Pay brand-new employees $2,000 to quitMake customer service the responsibility of the entire company-not just a departmentFocus on company culture ...
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Jun 03, 2011
Ryan
rated it: 
Nice and honest account of Tony Hsieh's history. I'm not sure how much of his success I account for his 'genius', or simply his being in the right place at the right time. I wonder if his devotion to Zappos was really based on his gut instinct that the company would succeed, or if that is a story he has told himself to cover the fact that he was simply desperate to have it work since all of the other efforts he had funded had failed and he had wasted his riches on partying and 'finding himself
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Dec 03, 2011
Paul
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Tony Hsieh (the CEO of Zappos) is an entertaining writer. This book is divided into 3 sections; the first more autobiographical following Tony's path to entrepreneurship through childhood leading up to starting and sale of a dotcom company to Microsoft during the dotcom boom of 2000 and following management of his newfound wealth which leads up to his involvement in Zappos. The second section is entirely about Zappos and I found this section a little less appealing, the story of Zappos struggli
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Nov 25, 2011
Sergei_kalinin
rated it:
Название книги очень точно отражает её содержание :)
Понравилось:
1) Местами очень смешно. Особенно про попытки "предпринимательства" самого Тони Шея в детстве и юношестве :)
2) Есть некоторые фишечки касательно клиентского сервиса и вообще клиентоориентированного бизнеса
3) В самом конце книге очень тольковая глава про счастье, и как его использовать в бизнесе :)
Не понравилось:
1) Много "воды"
2) Много повторов
3) Очень по More...
Понравилось:
1) Местами очень смешно. Особенно про попытки "предпринимательства" самого Тони Шея в детстве и юношестве :)
2) Есть некоторые фишечки касательно клиентского сервиса и вообще клиентоориентированного бизнеса
3) В самом конце книге очень тольковая глава про счастье, и как его использовать в бизнесе :)
Не понравилось:
1) Много "воды"
2) Много повторов
3) Очень по More...
Nov 21, 2011
Matt
rated it: 
In a time when there is such uncertainty in the American public, when there's no trust with the people and the business leaders, this book offers itself as a shimmer of hope. While all around us there seems to be a continuous stream of corruption, whether it's a CEO swindling funds or getting an undeserved bonus check, Tony Hsieh shows us that there are still good and honest business leaders in the world today. Whether it's talking about making sure his employees have a place to stay or making s
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Oct 11, 2011
Would you quit your job for 2000 USD?
The only fact, I knew about Tony Hsieh(pronounced Shay) was that he looked like Jerry Yang(Surprise..Surprise, he is of Chinese origin too). Zappos.com(for which he is The CEO), is consistently being rated as best places to work for and reached billion dollar mark during 2008 recession by selling only footwear. The company has lot of unusual stories floating around like the offer they make to new employees to accept 2000 USD for quitting or More...
Sep 16, 2011
Angie
rated it:
Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh is a great inspiring book. It is part biography, part employee handbook and part company history. Tony Hsieh is the CEO of zappos.com. As a frequent online shopper, I am well acquainted with Zappos and their free shipping and 365 day return policy.
In the book, Hsieh details how he has followed his passion and created Zappos. It is an incredible story. For me, it was very inspiring to read how he made i More...
In the book, Hsieh details how he has followed his passion and created Zappos. It is an incredible story. For me, it was very inspiring to read how he made i More...
Aug 02, 2011
Liz
rated it:
Wow, I totally loved this book. I tend to dislike memoirs, and I have a hard time engaging with businessy books, but this one far surpassed both genres. Generally, stories that go "And then we made $200 million dollars!" are kind of boring for me, because that doesn MEAN anything to me - I have no context for how someone could actually do that, and so it never feels real. This book put personality to how a company like Zappos is actually built, and in the building of it, how one dude w
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Jul 06, 2011
Paradox_spiral
rated it:
Довольно интересная книга. Сам Тони Шей является интересной личностью, чей предпринимательский талан проявлялся с детства, о чем мы узнаем с первых страниц: Ферма про разведению червей ( Идея - если разрезать червяка, то получится их, аж, целых 2 :-) ), Значки по почте и многое другое. В этой книге много жизненных историй: как веселых и забавных, так и горьких и не вкусных. Но автор прошел их достойно - вынес нужные уроки из ошибок. В результате проб и исканий, профессиональному и личностному ра
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Jul 06, 2011
Adrienne
rated it: 
Very straightforward account of Tony Hsieh's rise from clever kid making buttons to CEO of Zappos. This was a pretty unlikely choice for me. This spring, I got a gig nannying for some kids whose mother does corporate development, and the book was sitting on the table. And that was that.
