Paul Van Doren

Do something better than most, or do something no one else can do. This creates favorable odds for success.

Paul's father invented a safer, longer-lasting sparkler formula and built a two-decade career around it. Paul applied the same principle to shoes: he would make them better than anyone else, in his own retail stores, with complete control. This idea of being the best at something specific, not everything, was fundamental to both their success.

“If you do something no one else can do or do something better than most, the odds are in your favor for success.”

A people company that makes products beats a product company that employs people. Put people first in everything.

Paul consistently prioritized his employees and customers over short-term profits. He implemented incentive systems that rewarded quality and efficiency, allowed four-day work weeks when productivity targets were met, and fought unionization by treating workers with respect. His philosophy was that people came first, and the business results followed.

“One of my credos, which still stands at Vans decades later, is that we weren't a shoe company, but a people company that made shoes. That distinction may sound like nothing, but believe me, it's everything.”

Never lose the direct connection to your customer. Your best education comes from listening to them, not from market research or executives.

Paul insisted on maintaining direct retail stores alongside manufacturing, not just wholesale distribution. By talking directly to customers, he discovered that skateboarders wore out the toe and heel of their shoes and wanted to buy single shoes. This insight led to customization offerings and eventually to sponsoring skateboarders, which became Vans' core identity.

“In the beginning, as a numbers and production man, I had plenty to learn about dealing directly with the buying public. In the end, my best teachers in the art of retail were the customers themselves.”

Build in flexibility and customization from the start. What seems like a special request becomes your core business.

A customer asked if Paul could make custom shoes to match fabric she owned. Paul said yes, made the shoes in hours, and realized he'd found a huge market: seamstresses, drill teams, sports teams, and choirs all wanted custom matching shoes. This discovery led to direct mail campaigns and eventually to sponsoring teams. Flexibility was a feature, not a bug.

“Essentially, the point of the story is that he found ways to get more customers. We immediately saw a huge potential market. Not only would women who sewed their own clothes be delighted to get a pair of exactly matching shoes, but drill teams, cheerleading, sports teams, private schools and choirs would all jump on the idea.”

Hire people who are honest, creative, and fair. Fire anyone who doesn't share these values, no matter how competent they appear.

Paul was ruthless about the character of his partners and employees. He refused to promote or work with incompetent people, even when they had seniority. He valued honesty, creativity, and kindness above all else. This selectivity about people became one of his core operating principles.

“Find honorable people to be your partners. Work with creative people and be fair. Be kind. Give a shit about how you treat people and be aware of how your actions might disturb or distress them. In other words, don't be a jerk.”

Observe problems in your current organization and swear never to repeat them in your own. The negative example is as powerful as the positive one.

Watching his boss Bob humiliate himself chasing a pigeon for a drunk customer crystallized for Paul what he would never tolerate. This single moment of witnessing disrespect became the foundation for how he would lead: eliminate the middleman, never work with jerks, and always maintain his integrity. Years later, when Bob promoted incompetent managers, Paul quit immediately rather than repeat what he'd witnessed.

“I would never let one person have that sort of control over me. In fact, damn it, there had to be a better way. I would never work with jerks. I also credit this experience with giving me courage many years later to start my own company.”

Authority without experience breeds incompetence. Promote only people who have proven themselves through results.

Bob promoted two managers who had just failed to run a manufacturing operation. Paul refused to work for incompetent people promoted on politics rather than merit. He observed that most executives never worked their way up through the actual work, which made them blind to real problems. Credentials without results meant nothing.

“The average factory worker often dislikes top executives because they are almost never willing to get their hands dirty. Most haven't worked their way up in a company. They are not familiar with the actual work being done and aren't interested in learning. They prefer to stay in the comfort of their ivory tower.”

Your parents' influence lasts 60 years and beyond. Model the behaviors and values you want to pass down.

Paul wrote about his father 60 years after his death, still crediting him with fundamental lessons about hard work, problem-solving, and putting people first. Paul then replicated this with his own children, having them work in the business from age 10 and teaching them the same values. Legacy is built through example.

“So much of who I am, what I believe in and what I know how to do, I learned from my parents. My parents taught me long ago that people were the most important thing in your life, more important than money or prestige or possessions.”

Do what's right every single time, even when it costs you. Integrity is the non-negotiable foundation of everything.

