Let My People Go Surfing
Author: Yvon Chouinard
Published: 2005 (updated 2016)
Why We Recommend It
More than the story of Patagonia, this book tells the story of a leader who followed his passion for the outdoors and chose to put community, nature and long-term purpose at the heart of his decisions. It resonates strongly with Give Back Chile’s culture and aspirations: a love of nature, belief in the power of community, and determination to challenge conventional ways of doing things. Above all, it reminds us that taking the less-travelled path can lead to meaningful change — especially when people come together around shared values and a common purpose.
About the Book
Yvon Chouinard may not have set out to become a businessman.
A passionate French-American climber, he simply wanted better equipment for exploring wild places and opening new climbing routes. Unable to find what he needed, he began forging his own climbing hardware. Fellow climbers quickly recognised the quality of his designs, and what started as a personal solution gradually evolved into a thriving business.
After experiencing financial challenges and ultimately selling his first company, Chouinard turned his attention to designing clothing that he and his friends actually wanted to wear in the outdoors. Patagonia was born.
In this book, he reflects on the lessons learned over decades of building one of the world’s most respected and ethically driven outdoor companies, as well as co-founding 1% for the Planet, a global movement encouraging businesses to give back to environmental causes.
Our Reflections
What struck us most was not Patagonia's success, but the way Chouinard built the company around the life he genuinely wanted to live and the nature he’d always wanted to protect and give back to.
Rather than expecting the business to fit amongst typical businesses, he just followed his gut and designed the business with the greatest honesty of all: designing for his own needs whilst in the wild. He then starting recruiting staff that naturally shared his same passion and needs and aim to protect nature. That way there were many testers out there trialing the new models, the new ideas, bringing in the new needs. Staff were encouraged to climb, surf and spend time outdoors because he believed that happy people do better work. In doing so, those same employees became the best possible testers of Patagonia's products. Their experiences outdoors constantly improved product design while creating an authentic culture that customers could immediately recognise.
That philosophy resonates strongly with Give Back Chile. We believe meaningful work should strengthen our connection with nature, not separate us from it. Spending time outdoors, connecting with local people and experiencing places as they truly are may be one of the greatest luxuries we have. It’s how we learn, develop practical skills, think creatively and build a deeper understanding of the environmental and social challenges we hope to address.
The final chapters spend considerably more time discussing Patagonia's business systems, operations and marketing. While still interesting, we personally found this section less engaging than the earlier chapters, which tell the remarkable story of how Patagonia came to exist.
A Lasting Idea
Perhaps the most inspiring part of Chouinard's legacy is that Patagonia's environmental commitment extends well beyond words.
He founded 1% for the Planet, encouraging businesses to commit at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental organisations. Patagonia also actively repairs its own clothing, encouraging customers to buy less and make products last longer.
What we admire most is that these initiatives weren't treated as marketing campaigns—they reflected the company's values. In a world that often rewards more consumption, Patagonia showed that encouraging people to buy less, repair what they own and invest in quality can also create a deeply respected and enduring business.
