Authors: Tony Hsieh
ISBN-13: 9780446563048, ISBN-10: 0446563048
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Date Published: June 2010
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Tony Hsieh became involved with Zappos as an advisor and investor in 1999, about two months after the company was founded. He eventually joined Zappos full time in 2000.
Under his leadership, Zappos has grown gross merchandise sales from $1.6M in 2000 to over $1 billion in 2008 by focusing relentlessly on customer service.
In DELIVERING HAPPINESS, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh shares the different lessons he has learned in business and life, from starting a worm farm to running a pizza business, through LinkExchange, Zappos, and more. Fast-paced and down-to-earth, DELIVERING HAPPINESS shows how a very different kind of corporate culture is a powerful model for achieving success-and how by concentrating on the happiness of those around you, you can dramatically increase your own.
To learn more about the book, go to www.deliveringhappinessbook.com.
Zappos CEO Hsieh offers a compelling account of his transformation from callow Harvard student entrepreneur through his years as a dot-com wunderkind to the creator of a formidable brand. Interest might flag as Hsieh, fresh off selling his Internet company LinkExchange to Yahoo in 1999 for $265 million, kvetches about lacking fulfillment. But as the tech boom bursts, and Hsieh confronts his dwindling investments, his story comes alive. As the funding for his incubator companies dries up and one of his most promising startups, Zappos.com, a shoe retailer, seems doomed, Hsieh blossoms into a mature businessperson, slashing expenses and presciently making customer service the essence of the company's brand. The story becomes suspenseful as Hsieh recounts the stress of operating in survival mode, liquidating his assets to fund the company in its darkest days and seeking out an 11th-hour loan. By the time Zappos is acquired by Amazon for more than $1.2 billion in 2009, Hsieh and his team had built a unique corporate culture dedicated to employee empowerment and the promise of delivering happiness though satisfied customers and a valued workforce. An uplifting tale of entrepreneurial success, personal growth, and redemption. (June)
Preface
Introduction: Finding My Way 1
Section I PROFITS
1 In Search of Profits 5
2 You Win Some, You Lose Some 30
3 Diversify 55
Section II PROFITS AND PASSION
4 Concentrate Your Position 93
5 Platform for Growth: Brand, Culture, Pipeline 130
Section III PROFITS, PASSION, AND PURPOSE
6 Taking It to the Next Level 203
7 End Game 228
Epilogue 243
Appendix: Online Resources 245
Index 247