Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose » (Unabridged)

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 his first audiobook, Tony Hsieh - the widely-admired CEO of Zappos, the online shoe retailer - -explains how he created a unique culture and commitment to service that aims to improve the lives of its employees, customers, vendors, and backers. Using anecdotes and stories from his own life experiences, and from other companies, Hsieh provides concrete ways that companies can achieve unprecedented success, Even better, he shows how creating happiness and record results go hand-in-hand.

He starts with the "Why" in a section where he narrates his quest to understand the science of happiness. Then he runs through the ten Zappos "Core Values" such as "Deliver WOW through Service," "Create Fun and A Little Weirdness," and "Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit" and explains how you and your colleagues should come up with your own.

Hsieh then details many of the unique practices at Zappos that have made it the success it is today, such as their philosphy of allocating...

Publishers Weekly

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