FoundersFebruary 18, 2019

#60 Yvon Chouinard: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 40 Years

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Audio URL: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/DSLLC8037087830.mp3?updated=1748636318

About This Episode

What I learned from reading The Responsible Company: What We've Learned From Patagonia's First 40 Years by Yvon Chouinard and Vincent Stanley. ---- When I die and go to hell, the devil is going to make me the marketing director for a cola company. I’ll be in charge of trying to sell a product that no one needs, is identical to its competition, and can’t be sold on its merits. (0:01) What Patagonia was meant to be (8:25) Everyone wants to feel useful (11:00) a short history of companies (14:30) the definition of meaningful work (26:00) more human, less corporate (40:30) Yvon's ancestors and their working conditions (46:00) the benefits of long term thinking (49:00) build something useful and don't bullshit (57:00) Don't do things that have no useful purpose / being bold can lead to new discoveries / we need more small businesses (1:04:00) ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Book Mentions

5 book mentions in this episode.

Jump to books

Tip: Click “Mentioned at …” to copy a timestamp.

Tip: Click a cover image to open a book link.

Books Mentioned

The Responsible Company

Yvonne Chouinard

“Yvonne Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, and his book, The Responsible Company, what we've learned from Patagonia's first 40 years.”

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: Yvonne Chouinard's philosophy

For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders

Key quote: “I think we can benefit from his experience.”

The host mentions 'The Responsible Company' to highlight the contrasting business philosophies of Yvonne Chouinard and Howard Hughes. He believes that Chouinard's insights can provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurs looking to build responsible and successful companies.

ASIN: N/A

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Let My People Go Surfing, The Education of a Reluctant Businessman

Yvonne Chouinard

“In my top five easily out of all those 57 books is the book I covered on Founders 18, which was Yvonne Chouinard's book about the founding of Patagonia.”

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: Yvonne Chouinard's business philosophy

For: Entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders

Key quote: “I'd recommend this to any entrepreneur, anybody making anything to definitely read it.”

The host highlights Yvonne Chouinard's book as a valuable resource for entrepreneurs, contrasting it with lessons learned from Howard Hughes. He believes Chouinard's insights provide essential guidance on running a successful business based on passion and authenticity.

ASIN: N/A

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The Year Without Pants

“This journalist went to work for WordPress for like two years and then wrote a book about his experience.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: unconventional work environments

For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders interested in innovative work practices

Key quote: “I read the book, I think it's called The Year Without Pants, which is this journalist went to work for WordPress for like two years and then wrote a book about his experience.”

The host mentions 'The Year Without Pants' to illustrate how unconventional work environments can attract unique talent, as seen in the case of WordPress. This book highlights the experiences of a journalist who worked at WordPress, shedding light on the dynamics of remote work and its potential benefits.

ASIN: N/A

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The Innovator's Dilemma

“It's so uncommon that they wrote an entire book on it called The Innovator's Dilemma.”

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: company innovation challenges

For: Business leaders and entrepreneurs

Key quote: “It's something Yvonne did because he thought it was the right thing to do.”

The host discusses how Patagonia's founder, Yvonne Chouinard, exemplified the principles outlined in 'The Innovator's Dilemma' by making the difficult decision to phase out a profitable product for ethical reasons. This decision highlights the importance of understanding customer values and the risks involved in true innovation.

ASIN: B0CY78H4Q1

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I think it was in 2012

“The speaker mentions a book that was first published in 2012 and updated in 2016, discussing customer acquisition costs.”

Sentiment: Highly Recommended

Trigger: customer acquisition costs

For: Business owners and marketers

Key quote: “He wrote this book, I think first publication, I think it was in 2012.”

The host mentions the book to emphasize the increasing costs of acquiring customers and the importance of building genuine relationships with them. This aligns with the author's insights on the evolving landscape of marketing and customer engagement.

ASIN: N/A

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