The lessons of Tony Hsieh’s quest for employee happiness

Tony Hsieh wanted to make people happy: customers, employees, everyone. It was a goal that was as prescient as it was ambitious.

As CEO of the online shoe retailer Zappos for 21 years, Hsieh, who died Nov. 26 at age 46 from injuries sustained in a house fire, was an early pioneer in espousing employee happiness as a top business priority. His quest to create an environment where workers felt enthusiastic about their jobs and, by extension, their lives, is an indelible part of his legacy—one that reveals both the promise and the pitfalls of happiness as a corporate goal.

The Zappos culture of fun

Read the rest of this story on qz.com. Become a member to get unlimited access to Quartz’s journalism.