How I Built This with Guy Raz

Zappos: Tony Hsieh (2017)

May 20, 2019

Tony Hsieh, the visionary founder of Zappos, transformed an online shoe retailer into a billion-dollar customer service powerhouse. He shares insights on the unconventional management philosophy that prioritizes happiness and employee culture over traditional structures. Hsieh reflects on overcoming early financial challenges and the joy of creating a nurturing work environment. He also delves into his belief in experiences over possessions, illustrating how these principles fueled Zappos' success and reshaped industry expectations.

32:41

Episode guests

Tony Hsieh

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Understanding the Unconventional Philosophy Behind Zappos

5min

Architecting Culture: The Zappos Journey

14min

Navigating Early Challenges at Zappos

2min

From Struggles to Success

8min

Creating Kindness and a Creative Workspace

2min

From Prototype to Success: The DeskView Journey

4min

Computer scientist Tony Hsieh made millions off the dot-com boom. But he didn't make his mark until he built Zappos — a customer service company that "happens to sell shoes." Now Zappos is worth over a billion dollars and known for its completely unorthodox management style. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Mike Bolos and Jason Grohowski, who brought the office desk closer to the light by creating Deskview, a portable desk that attaches to a sheer window with a suction cup. (Original broadcast date: January 23, 2017). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.