Delivering Happiness
Encyclopedia
Delivering Happiness is a book by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh
. It details his life as an entrepreneur
, with emphasis on the founding of LinkExchange and Zappos.
in Lake Tahoe
. He wrote most of the book stream of consciousness
, often completing 3,000 word chunks a day that he would send to his editor in New York
. While writing the book, Hsieh was still acting CEO of Zappos as well as a highly sought after corporate speaker. Due to this grueling schedule, he would often write for 20 to 24 hours at time, sleep for four hours or less, and then resume working. To stay awake, Hsieh says that “we tried coffee. And alcohol. And then coffee and alcohol. We actually put coffee beans in a vodka bottle.” The entire writing process took two and a half weeks.
form and includes short 1-2 page entries from Hsieh's friends and employees. In the first section, Hsieh details his entrepreneurial adventures from when he was young until he was in college. These include his attempt to start an earthworm breeding business at the age of 9, a mail order button business in middle school, and a grille at Harvard University
. After college, Hsieh founded LinkExchange
, which he sold to Microsoft
for $265 million two years later. He founded Venture Frogs, an investment fund, of which Zappos was one of the investments.
The second section, Profits and Passion, details Hsieh's involvement with Zappos, beginning with joining the company full-time as CEO in 2000. The third section, Profits, Passion, and Purpose, covers Zappos sale to Amazon
, as well as lessons Hsieh learned in public relations and public speaking.
, with the goal of raising $33,333 for cancer research. For a $33 donation to the fund, entries got a copy of the book as well as a chance to win a trip to New York City
.
Delivering Happiness was profiled in The Washington Post
, CNBC
, TechCrunch
, The Huffington Post
, and The Wall Street Journal
It debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List
, and stayed on the list for 27 consecutive weeks. It also spent nine weeks in the USA Today
Besteller list, where it peaked at 9, and was one of the Top 10 Amazon Bestsellers for June and July.
Tony Hsieh
Tony Hsieh is the CEO of online shoe and clothing shop Zappos.com. Prior to joining Zappos, Hsieh co-founded and sold the internet advertising network LinkExchange to Microsoft in 1999 for $265 million.-Early life:...
. It details his life as an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, with emphasis on the founding of LinkExchange and Zappos.
Background
In 2009, Hsieh began writing Delivering Happiness over Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
in Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
. He wrote most of the book stream of consciousness
Stream of consciousness
In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that seeks to portray an individual's point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought processes, either in a loose interior monologue, or in connection to his or her actions.Stream-of-consciousness writing...
, often completing 3,000 word chunks a day that he would send to his editor in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. While writing the book, Hsieh was still acting CEO of Zappos as well as a highly sought after corporate speaker. Due to this grueling schedule, he would often write for 20 to 24 hours at time, sleep for four hours or less, and then resume working. To stay awake, Hsieh says that “we tried coffee. And alcohol. And then coffee and alcohol. We actually put coffee beans in a vodka bottle.” The entire writing process took two and a half weeks.
Synopsis
The book is divided into three sections: Profits; Profits and Passion; and Profits, Passion, and Purpose. It is written in narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
form and includes short 1-2 page entries from Hsieh's friends and employees. In the first section, Hsieh details his entrepreneurial adventures from when he was young until he was in college. These include his attempt to start an earthworm breeding business at the age of 9, a mail order button business in middle school, and a grille at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. After college, Hsieh founded LinkExchange
LinkExchange
LinkExchange was a popular internet advertising cooperative, originally known as Internet Link Exchange or ILE.It was founded in March 1996 by 23-year-old Harvard graduates Tony Hsieh and Sanjay Madan. Ali Partovi later joined them as a third partner...
, which he sold to Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for $265 million two years later. He founded Venture Frogs, an investment fund, of which Zappos was one of the investments.
The second section, Profits and Passion, details Hsieh's involvement with Zappos, beginning with joining the company full-time as CEO in 2000. The third section, Profits, Passion, and Purpose, covers Zappos sale to Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, as well as lessons Hsieh learned in public relations and public speaking.
Release and reception
Before the release of Delivering Happiness, Hsieh gave away free copies of the book to bloggers in exchange for a review and the ability to give away a free book. Hsieh and his team also partnered with LivestrongLivestrong
Livestrong can refer to the following items evolving from the Lance Armstrong Foundation:*Livestrong wristband, a yellow wristband*Livestrong Sporting Park, soccer stadium in Kansas City, Kansas...
, with the goal of raising $33,333 for cancer research. For a $33 donation to the fund, entries got a copy of the book as well as a chance to win a trip to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Delivering Happiness was profiled in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, and The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
It debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller List
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
, and stayed on the list for 27 consecutive weeks. It also spent nine weeks in the USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
Besteller list, where it peaked at 9, and was one of the Top 10 Amazon Bestsellers for June and July.