Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, discusses keys to entrepreneurial success

This week on The CEO TV Show, I sit down with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos .

Hsieh, who sold his first on-line business for $265 million when he was 24, first became interested in Zappos.com, an on-line shoe retailer, as an investor and an advisor.  That quickly changed to him becoming fully involved in developing the business.  And it was not always easy.  Indeed, there was a time when they were on the brink of bankruptcy, forcing everyone to come up with unique ways of solving problems.

“It was a blessing in disguise,” Hsieh explained.  “If we had all the money we wanted, we probably wouldn’t have uncovered the key to our success, what was exceptional customer service.”

Hsieh explains why this was critical and how this – and the importance of corporate culture – was how Zappos.com went from being on the brink of bankruptcy to being a billion dollar business in less than a decade.

And what is the key to entrepreneurial success? He starts by saying, “Well, what I would tell anyone, not just entrepreneurs, is..”. You can hear his full answer by clicking here to watch the interview.

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