Product Journeys: Zappos

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Zappos was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn who launched the company with Tony Hsieh and Alfred Lin who invested $2 million through their investment firm Venture Frogs. The company was officially launched online in 1999 as "ShoeSite.com."

In July 1999, the company's name was changed from ShoeSite to Zappos after "zapatos," the Spanish word meaning "shoes." In 2000, Venture Frogs invested in the business and Zappos moved into their office space. In 2001, Hsieh came on board as co-CEO with Nick Swinmurn.

Tony helped Zappos.com grow from nearly zero sales to a company with a $1.2 billion valuation and an eventual acquisition by Amazon - allowing the company to remain completely independent because of the strength of the brand they had built from a relentless focus on customer satisfaction.

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