepreneurial path.