I think everyone should get a little exposure to computer science because it really forces you to think in a slightly different way, and it’s a skill that you can apply in life in general, whether you end up in computer science or not.
Just figure out what your personal values are then just make those the corporate values.
Good businesses generate missions to drive their profits. Great businesses generate profits to drive their missions.
The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture.
Our society in general has is more money equals more happiness and all the research has shown that that’s true up to a point, up until you can get your basic needs met, but then really there is other stuff that has a much bigger impact on your happiness besides just money.
Our customers call and e-mail us to say that’s how it feels when a Zappos box arrives. And that’s how we view this company.
We asked ourselves what we wanted this company to stand for. We didn’t want to just sell shoes. I wasn’t even into shoes – but I was passionate about customer service.
The problem when someone feels burned out, bored, unchallenged, or stifled by their work is not the job itself but rather the environment and playground rules given to them to do the job at hand.
Usually my ‘a-ha’ moments are when I’m not trying to think of how to solve a particular problem.
I thought about how easily we are all brainwashed by our society and culture to stop thinking and just assume by default that more money equals more success and more happiness, when ultimately happiness is really just about enjoying life.
Have fun. The game is a lot more enjoyable when you’re trying to do more than just make money.
We decided that if we get the culture right, most of the stuff, like building a brand around delivering the very best customer service, will just take care of itself.
Zappos uses call center technology to track average call time per agent. But the goal isn’t to reduce this average – it’s more important that we make an emotional connection with the customer, rather than just quickly getting them off the phone.
Don’t be cocky. Don’t be flashy. There’s always someone better than you.
Most innovation comes from outside your industry applied to your own.
If there are too many competitors, even if you’re the best it’s a lot harder to win.
Instead of getting an iPad, I now use my iPhone with a giant magnifying glass attached to my face.
Help shape the stories that people are telling about you.
The best businesses are really ones that can combine passion, profits, and purpose.
Zappos is a customer service company that just happens to sell shoes.