Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

Lead an examined life. Clean up our own act. Do our penance. Support civil democracy. Do good. Influence other companies.

“incompatible with any reasonable characterization of an organized, equitable and civilized global community.”

sale to a loyal customer is worth six to eight times more to our bottom line than a sale to another customer.

We never wanted to be a big company. We want to be the best company, and it’s easier to try to be the best small company than the best big company. We have to practice self-control. Growth in one part of the company may have to be sacrificed to allow growth in another. It’s also important that we have a clear idea of what the limits are to this “ex

The key to building a consensus for action is good communication.

Function must dictate form.

we do consider profit to be a vote of confidence, that our customers approve of what we are doing.

To me, Tomatoes-R-Us is merely a U.S. company doing international business. Acme, on the other hand, is a global company because it knows the importance of tailoring its products to specific markets.

Patagonia, making a profit is not the goal, because the Zen master would say profits happen “when you do everything else right.”