Decent case study diminished by pontification

books:


	• Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman Yvon Chouinard Penguin (Non-Classics), 2006 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 51 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The Ultimate Company to work for

Yvon Chouinard began his foray into business as a way to create a product for himself and his climbing colleagues. His desire to life an unconventional lifestyle, along with his mother's philanthropic influence, led him to create what Patagonia is today: a socially responsible business that makes high quality products while tending to the environment and its employees. Chouinard believes in his people and they in turn trust him.

Author, "Trust is Everything: Become the leader others will follow"

Decent case study diminished by pontification

The tone of arrogance and condescension really diminish what would otherwise be a good autobiographical case study of growing a hobby/skill into a successful brand. Critical self assessment is sometimes subordinated to over emotive passages and screeds about Chouinard's take social and economic trends. Some of the more interesting aspects of forming company goals and culture were lost amid a general tone of contempt for what Chouinard considers `the business world'. The good stuff is there, you just have to get past the maverick chest thumping and "I am a reluctant businessman and I run my business better without old and tired business practices and paradigms. . . like profit".

Two things were rather galling. First, the first sentence "No young kid growing up ever dreams of becoming a businessman." Well, sorry, a lot of kids actually do, they dream of following a parent or relation in a particular line of business or endeavor, just because Chouinard wasn't like that doesn't mean it doesn't occur.

Second, the restructuring of 1991 was a prime example of the arrogance and hypocrisy that marks the books tone. In July of 1991, Patagonia fired 20% of its workforce. So what does Chouinard do? He packs his executives off to Argentina for a `walkabout' to discuss goals and direction. Nice. You fire a bunch of people then you blaze a huge carbon footprint down to Argentina to brainstorm. WOW, that is brilliant. Excellent use of corporate and global assets. That's the kind of morale crushing maneuver that Chouinard pillories `the business world' for throughout the book. "Where's the boss?" "Oh, after the red ink of the second quarter, he and the executive committee went to Argentina to figure things out." Right out of Dilbert.

Again, some good information buried amid the screed and propaganda (at Patagonia, it's not propaganda, it's activism). I would recommend reading Goldratt's `The Goal' parallel with this. Still, the book is a good case study of brand development and growing a hobby/skill into a corporate business.

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A fun, unique, and compelling biz book

This book will appeal to 2 types of reader (and I trend to both categories):

1. The hardcore, outdoor purist (and core Patagonia dirtbag customer) who is interested in how Chouinard turned his passion into a thriving business;

2. The socially responsible businessperson who is curious about the inner workings of a successful values led business, particularly how one balances the sometimes contradictory goals of growth and authenticity/values

Readers that fall into the 1st category above will find Part 1 of the book more interesting, whereas readers in the 2nd category will probably read Part 2 with the most interest.

More than most biz books, this one conveys some useful info for both camps. It's interesting to me how, maybe unbeknownst to Chouinard, he puts into practice such hot management practices like "demand planning" and "lean operations" as a natural extension of his focus on quality and authenticity. It's heartening to learn that a company like this stands more than a fighting chance in this world where it seems that success ultimately boils down to scale and slick advertising.

It helps that Chouinard is such a crotchety iconoclast, of course! As any one who has worked with an entrepeneur knows, strong opinions are an essential part of their character. This is what in my opinion adds to the charm-- he is definitely a what you see is what you get kinda guy.

Got my fingers crossed for this company that it might in fact last "one hundred years" and beyond.

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Why can't we all......

I found the book to be very enjoyable and definitely thought provoking. Even though I don't run a company, it got me thinking about ways I could have a similar affect on our world in my own job and personal life. If the book did that alone, I would consider it a success.

best business book in years

this is the best business book i've read in a long time, hands down. and, that's a bit strange, in many ways. because it's not a pure business book -- let's call it a business memoir. chuoinard tells his own life story, including a detailed telling of the creation of chouinard equipment, and then patagonia. he's sometimes-arrogant, he often unfairly generalizes, he occasionally overstates his case. he's overly proud of this "i did it my way" path.

but... it works. and there are nuggets in here that are so wonderfullly different than what one would read in other business books. in a sense, this is a "life book" -- it's about leading a company who is voraciosly and unflinchingly committed to its mission and values, even when those are contrary to profit. it's about a company or an organization being about something other, something more, than revenue and profit. and, really, it's about being the kind of person who knows herself, knows his values, knows her strengths, knows his commitments, and works ruthlessly to keep them. for chouinard, those values are all about the environment. so the book is packed with both the theoretical and the practical when it comes to environmental issues (including lots of side stories).

personally, i found the environmental stuff really helpful. we (ys) aren't patagonia (either in their singular commitment to environmental issues, or in many other ways). but we are trying to become more green. but the environmental passion of patagonia transfers, conceptually, to what other organizations could be passionate about (assuming that something is outside of themselves).

so...
1/3 personal and organizational memoir
1/3 environmental manifesto and practical organizational guide
1/3 business book on passionate commitment to internally and externally focused organizational mission and values

i'm going to buy a case lot of these (really), and give them to the ys exec team, the ys green team (a group of ys staff working on ways to help ys be more environmentally friendly), and some on the zondervan leadership team.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard?legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.?shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport?s equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life?a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

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