Paul quit a comfortable, successful position at Randolph when Bob promoted incompetent managers. He could have stayed, but it violated his core principle. Later, when his old competitor went bankrupt, Paul felt no satisfaction, only sadness. He never wavered from doing what was right, and his employees and partners respected him for it.

“The one thing that has always been sacred to me, and this goes for life as much as business, is just this. Always try to do what's right. If you put thought into something and do what's right every single time, you won't be far off from doing the best you can.”

Your approach to business reflects your approach to life. Blur the lines between personal values and business practices.

Paul refused to separate business Paul from personal Paul. The way he lived his life was the way he ran his company. He demanded respect, treated people fairly, got his hands dirty on the factory floor, and never accepted compromise on integrity. This authenticity became Vans' defining characteristic.

“I don't know where to draw the line between the business me and the personal me. The way I've run my business is the way I live my life.”

Listen to others and adopt their ideas without needing credit. Success matters more than ego.

Paul was known for asking for advice and immediately implementing better ideas from anyone, regardless of their status. His brother suggested renting a paint sprayer instead of painting by hand; Paul did it immediately. Michael Jordan had this same quality: the ability to listen and apply advice instantly. Paul credits this as one of his greatest strengths.

“I have always been aware of my own shortcomings and had never had a problem admitting them or taking advice of experts. If someone had a better idea than mine, of course I would adopt that. I didn't care if I didn't get credit. I needed success.”

Master your industry from the ground up before attempting to lead it. Deep operational knowledge is a moat no competitor can easily replicate.

Paul spent 20 years working at the Randolph Rubber Company in every aspect of shoe manufacturing, from service boy to factory supervisor. This foundation gave him an unmatched understanding of production, quality, and efficiency that executives in ivory towers could never achieve. When he started Vans, he could make and sell shoes with authority.

“All I knew, all I needed to know about making canvas shoes, I learned at the Randolph Rubber Company in Randolph, Massachusetts. I went on to spend the first 20 years of my career learning the trade.”

Ask why relentlessly. Most systems and processes persist on autopilot, not because they are optimal, but because no one questioned them.

Paul's father taught him to always ask why, and Paul applied this throughout his career. He questioned why Randolph only made shoe uppers instead of whole shoes, why tanks needed changing multiple times daily, why quality inspectors had no factory floor experience. Each why revealed inefficiencies others accepted as normal. This single habit compounded into massive competitive advantages.

“He always pushed me to come up with the why. Why is something happening? And I've always had a knack for figuring out the how. Those two skills have served me well my entire life.”

Create incentive systems that align employee interests with company goals. Pay for output and quality, not for hours worked.

Paul discovered that when workers were paid by the hour, they had no incentive to work efficiently. When he switched to paying them based on completing eight hours of work in fewer hours, with the ability to leave early if they finished, productivity and quality both improved. Eventually workers negotiated four-day weeks while maintaining five-day pay, and the company still won.

“If they produced a quota of eight hours of work and made whatever parts they were assigned to produce at top quality, but they did it in fewer hours, they were free to go home early that day. Eventually we reached the point where we agreed that if the workers accumulated enough hours, we'd allow them to take Friday off.”

Work at the lowest level of your business until you understand it completely. Get your hands dirty before you manage others.

Paul started as a service boy at 16, sweeping floors. He worked his way up through every role in the factory, eventually managing entire operations. This hands-on experience made him immune to BS from executives and consultants who had never done the actual work. His credibility came from having done everything himself.

“If a young entrepreneur came to me today and asked how to start a company, I would say right off the bat, know what goes into making what you're selling.”

When you have a better way to do something, implement it immediately. Speed of execution compounds over time.

When Paul realized Randolph should make whole shoes instead of just uppers, they stopped stitching for Keds within a month. When he saw that changing dipping tanks wasted time, he reorganized production immediately. When his brother mentioned paint sprayers, they rented one the next day. His speed of implementation was a competitive advantage.

“I've never been one to drag my feet. Just one short week after that meeting, our first true retail store opened its doors.”

Know your product better than anyone else in the world. This knowledge compounds into unshakeable confidence.

Paul could identify defects in shoes at a glance because he understood every step of the manufacturing process. When executives tried to grade shoes subjectively, Paul proved their incompetence with a simple test: showing them the same shoe twice and getting different grades each time. His deep knowledge gave him confidence to challenge authority.

“If you sell from a place of total confidence in the quality down to the details, you will succeed.”