It seems to be written for a business crowd, and so it focuses on his early entrepreneurship, developing LinkExchange, and then forming Zappos. It was nice to read a business book that didn't have a to More...
It seems to be written for a business crowd, and so it focuses on his early entrepreneurship, developing LinkExchange, and then forming Zappos. It was nice to read a business book that didn't have a to More...
Jun 26, 2011
Randel
rated it:
key takeaways
- you should never outsource your core competencies
- like poker, picking the right table is crucial
- what separated the great companies from the good is that they have a bigger vision and purpose and it's not about the money for them
- focus on your current customers (the 1000), cut down on marketing budget
- in the long run, the little things that keep the customer in mind will end up paying huge dividends
- customer service is the whole company, not jus More...
- you should never outsource your core competencies
- like poker, picking the right table is crucial
- what separated the great companies from the good is that they have a bigger vision and purpose and it's not about the money for them
- focus on your current customers (the 1000), cut down on marketing budget
- in the long run, the little things that keep the customer in mind will end up paying huge dividends
- customer service is the whole company, not jus More...
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Apr 10, 2011
Nick
rated it:
I really loved the childhood stories, and the tales of how he doubles his bets when he's almost knocked out. That sort of spirit along with luck has certainly helped drive Zappos' success. Certainly attracting a few key people in the beginning made a big difference too. He's clearly a very smart entrepreneur.
The author's first-hand insights into what he thinks has made him successful with Zappos are problematic however. I think he's fallen into the trap of being too close to see More...
The author's first-hand insights into what he thinks has made him successful with Zappos are problematic however. I think he's fallen into the trap of being too close to see More...
Feb 16, 2011
John
rated it:
I'm not sure that Mr. Hsieh really knew what he was doing most of the time. He was obviously quite young when he enjoyed his initial success with LinkExchange, and it's hard to tell wether or not there was ever any sound basis for the decisions he made.
I liked his ideas on 'Ask Anything', and how a business should be obsessed with its customers in order to remain successful over the long term. The book also provides some interesting insights as to what it was like to start one's caree More...
I liked his ideas on 'Ask Anything', and how a business should be obsessed with its customers in order to remain successful over the long term. The book also provides some interesting insights as to what it was like to start one's caree More...
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Jan 15, 2011
Jay
rated it:
Tony Hsieh's book doesn't read like other business books about leaders of large, market-dominating organizations. I thought I would be reading a new age version of Alfred Sloan's "My Years with General Motors". You know, one of those books with the author stating all the ways he made smart choices and found new valuable connections to lead his company to victory. Tony's book isn't like that. I was struck, instead by how many times he got lucky throughout his experiences. I'd also add p
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Nov 10, 2010
MsSmartiePants
rated it:
I was immediately curious about this book, having heard a bit about the development of the Zappos business. I was NOT familiar with the author, Tony Hsieh, or how Zappos was created. So when I discovered that my audio book club ordered the book, I put my name on the list to read it!
The author is a local guy, extremely smart and driven by his love of learning. His natural propensity towards positive and challenging activities is inspiring! While it took a while to become accustomed to hi More...
The author is a local guy, extremely smart and driven by his love of learning. His natural propensity towards positive and challenging activities is inspiring! While it took a while to become accustomed to hi More...
Oct 22, 2010
Patti
rated it:
I haven’t read many business books, but when the “Delivering Happiness’ bus came to my workplace, I received a free copy, so I thought I’d give it a try.
I understand that this isn’t a ‘tell all’ or an autobiography, but what you get is a scrubbed clean Channel One telling of how to succeed in business without really trying. In a time when many people are anything but happy in their workplaces, I found the book to be more of a guide to start a Fraternity, except without any mention of More...
I understand that this isn’t a ‘tell all’ or an autobiography, but what you get is a scrubbed clean Channel One telling of how to succeed in business without really trying. In a time when many people are anything but happy in their workplaces, I found the book to be more of a guide to start a Fraternity, except without any mention of More...
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Sep 12, 2010
Julie
rated it:
Tony Hsieh is the CEO of Zappos, which I first heard about through David Logan's TED talk (at 7:41 in the video). They looked like a cool company, so I decided to try out the book.
