Summary
"Delivering Happiness" by Tony Hsieh is a book about his journey as an entrepreneur and his experiences in building and growing businesses, culminating in his tenure as CEO of Zappos, an online shoe company. Hsieh shares his philosophy of creating a culture of happiness and how it can lead to success in both business and life.
The book begins with Hsieh's childhood and his early entrepreneurial ventures. He then describes his experiences in founding and selling his first tech company, and his subsequent involvement in investing in startups. Hsieh then outlines his approach to building a successful business, which centers around customer service and creating a positive company culture.
The majority of the book focuses on Hsieh's time at Zappos, where he became CEO in 2000. He shares the company's journey from a small startup to a billion-dollar enterprise, emphasizing the importance of a unifying company vision and a strong culture. Hsieh also discusses his decision to sell Zappos to Amazon for over a billion dollars in 2009, and the challenges that came with integrating the two companies.
Throughout the book, Hsieh emphasizes the importance of finding happiness in both work and life, and how this can lead to success and fulfillment. He also shares personal anecdotes and quotes from influential figures to support his ideas.
Overall, "Delivering Happiness" is a memoir and business book that encourages readers to embrace a positive and happy culture, both in their personal and professional lives.
The book begins with Hsieh's childhood and his early entrepreneurial ventures. He then describes his experiences in founding and selling his first tech company, and his subsequent involvement in investing in startups. Hsieh then outlines his approach to building a successful business, which centers around customer service and creating a positive company culture.
The majority of the book focuses on Hsieh's time at Zappos, where he became CEO in 2000. He shares the company's journey from a small startup to a billion-dollar enterprise, emphasizing the importance of a unifying company vision and a strong culture. Hsieh also discusses his decision to sell Zappos to Amazon for over a billion dollars in 2009, and the challenges that came with integrating the two companies.
Throughout the book, Hsieh emphasizes the importance of finding happiness in both work and life, and how this can lead to success and fulfillment. He also shares personal anecdotes and quotes from influential figures to support his ideas.
Overall, "Delivering Happiness" is a memoir and business book that encourages readers to embrace a positive and happy culture, both in their personal and professional lives.
Key ideas
1. Putting Customers and Employees First - The first and foremost core value of the company is the customer, followed by the employees. By prioritizing the customer, the business can make decisions that help keep everyone happy. Similarly, prioritizing employees and their happiness will help to create a more productive and efficient working environment, which in turn makes the customers happy. For example, in the book, Zappos developed an extensive recruiting process to ensure that they hired the right people who aligned with their values, which made the work environment more fulfilling and satisfying for their employees.
2. Building a Strong Company Culture – A strong company culture can help build a foundation of trust and passion for the business. When employees believe in the company’s values and mission, they are more likely to work harder and be more productive. The creation of a strong company culture is particularly important during times of uncertainty and change. For example, Tony Hsieh built a strong company culture at Zappos that was based on 10 core values, which included things like delivering WOW through service and building open and honest relationships with communication.
3. Emphasizing the Importance of Transparency and Communication - In any business, communication is key. By sharing information and being transparent with employees and customers, businesses can create trust and build long-term relationships. This includes being open about the state of the business, sharing financial information, and being honest about any issues or challenges the company is facing. For example, at Zappos, they instituted “All Hands” meetings, where employees were regularly updated on the state of the company and any new developments.
4. Focusing on Innovation and Constant Improvement – It’s important for a business to continue to innovate and improve to stay relevant and competitive. This means being open to new ideas and approaches, as well as constantly seeking feedback and looking for ways to improve. For example, Zappos continuously innovated by offering free shipping and returns, which set them apart from their competitors at the time.
5. Delivering Exceptional Customer Service – The success of a business depends on its ability to provide exceptional customer service. In the context of the book, providing excellent customer service meant going above and beyond for customers and surprising them with unexpected gifts or gestures. For example, Zappos sent a customer flowers when they found out she had lost a loved one, which helped build a strong relationship with that customer.
6. Building Strong Relationships – Building strong relationships with customers and employees is essential for a business to thrive. This means taking the time to get to know people, listening to their concerns and needs, and sincerely caring about their happiness. For example, Zappos has a large customer service team that handles customer inquiries and concerns, which helps to build a personal relationship between the customer and the company.
7. Doing What You Love – Ultimately, happiness comes from doing what you love and being passionate about it. When we are able to align our passions with our work, we are happier, more fulfilled, and more motivated to succeed. For Tony Hsieh, this meant building a company based on his love for delivering exceptional customer service and building strong relationships.
2. Building a Strong Company Culture – A strong company culture can help build a foundation of trust and passion for the business. When employees believe in the company’s values and mission, they are more likely to work harder and be more productive. The creation of a strong company culture is particularly important during times of uncertainty and change. For example, Tony Hsieh built a strong company culture at Zappos that was based on 10 core values, which included things like delivering WOW through service and building open and honest relationships with communication.
