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Back to Alfred Lin — Investing in Greatness, with Alfred Lin.

How Did Tony Hsieh Get His Entrepreneurial Start in Pizza

As a Junior at Harvard, Tony Hsieh decided to take over the student grill, but instead of selling burgers and fries like it used to, Tony would sell pizza which yielded higher margins.

Further, while most other students were only interested in running this grill in their Senior year, by taking over the operations as a Junior, Tony was able to amortize his costs over two years and to make more money.

Knowing he was the only Junior bidding on this grill, Tony was willing to be the highest bidder. He submitted his bid as "Highest bid +1 dollar," and naturally ended up winning.

Transcript

Alfred Lin — Investing in Greatness ·

Below the Line with James Beshara

More from this episode

  1. What Does Sequoia Look for in Their FoundersClarity, conviction, and courage.
  2. How Did Alfred Lin Outsmart Tony Hsieh of ZapposTony needed to kickstart his pizza business, so in order to secure cash upfront, he was able to give Alfred a discount, in exchange for an annual commitment.
  3. How Do You Hire Great People for a StartupInterview for culture fit. Chance are it won't work out if you hire someone who is a good functional fit, but isn't on board with your company's mission.

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