We grow by letting the customer tell us. So when the customer tells us that they're frustrated, that they just got their catalogue and we're already out of a product they wanted, then it tells me that we're not making enough. We let the customer tell us instead of creating an artificial demand for our products. Any time you're making products that people don't need, you're at the mercy of the economy, you're at the mercy of whatever is going on. So we tried to avoid that situation.
Yvon ChouinardBut I'm really trying to run this company like it is going to be here a hundred years from now. That's what's important.
Yvon ChouinardMastery... is to work toward simplicity; replace complex technology with knowledge, hard work, and skill.
Yvon ChouinardI purposely try to hire people who are really self-motivated and good at what they do, and then I just leave them alone.
Yvon ChouinardWhat they don't realize is that I'm not in the business to make clothes. I'm not in the business to make more money for myself, for Christ's sake. This is the reason Patagonia exists - to put into action the recommendations I read about in books to avoid environmental collapse. That's the reason I'm in business - to try to clean up our own act, and try to influence other companies to do the right thing, and try to influence our customers to do the right thing. So we're not going to change.
Yvon Chouinard