3. Emphasizing the Importance of Transparency and Communication - In any business, communication is key. By sharing information and being transparent with employees and customers, businesses can create trust and build long-term relationships. This includes being open about the state of the business, sharing financial information, and being honest about any issues or challenges the company is facing. For example, at Zappos, they instituted “All Hands” meetings, where employees were regularly updated on the state of the company and any new developments.
4. Focusing on Innovation and Constant Improvement – It’s important for a business to continue to innovate and improve to stay relevant and competitive. This means being open to new ideas and approaches, as well as constantly seeking feedback and looking for ways to improve. For example, Zappos continuously innovated by offering free shipping and returns, which set them apart from their competitors at the time.
5. Delivering Exceptional Customer Service – The success of a business depends on its ability to provide exceptional customer service. In the context of the book, providing excellent customer service meant going above and beyond for customers and surprising them with unexpected gifts or gestures. For example, Zappos sent a customer flowers when they found out she had lost a loved one, which helped build a strong relationship with that customer.
6. Building Strong Relationships – Building strong relationships with customers and employees is essential for a business to thrive. This means taking the time to get to know people, listening to their concerns and needs, and sincerely caring about their happiness. For example, Zappos has a large customer service team that handles customer inquiries and concerns, which helps to build a personal relationship between the customer and the company.
7. Doing What You Love – Ultimately, happiness comes from doing what you love and being passionate about it. When we are able to align our passions with our work, we are happier, more fulfilled, and more motivated to succeed. For Tony Hsieh, this meant building a company based on his love for delivering exceptional customer service and building strong relationships.
Quotes
1. "Your personal core values define who you are, and a company's core values ultimately define the company's character and brand." - Chapter 2
2. "Happiness is really just about four things: perceived control, perceived progress, connectedness (number and depth of your relationships), and vision/meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself)." - Chapter 4
3. "Being transparent creates trust and legitimacy." - Chapter 6
4. "We must stop treating people as resources and start treating them as humans." - Chapter 8
5. "Customer service shouldn't just be a department, it should be the entire company." - Chapter 9
6. "If we get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself." - Chapter 11
7. "Great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them." - Chapter 12
8. "Money alone isn't enough to bring happiness...happiness is when you're actually truly ok with losing everything you have." - Chapter 14.
2. "Happiness is really just about four things: perceived control, perceived progress, connectedness (number and depth of your relationships), and vision/meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself)." - Chapter 4
3. "Being transparent creates trust and legitimacy." - Chapter 6
4. "We must stop treating people as resources and start treating them as humans." - Chapter 8
5. "Customer service shouldn't just be a department, it should be the entire company." - Chapter 9
6. "If we get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself." - Chapter 11
7. "Great companies don't hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them." - Chapter 12
8. "Money alone isn't enough to bring happiness...happiness is when you're actually truly ok with losing everything you have." - Chapter 14.
Action items
1. Start with your WHY: The book emphasizes the importance of having a clear sense of purpose and a set of core values that guide your decisions and actions. The author suggests that businesses and individuals should focus on providing value and making a positive impact on the world as a way of achieving long-term success.
2. Create a culture of happiness: The book suggests that businesses should prioritize the happiness and well-being of their employees as a way of creating a positive and productive work environment. This can be achieved by fostering open communication, offering opportunities for personal and professional growth, and creating a sense of community and purpose among employees.
3. Focus on the customer experience: The book emphasizes the importance of providing exceptional customer service as a way of building a loyal customer base. This can be accomplished by listening to customer feedback, being responsive to their needs, and going above and beyond to exceed their expectations.
4. Embrace change and innovation: The book encourages readers to embrace change and take risks as a way of driving innovation and growth. This can be accomplished by constantly seeking out new ideas and opportunities, being open to feedback and criticism, and staying ahead of trends and emerging technologies.
5. Continuously learn and improve: The book stresses the importance of continuous learning and improvement as a way of staying relevant and competitive in today's rapidly changing business environment. This can be accomplished by seeking out feedback and constructive criticism, being open to new ideas and perspectives, and being willing to experiment and take calculated risks.
2. Create a culture of happiness: The book suggests that businesses should prioritize the happiness and well-being of their employees as a way of creating a positive and productive work environment. This can be achieved by fostering open communication, offering opportunities for personal and professional growth, and creating a sense of community and purpose among employees.
3. Focus on the customer experience: The book emphasizes the importance of providing exceptional customer service as a way of building a loyal customer base. This can be accomplished by listening to customer feedback, being responsive to their needs, and going above and beyond to exceed their expectations.
4. Embrace change and innovation: The book encourages readers to embrace change and take risks as a way of driving innovation and growth. This can be accomplished by constantly seeking out new ideas and opportunities, being open to feedback and criticism, and staying ahead of trends and emerging technologies.
5. Continuously learn and improve: The book stresses the importance of continuous learning and improvement as a way of staying relevant and competitive in today's rapidly changing business environment. This can be accomplished by seeking out feedback and constructive criticism, being open to new ideas and perspectives, and being willing to experiment and take calculated risks.