Delivering Happiness is part autobiography, part treatise on building a fun, innovative company completely focused on culture and customer service. It's colloquially written and you get the sense that Hsieh is writing precisely the way he talks, which indeed was one of his stated goals in the introduction. (H More...
Delivering Happiness is part autobiography, part treatise on building a fun, innovative company completely focused on culture and customer service. It's colloquially written and you get the sense that Hsieh is writing precisely the way he talks, which indeed was one of his stated goals in the introduction. (H More...
Aug 21, 2010
Jay
rated it:
My first dabble into the world of feel-good hippie business books. I've heard a lot of good things about Zappos, and since I've recently been trying to drive a higher purpose into my own customer service career I figured it may be a good time to start checking into some of these motivational / inspirational reads.
That said, I've got a good sense for BS and this book passes the test as being direct and honest, much better than I was expecting. The CEO's stories begin like an autobiogr More...
That said, I've got a good sense for BS and this book passes the test as being direct and honest, much better than I was expecting. The CEO's stories begin like an autobiogr More...
Aug 03, 2010
Betty
rated it:
This was a fascinating read-- because the author is able to engage from the beginning about his journey as an entrepreneur and eventually as a "culture" creator at Zappos.com.
Some great ideas about building core values:
"Let your employees take risks and try new things. Some will work and some won't and that is okay. Let your employees bring all of themselves to their job. ... I think when people say they dread going into work on Monday morning, it's because they More...
Some great ideas about building core values:
"Let your employees take risks and try new things. Some will work and some won't and that is okay. Let your employees bring all of themselves to their job. ... I think when people say they dread going into work on Monday morning, it's because they More...
Aug 02, 2010
Dave
rated it:
When I think of examples of companies known for successful adoption of social media tools, a few names always come to mind - Dell, Radian6, Freshbooks... and Zappos.
(On a related note, all of those companies have gained a reputation for good service via social media - a topic for a future post, perhaps...)
So, when a colleague remarked that she was enjoying a book that charted the course of Zappos so far, I promptly added it to my 2010 reading list.
Delivering H More...
(On a related note, all of those companies have gained a reputation for good service via social media - a topic for a future post, perhaps...)
So, when a colleague remarked that she was enjoying a book that charted the course of Zappos so far, I promptly added it to my 2010 reading list.
Delivering H More...
Jul 11, 2010
Shankar
rated it:
Tony is extraordinarily honest. That's one thing you'll realize a few pages into this book.
The book starts with a cute anecdote about how Tony fantasized on making huge money from several little projects like the worm farm, or the button making guide. Tony goes on to talk about how he disliked his day job at Oracle and how he started LinkExchange, worked hard and sold it to Microsoft. Tony actually began despising the work culture that had formed in his company because of hiring peop More...
The book starts with a cute anecdote about how Tony fantasized on making huge money from several little projects like the worm farm, or the button making guide. Tony goes on to talk about how he disliked his day job at Oracle and how he started LinkExchange, worked hard and sold it to Microsoft. Tony actually began despising the work culture that had formed in his company because of hiring peop More...
Jun 11, 2010
Chris
rated it:
In the name of full disclosure, please note that I received an advance copy of Delivering Happiness. I followed a link on Twitter, filled out a form about my blog, and several days later, two copies of the book showed up on my doorstep via UPS. This review is my own.
You have to love a book that starts with a worm farm. It really does. It's the subtitle of the first chapter. The question is how do you get from worm farmer to running a company with over a billion dollars in shoe sales? More...
You have to love a book that starts with a worm farm. It really does. It's the subtitle of the first chapter. The question is how do you get from worm farmer to running a company with over a billion dollars in shoe sales? More...
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Apr 08, 2010
Samantha
rated it:
It's not often that I sit down and devour an entire book in one day, but today I read Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos') new book 'Delivering Happiness' cover to cover.
Some of my favorite classes in college were the Entrepreneurship classes I took through the Wellesley/Olin/Babson consortium. Not only were we given hands on assignments that had us creating our own businesses, but we were also introduced to a large reading list of inspirational books, and perhaps most importantly we encourag More...
Some of my favorite classes in college were the Entrepreneurship classes I took through the Wellesley/Olin/Babson consortium. Not only were we given hands on assignments that had us creating our own businesses, but we were also introduced to a large reading list of inspirational books, and perhaps most importantly we encourag More...
