i How to Crack the Power Elite | | REJECTING OLD FORMULAS, | ITS FOUNDERS DEVISED A | BREAKTHRO! cn nen ou | 3 Jar 20 R GROW ||| lf uiGrowth Odyssey How Zingerman’s found a breakthrough strategy toexienc “The Coole Snll Company in Americas Ine des in this months cover tony —cbviously involved some pret sbjcive hin ing Mwasrtan idea we conotedatthesttarepoing poet Intend the desription fist came up it staff dcusions about edtorat age Bo Businghan’s compelingpotait ofZngemans Commaiyc Busines Some of us wondered how Zingermas compares wh ther ul imag ttv companies that Ic has wes abou veh eas outs he Ben & Jerry's, the Body Shop, and Great Harvest Bread Go. Do all those inno- vate busineses hve something in common? On the mos fundameta eel the never maybe tat the al grew out ofthe unique pewonalides eft peaple who founded thm, nga cetinlyapovedlextr ple ofthat The cllegetown (an Abr, Mich) compan, which the Ereaton of Ai Weinaweig and Paul Sain, election of seen small Bisine spring neo the nol growth alee weve ome across. Ate unig interatina fame asa elicatesen, Zingesman's cas ily could have adopted the cookie-cutter ftanchise formu that so many other succesful businesses have fllowed. But Ari and Paul rejected tht ‘obvious strategy because they werent interested inthe kind of life tht it ‘would ental. Jn some ways Ari’ mast telling comment in the story is that the did't want to spend his time "ying to Kanses City toe sonte mediocre Zingerman's" So the two founders et about devising a new approach that fit their personal goals took them two years of eading, discussing their ‘ideas with other businessowmers, and meeting regularly ata picnic able next to their deli, The grand plan that resulted, however, was fr beter than any- thing a management consulting fir could have devised for ther. Sum: marized in a document titled "Zingerman’s 2009: A Food Odyssey.” the scheme that the vo partners came up with not only created an original Dusiness struct but also helped attract an array of sar, inteesting, al ‘ented people including M.B.A’s and other enlreprenesss—to an exci: ing business adventure. Today the eomiman mission at Zingerman’s i to exploe together the possibilities of having great life while building great company. What could be cooler than thal? from the editor Contributors Robert x cringely. ne author o c's Wats Net {rune eon oot coanactons tech ‘ays best nd ita separa ce opened eterna teins wo gt rte us, [il Gates ar Store gots) Tes moth Rowe he {rotin onan iaret poner wha hae yet oan ves ty measure ote, Why Bacane Carga Snes ta Bit Seats camparp-ansopheston sr es provider seed Pogo isa at ona tp aed of tI, cing tim arf Bye Rabo, contr Adam iin maa thorn page elm, c dest ot onto eli the awn th far a taht os ho con oe of ‘tama! amo ies naorsing “sk Your Bs" Ha conthores Oi oma Hom cose mons Ca uty tty amy tal gts pcs one shes ntrhctermortinnadecase H'Jone2000 pees txsno.tat empresas apowenr Pe vanuipes od ‘aetna Sas i, ir ug pe a tua Bung sen orsign chp Sig sa thoes Gay tan wrohe ona senna dee tor but ona major eteanceroon bear apparMTR mT Pee ia Pea RefS oaneTed Soke en i to work more | DTA UE did in the beginning. ot Cover photograph by Micheal McLaugh features onTHECOvER &4 The Coolest Small Company in America Why ace high-povvered M.B.A's geting of the corporate tak ogo to work baking bead and snaking cheese fra Srpmillion food company in Ann Aor, Mich? Because they've been sedvced bythe nepresible spctofZingerma’s Community of Businesey, which combines a passion for grestservice wi deep beliefn peo. ple ada fcination with management—nat mention an ingenious plan for growth. AtZinge man’, good ides become ral businese, snd