Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Let My People Go Surfing summary
Yvon Chouinard
The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
17 mins
Brief summary
'Let My People Go Surfing' by Yvon Chouinard tells the story of how Patagonia became a successful, sustainable company that prioritizes environmentalism and ethics over profit. It highlights the importance of taking responsibility for our impact on the planet and embracing a purpose-driven business model.
Topics
Table of Contents
Let My People Go Surfing
Summary of 7 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 7
Yvon Chouinard took his early love of climbing and nature as inspiration to start his own company.
It’s possible that you’ve been shopping for outdoor gear at Patagonia for years without knowing who Yvon Chouinard is. However, if you want to understand how Patagonia became one of the world’s most successful companies of its kind, it all starts with Yvon Chouinard.
His story begins in Maine, where he was born in 1938 to a French-Canadian family. When his French-speaking family moved across the continent to California, he began to feel like an outsider and took comfort in mountain climbing.
His interest in climbing only intensified from there: after graduating from college, he taught himself how to work as a blacksmith so he could make his own climbing gear.
Chouinard wasn’t happy with most of the gear available at the time, as the majority of it came from European companies that had a different approach to mountaineering than what he was after. They designed equipment based on the idea that climbing was a battle of humanity versus nature; to help you conquer a mountain, they built tools that often damaged the environment.
Soon after learning how to make his own climbing gear, Chouinard was selling it to others and quickly expanding his business.
Even though his tools were expensive, his radical redesign of climbing equipment was very appealing to his fellow outdoorsy types: he simplified standard equipment while at the same time making it lighter, stronger and more functional.
There wasn’t much profit at first, but Chouinard was only really interested in earning enough to continue climbing, surfing and fishing. He was, however, eventually able to hire some friends as employees and bring in just enough money to continually improve the products they were putting out.
It all paid off by 1970, when Chouinard Equipment became the biggest climbing hardware supplier in the United States. Even so, improvements still needed to be made.
When Chouinard was climbing, he saw that pitons were being left dug into the sides of mountains everywhere. Keeping with his philosophy of putting nature first, Chouinard decided that his company would phase out pitons, despite their popularity, and only produce removable aluminum chocks.
Getting rid of a top-selling item is a radical move that could spell the end of a company, but Chouinard was just getting started.
Want to see all full key ideas from Let My People Go Surfing?
Key ideas in Let My People Go Surfing
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is Let My People Go Surfing about?
Let My People Go Surfing (2005) is an inspiring look at the popular outdoor gear company Patagonia, an organization that has shown the world that there is more than one way to operate a successful business. In these blinks, you’ll not only get to know the company’s history and its unique philosophy, you’ll also find out about why Patagonia has some of the happiest employees around and why people feel so good about buying its products.
Let My People Go Surfing Review
Let My People Go Surfing (2005) explores the unconventional business philosophies of Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- It offers refreshing insights into building a successful company that prioritizes environmental responsibility and employee well-being.
- The book showcases Chouinard's unconventional approach to business, with anecdotes ranging from climbing mountains to fighting for environmental causes.
- Full of practical wisdom and lessons learned from Chouinard's own experiences, it inspires readers to think differently and challenge the status quo.
Best quote from Let My People Go Surfing
Ive been a businessman for almost 60 years. Its as difficult for me to say those words as it is for someone to admit being an alcoholic or a lawyer.
—Yvon Chouinard
Who should read Let My People Go Surfing?
- Fans of Patagonia and its products
- Readers interested in eco-friendly brands
- Climbers, surfers and outdoor enthusiasts
Categories with Let My People Go Surfing
Book summaries like Let My People Go Surfing
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
Let My People Go Surfing FAQs
What is the main message of Let My People Go Surfing?
The main message of Let My People Go Surfing is that business can be a force for environmental and social change.
How long does it take to read Let My People Go Surfing?
The reading time for Let My People Go Surfing varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Let My People Go Surfing a good book? Is it worth reading?
Let My People Go Surfing is worth reading for its inspiring insights into sustainable business practices and the passion of its author.
Who is the author of Let My People Go Surfing?
The author of Let My People Go Surfing is Yvon Chouinard.
What to read after Let My People Go Surfing?
If you're wondering what to read next after Let My People Go Surfing, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- How to Win at the Sport of Business by Mark Cuban
- Mind Magic by James R. Doty
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
- Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson
- How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes
- Zero to One by Peter Thiel with Blake Masters
- The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
Featured Titles
- Global Capitalism
- Globalization and its Discontents
- Individual Strategy and Social Structure
- Inequality Reexamined
- Introducing Game Theory
- Irrational Exuberance
- Judgment Under Uncertainty
- Making It in Real Estate
- Managerial Decision Modeling with Spreadsheets
- Population Games and Evolutionary Dynamics
- Selling Naked
- Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel
- Statistics, Data Analysis, and Decision Modeling
- The Great Transformation
- The Half Has Never Been Told
- The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008
- The Rise and Fall of American Growth
- The Why Axis
- Twenty Lectures on Algorithmic Game Theory
- Why Stock Markets Crash