Book SummaryLet My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Let My People Go Surfing

From its origin as a modest rock climbing equipment shop, Patagonia has become not only a globally recognized outdoor gear and apparel company but also a beacon of sustainable business. In Let My People Go Surfing, founder Yvon Chouinard shares his journey from nature enthusiast to creator of the eco-friendly company. He critiques traditional profit-first business practices and encourages companies to be conscious of their environmental footprint. With Patagonia’s unique business model, Chouinard aims to demonstrate that success is possible when a company puts its customers, employees, and the planet before profits.

Chouinard is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and outdoor enthusiast. He’s the cofounder of 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses that give 1% of their annual sales to environmental organizations. Chouinard also cowrote _[The Responsible...

Let My People Go Surfing Summary Part 1: Chouinard’s Journey From Adventurer to Entrepreneur

Chouinard writes that it was his deep passion for the outdoors that propelled him into the world of entrepreneurship. As someone who disliked authority and considered himself a “dirtbag”—a person who dedicates their life to outdoor pursuits—he never intended to become a traditional businessman. Instead of pursuing success or profit, Chouinard became an entrepreneur primarily as a means to fund his climbing trips. Thus, a dedication to nature has been at the heart of Patagonia from the beginning.

(Shortform note: Like with Chouinard, personal values and interests—not the promise of large profits—have motivated many successful entrepreneurs to start their businesses. For example, Apple cofounder Steve Jobs cared more about delivering well-designed and high quality products than making a profit. Similarly, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield launched Ben & Jerry’s ice cream because they were [dissatisfied with where their lives were headed and they shared a passion for...

Let My People Go Surfing Summary Part 2: The Rise of Patagonia

As Chouinard Equipment grew increasingly popular within the climbing community, Chouinard decided to expand and start a new company for outdoor apparel: Patagonia. Like with the climbing gear he manufactured, Chouinard wanted to produce clothing that was simple, practical, and durable. However, his transition from selling climbing hardware to clothing didn’t come without challenges. In this section, we’ll discuss the hurdles Patagonia had to overcome in its journey to success and how they shaped Chouinard’s unique, eco-friendly approach to business.

Early Challenges

After launching Patagonia, Chouinard quickly discovered that running an apparel business wasn’t the same as making climbing equipment. The young company encountered problems with a garment factory they had contracted with, resulting in late shipments and a large stock of low quality products. Because of this, Patagonia struggled to make enough money to stay in business.

(Shortform note: To avoid issues such as the ones Patagonia faced, many business experts recommend using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to...

Let My People Go Surfing Summary Part 3: Building an Environmentally Conscious Business

Chouinard came to a crucial conclusion: His company was struggling because its leaders weren’t aligned with its mission. He traced the root cause to a lack of proper training of new leadership. To solve this problem and reaffirm the company’s identity, Chouinard took his top managers on a trip to Patagonia—the region in South America and the company’s namesake. There, they came up with a set of core principles that continue to guide the company today.

(Shortform note: In Start With Why, Simon Sinek writes that it’s common for companies to lose sight of their mission once they start succeeding. This is because as companies grow, leaders become increasingly removed from many of the decisions the company makes. When this happens, companies become too focused on metrics (the what of their business, not the why) and grow stagnant. To prevent this, Sinek says you must ensure your purpose trickles down from the top and also plan for a smooth succession to new leaders who support the purpose as strongly as current leadership.)

Patagonia emerged from the crisis with a...

Shortform Exercise: Apply Patagonia’s Business Principles

Reflect on your workplace and consider ways you could apply Patagonia’s business principles to prioritize environmental sustainability and employee well-being.

Chouinard emphasizes making high-quality, durable, and repairable products. How informed are you about how your products or services are made? What is one step you can take to be more informed?