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Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

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Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#31

Post by realbarack »

ryandrake wrote: post #22
bluedevil2k wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you driven the blocks around downtown Vegas lately? It's very seedy, full of pawn shops and payday lending stores, liquor stores and closed stores. Streets are dirty, numerous homeless people. I admire his goal of revitalizing it, but it didn't work.

It's too bad, because I really wish Vegas could somehow magically turn into a tech jobs hub. It's got a lot going for it: No state income tax. Cheap housing. Minimal regulation. Cheap, relatively private LLCs. World class restaurants. World class entertainment/shows (even if touristy). Casinos, if you're into it. If NorCal is a heaven for people who like outdoor activities, then Vegas is the heaven for people who lik…

Vegas is not bad for outdoor activities either. World-class rock climbing, good hiking and mountain biking, 2 hours to the Grand Canyon, 2.5 to Zion National Park, 5 to Mammoth (not close but no worse than Los Angeles). Alex Honnold owns a house there.

If I ever achieve my dream of being a seasonal nomad, Vegas just might make the cut.

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#32

Post by geophile »

ipsum2 wrote: post #6

Does anyone know how his "The Downtown Project" (aka Vegas revitalization) is going?

I visited maybe 4-5 years ago. I had just read about Hsieh, and his business philosophy, and his attempt to revitalize downtown Las Vegas.

It was ... odd.

My immediate impression was favorable. A very quirky looking area -- a small outdoor mall, with the buildings framing a little courtyard area. Built out of shipping containers, or something that looked like that.

But the businesses. Each one was quirky in the extreme. A combination convenience/art supply store. A store selling nothing but socks. A store selling used luxury goods. Maybe one of these could survive in a high traffic area of a conventional mall, but there was nothing to draw anyone. There was a bar that had some odd twist, but I don't remember what the twist was.

I didn't see how the area could survive. It wasn't right in the middle of downtown LV, so I don't think they could rely on people visiting there. I'm sure there were people like me who somehow heard of it, and went to visit. But one visit was plenty. There was absolutely nothing to draw me back. And it was pretty deserted.

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#34

Post by svilla3k »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #16
ipsum2 wrote: post #6

Does anyone know how his "The Downtown Project" (aka Vegas revitalization) is going?

Have you driven the blocks around downtown Vegas lately? It's very seedy, full of pawn shops and payday lending stores, liquor stores and closed stores. Streets are dirty, numerous homeless people. I admire his goal of revitalizing it, but it didn't work.

If you think it has issues now, you should have seen it pre-downtown revitalization. I went to high school in downtown and you wouldn’t dare stray from campus. Literal meth lab houses would blow up in that area during PE class. It’s not perfect now but you feel safe walking there anytime of day. As for payday loans and all the other items listed, that’s just how Vegas works. It’s sad but I doubt a gambling town could be any other way.

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#35

Post by ckdarby »

modeless wrote: post #29
ryandrake wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's too bad, because I really wish Vegas could somehow magically turn into a tech jobs hub. It's got a lot going for it: No state income tax. Cheap housing. Minimal regulation. Cheap, relatively private LLCs. World class restaurants. World class entertainment/shows (even if touristy). Casinos, if you're into it. If NorCal is a heaven for people who like outdoor activities, then Vegas is the heaven for people who lik…

I probably wouldn't mind Vegas except for one extremely important thing. The whole place reeks of cigarettes and I can't stand it. I don't ever want to live in a place where indoor smoking is legal.

Agree, Vegas doesn't fit with the tech hipsters and eco friendly Silicon valley types.

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#37

Post by switch11 »

pcurve wrote: post #26

"In 2009, Zappos was acquired by online behemoth Amazon.com Inc. for 10 million shares of Amazon stock" Stock went up 30 times since then. I wonder many shares he kept.

precisely the question I had in mind

seems like a good dude. Hopefully he kept most of it

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#38

Post by hkmurakami »

Paul-ish wrote: post #30
pcurve wrote: post #26

"In 2009, Zappos was acquired by online behemoth Amazon.com Inc. for 10 million shares of Amazon stock" Stock went up 30 times since then. I wonder many shares he kept.

It probably has split too.

Not in this time frame

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#39

Post by meddlepal »

Worked with someone that had bought into the cult of Zappos as an HR/Head of People/Whatever the fuck you want to call it these days.

They were gross. The happiness culture is toxic and if you don't buy into it and aren't projecting rays of sunshine 24/7 from all your orifices you're expected to just fuck off.

Re: Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is stepping down after 21 years

#40

Post by jheriko »

bitwarrior wrote: post #17
war1025 wrote: post #5

I had no idea they were a 20 year old company. I assumed they were a fresh startup around 2015 or so when they started getting a lot of media traction. Maybe I was just out of the loop, but that's really surprising to me.

2015 was the year you personally started paying attention: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&geo=US&q=z...

I disagree this is broadly unknown outside of a niche...

Even if the company practises seem to have had a knock-on effect. .. if the article is accurate of course.

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