Grit and determination are more important than your initial idea. The ability to get back up every time you're knocked down determines success.

Paul describes entrepreneurship like skateboarding and surfing: you need the ability to get knocked off the board and get back on. Vans went bankrupt, his brother ran the company into the ground, Paul had to come back in under court order, and still he rebuilt it within four years. The idea of canvas shoes mattered far less than his refusal to quit.

“What makes a successful entrepreneur is the same thing that makes a good skateboarder or a good surfer. You need grit and determination to get back up every time you're knocked off the board.”

Recognize the thrill and growth that comes from potential failure. Embrace pressure and difficult situations as opportunities to shine.

Paul was energized by high-stakes, do-or-die situations. He didn't create risk for the rush, but he recognized that defeat and hardship forced him to think smarter and adapt. The most important breakthroughs in his career came after failures and setbacks.

“I recognize the thrill of potential failure. When it's mine, I can't say it's ever done anything but made me think smarter and behave differently. Hell, it's only after I lost something or when something didn't go my way that I was afforded the opportunity to shine.”

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Build a business model so simple that it's hard to copy.

Vans' core model was radical in its simplicity: manufacture shoes, sell them in your own stores, talk to customers, make what they ask for. No intermediaries, no complicated supply chains relying on others, no layers of management. This simplicity became its strength and allowed rapid adaptation.

“My business would be a business that felt authentic, not just making a quality product, but by operating in a way that was true to who I was. I can say with conviction that building the company that became Vans was a personal expression all the way.”

Your competitive advantage lies in doing what others naturally do better than anyone else. Identify that one thing and leverage it relentlessly.

Paul discovered early that his natural ability was identifying and solving problems, cutting out distractions, and seeing where systems were jammed. This core skill, not the shoes themselves, became the foundation of his success. He applied this relentlessly throughout his career, whether reorganizing factory layouts, designing retail strategies, or building supply chains.

“My knack for identifying and then solving problems. What I do better than anyone else is cut out distractions. If a system isn't working efficiently, I can see where it's jammed, eliminate the problem, and find a way to keep everything moving forward.”

Control your supply chain and stay nimble. The less you depend on external companies and people, the better your decision-making ability.

When Vans started, Paul's former boss blocked suppliers from working with him. This forced Paul to reconsider vertical integration. He realized that controlling manufacturing, retail, and supply chains directly gave him the agility to serve customers better, adapt quickly, and maintain quality. This became his competitive moat against larger, more rigid competitors.

“To this day, when it comes to supply chains, my advice is to control as much as you're able to and stay nimble. Never get too comfortable or complacent. Controlling my supply chain made all the difference in both quality and service.”

Accept counterintuitive opportunities when the fundamentals make sense. Expand when it doesn't look good on paper but works in reality.

When Vans' accountant suggested closing two underperforming stores, Paul proposed opening ten more instead. On paper it looked insane. But Paul understood that even if the new stores performed as poorly as the worst current stores, the increased volume would reduce unit costs and push the company into profitability. This risk paid off and became Vans' expansion strategy.

“If we put in 10 new stores, and even if they do as badly as our current 10 stores are doing right now, the company will still make a profit. This would also increase our volume, and more volume would mean less cost per unit.”

Observe how successful competitors solve problems, then apply their methods to your own market. Don't copy the what, copy the how.

At the 1972 Olympics, Paul watched how Adidas and Nike used athlete sponsorships to build brand credibility. He realized he could apply the same strategy to skateboarding, a nascent sport without major sponsors. This observation, combined with his direct customer relationships, led him to become the unofficial shoe of skateboarding and gave Vans its defining culture and purpose.

“I had seen firsthand how fiercely Adidas and Nike competed for sponsorships among big name athletes. Skateboarders may not have been an Olympic sport yet, but what about the skateboarding championship? Might Vans have or create an opportunity to support those?”

Avoid the dependency trap. Never let any single customer represent more than a small percentage of your revenue.

Paul watched Randolph make shoes for only a handful of customers, with one representing 50% of business. This gave that customer immense power to demand humiliation and respect. Paul built Vans specifically to avoid this trap through direct-to-consumer retail, which gave him complete independence.

“There had to be a better way. Why were we depending on a handful of buyers anyway? Someday, someway, somehow, I would figure out how to get rid of the middleman. Because no amount of business would ever be worth my integrity.”