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Sam Walton's biography is one of the best business books I've ever read: http://amazon.com/Sam-Walton-Made-In-America/dp/0553562835 http://amazon.com/Sam-Walton
by sayemm 12y ago
Sam Walton's biography is one of the best business books I've ever read: http://amazon.com/Sam-Walton-Made-In-America/dp/0553562835 http://amazon.com/Sam-Walton-Made-In-America/dp/0553562835
What's really instructive about his story is that he started his first retail store when he was in his mid-late 20s, sold that and earned his first stripes in his early 30s. And it wouldn't be a decade later until he started Walmart in his early 40s.
Walmart was a culmination of several decades of Walton's life that he dedicated to mastering, and dominating, retail.
- hollerith 12y agoI do not understand. When you write, "earned his stripes," what exactly do you mean?
- johndavidback 12y agoIt's a military reference. Sergeants (I think) have a striped insignia, and it would mean a bump in rank (experience, knowledge, skill). Edit: Not to say he was in the military, it's a metaphor for how Walton gained experience and 'rank' in retail.
- jonnathanson 12y agoIncidentally, he did serve in the military. :)
- sayemm 12y agoThat was his first success as an entrpreneur, selling a Ben Franklin franchise store - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton#The_first_stores http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Walton#The_first_stores
- fred_durst 12y agoOne of the greatest(meaning influential) deals in the 2nd half of the 20th century, in my opinion, was Walmart's acquisition of Big K http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/23/business/kuhn-s-big-k-stores-plans-wal-mart-tie.html http://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/23/business/kuhn-s-big-k-stor...