“Delivering happiness” by Tony Hsieh

The author 🖋

Tony Hsieh was a highly successful entrepreneur and business leader.

He co-founded LinkExchange which was sold to Microsoft for $265 million and later served as the CEO of Zappos for 9 years before it was acquired by Amazon in 2009.

Tony passed away after a fire accident in 2020.

Key takeaways 🎓

1. Company culture is key 

A strong company culture is the foundation for long-term success.

Culture is not just about perks or benefits, but about creating a shared set of values and beliefs that guide behavior throughout the organization.

When people enjoy coming to work and feel like they belong, they do a better job.

2. Service as a competitive advantage

Hsieh believed that customers should be treated like friends.

Delivering happiness wasn't just a slogan for Zappos, it was a core value that guided every decision - they would help people any time, day or night, and do little things to make them feel special.

Investing in customer happiness, based on him, leads to strong word-of-mouth marketing and long-term customer loyalty, which is more valuable than traditional advertising.

3. Profits come from value 

Companies should aim for a higher purpose beyond just making money.

Tony believed in the idea that pursuing profits should be secondary to pursuing passion and purpose, which ultimately leads to sustainable success.

By focusing on happiness and meaningful work, profits will follow as a natural result of creating real value and making employees, customers and partners happy.

Closing thoughts 🧠

The book is a powerful testament to the transformative impact of prioritizing company culture, customer service and personal fulfillment in business.

Hsieh's unique approach to business and multiple successful ventures demonstrate that creating an environment where happiness is the main priority does deliver amazing long term results.