Zappos' Tony Hsieh: A Life of 'All In'

What’s your definition of success?

For Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, it was the "willingness to lose it all," to have an idea so powerful that you’d risk everything to be wrong.

Hsieh died recently from exposure to a house fire. He was 46.

Weeks before his death, his friend Jewel, the singer-songwriter, came to his home in Park City, Utah, to spend some time and perform for his guests. Jewel left abruptly and, according to Forbes.com, penned a letter to him in hopes that he would change his lifestyle.

"I am going to be blunt," she wrote. "I need to tell you that I don't think you are well and in your right mind. I think you are taking too many drugs that cause you to disassociate."

"The people you are surrounding yourself with are either ignorant or willing to be complicit in you killing yourself," she added.

Jewel loved Tony, so much so that she was honest and willing to share her feelings regardless of how he’d take them. She would not be an enabler; she would try and make a difference in helping him alter his life. We all need friends like Jewel who are willing to tell us the truth.

Hsieh was a remarkable person who touched many with his kindness. And his definition of success is paramount to understanding how he organized Zappos. Hsieh was all about culture, believing that a strong one formed by people with a common goal — an "all-in" philosophy and a willingness to lose it all — would enable it to develop organically. He knew that just because you can’t always measure the return on the investment of some things does not mean that they aren't impactful. The reason most companies don’t focus on customer service and company culture, he believed, is that they don’t pay any obvious immediate dividends.

Hsieh knew that by surrounding himself with people who had his passion for success and shared his "all in” belief, he could make the long term just as exciting as the present.

Hsieh left his mark on many. The ending of his life was tragic and not representative of his Zappos success and the people he touched along the way. In her poignant eulogy, Jewel said that anyone who came in contact with Tony was better for the experience and for his wisdom.

We could all learn something from Tony Hsieh.

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