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May 05, 2011
Chad
rated it:
This isn’t your typical “follow these steps for business success” book. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, tells the story of his life (so far), with many lessons mixed in. I found Hsieh’s story as entertaining as many fictional stories I’ve read, and I felt enlightened and motivated by his insights on business and life. Hsieh explains how Zappos came to achieve its purpose: delivering happiness to employees, customers, and vendors. The main takeaway: experiences and relationships make people happie
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Jan 18, 2011
Marc
rated it:
A tremendously enjoyable and inspiring first hand narrative about how Tony drove himself to create more of what he ultimately wanted--happiness. This book contains stories that both funny and brilliantly insightful. We can only hope that more workplaces around the world are as devoted to improving their overall lives as are Tony and his crew at Zappos.
Fully recommended to people who like inspiring stories, business-y memoirs, and self-help-feel-good essays.
*Why it didn't ge More...
Fully recommended to people who like inspiring stories, business-y memoirs, and self-help-feel-good essays.
*Why it didn't ge More...
Feb 14, 2011
Viola
rated it:
Delivering Happiness is basically one giant advertisement for Zappos, but don't let that put you off from reading this entertaining and inspiring book. Prior to reading this book, I didn't know much about Zappos other than it being an online shoe retailer. Now, I see that it is much more than a just shoe retailer. It is a company with a strong culture focused on not just customer service, but also developing relationships, having fun, and delivering happiness to its customers.
The firs More...
The firs More...
Oct 15, 2010
getAbstract
rated it:
Tony Hsieh (pronounced “shay”) became a multimillionaire in 1998, at age 24, by selling his first internet start-up firm to Microsoft for $265 million. Then he sold his online shoe retailer Zappos to Amazon in 2009 for $1.2 billion. This personable entrepreneur may sound like an enthusiastic cheerleader, but clearly he knows a lot about making a business grow and he’s worked hard to learn a lot about happiness. His vision encompasses a distinctive brand, a pipeline for developing talent and a cr
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Aug 08, 2011
Stephen
rated it:
It's slightly embarrasing for me to admit it, but I really quite enjoyed this book, despite the cringe making title. Normally, any book by a business leader becomes repetitive once you've read the jacket cover. But the enthusiasm that Tony Hsieh has for the idea that corporate culture is central to the success of an enterprise and the simple notion that all we need is to pursue happiness in our lives, is infectious. It's not until you get some distance from the book that you start to realize yo
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Aug 07, 2011
Kim
rated it:
This book isn't my usual cup of tea at all. It's by the CEO of Zappos and is sold in the "Business & Investing" section. Not stacks you''ll see me hanging around in looking for a good read.
I saw Tony Hsieh touting his book on Stephen Colbert's show and was immediately intrigued by his personality. I'd heard about his unusual business model and the creativity nurturing company culture but some the anecdotes he told on the show really blew my mind. I became a happy busines More...
I saw Tony Hsieh touting his book on Stephen Colbert's show and was immediately intrigued by his personality. I'd heard about his unusual business model and the creativity nurturing company culture but some the anecdotes he told on the show really blew my mind. I became a happy busines More...
Dec 18, 2010
Matt
rated it:
I have never purchased anything from Zappos.com but have a read a few things about the company and Hsieh so I couldn't wait to pick up this book.
Hsieh definitely showed early signs of being an entrepreneur and reading about how, as a child, he bounced from idea to idea was fun. That bouncing around seemed to define him.
As a manager, it is interesting to read about the steps other leaders take in an attempt create culture. Most of them are meaningless and counter productive. More...
Hsieh definitely showed early signs of being an entrepreneur and reading about how, as a child, he bounced from idea to idea was fun. That bouncing around seemed to define him.
As a manager, it is interesting to read about the steps other leaders take in an attempt create culture. Most of them are meaningless and counter productive. More...
May 25, 2010
Otis
rated it:
Tony Hsieh has some nerve suggesting that he built a billion dollar company in pursuit of happiness. But the surprising thing is I actually think he's onto something. Something that cuts through a lot of corporate BS and really makes sense.
Tony's thesis is basically that, whatever our intermediate goals in life are (get your dream job, make a lot of money, find the right girl, etc), our ultimate goal is simply to be happy. And what's more, (this is the key), happiness in life ha More...
Tony's thesis is basically that, whatever our intermediate goals in life are (get your dream job, make a lot of money, find the right girl, etc), our ultimate goal is simply to be happy. And what's more, (this is the key), happiness in life ha More...
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