One of the things that makes Zappos different from a lot of other companies is that they value being fun and being a little weird. They don’t want to become one of those big companies that feels corporate and boring. They want to be able to laugh at ourselves. We look for both fun and humor in their daily work.
This means that many things they do might be a little unconventional — or else it wouldn’t be a little weird. They are not looking for crazy or extreme weirdness though. They want just a touch of weirdness to make life more interesting and fun for everyone. They want the company to have a unique and memorable personality.
The company culture is what makes them successful, and in their culture, they celebrate and embrace diversity and each person’s individuality. They want people to express their personality in their work. To outsiders, that might come across as inconsistent or weird. But the consistency is in their belief that they function best when we can be themselves. They want the weirdness in each of their employees to be expressed in our interactions with each other and in their work.
One of the side effects of encouraging weirdness is that it encourages people to think outside the box and be more innovative. When you combine a little weirdness with making sure everyone is also having fun at work, it ends up being a win-win for everyone: Employees are more engaged in the work that they do, and the company as a whole becomes more innovative.