LEADING BY DESIGN

The IKEA Story

INGVAR KAMPRAD

With Bertil Torekull

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 3

C H A P T E R 0

A Word to My Successors

have often said that profit is a wonderful word. But

for me, it was never the ultimate goal. The goal was,

and remains, to create a better everyday life for the

many people. This is my story, not of a businessman, but

of a farm boy from Småland who simply wanted to solve

the problems of the home without charging a fortune.

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 4

C H A P T E R 1

My Roots in the Stones of

Småland

was born in 1926 on a farm called Elmtaryd. In

Småland, the soil is thin and the rocks are many. We

learned early that if you want something, you have to

work for it, and you must never waste a single crown. I

remember my first business venture clearly—selling

matches. I found I could buy them in bulk in Stockholm

and sell them individually for a small profit. This simple

realization, that volume allows for lower prices, became

the foundation of everything I would later build.

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 5

C H A P T E R 2

1943: The First Seed of IKEA

was seventeen when I registered IKEA. The name

was a piece of myself and my home: Ingvar Kamprad,

Elmtaryd, Agunnaryd. I started with pens, watches,

and seeds—anything people needed. But I noticed that

furniture in Sweden was expensive, almost a luxury. I

decided we would change that. I didn't want to sell to the

rich; I wanted to sell to the many. When we opened our

first showroom in Älmhult, it wasn't just a shop; it was a

revolution in how people lived.

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 6

C H A P T E R 3

The Miracle of the Flat-Pack

nnovation often comes from necessity. I remember

Gillis Lundgren trying to fit a table into his car. He

looked at it, frustrated, and said, 'God, what a lot of

space it takes! Let's take the legs off.' That moment

changed the world. By packing furniture flat, we weren't

just saving on transport; we were making the customer

our partner. We provided the design and the price; they

provided the assembly. It was a fair exchange that

allowed us to conquer the world.

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 7

C H A P T E R 4

Democratic Design: My

Philosophy

o design a beautiful chair that costs five thousand

crowns is easy. Any amateur can do that. But to

design a beautiful, functional, and durable chair

that costs fifty crowns—that is where the real work

begins. I call this Democratic Design. It requires us to be

'stubbornly' cost-conscious. We must look at every

screw, every piece of wood, and ask: can we do this

better and cheaper?

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography — page 8

C H A P T E R 5

The Future and the IKEA Spirit

KEA is not just a company; it is a culture. We are a

family of 'co-workers.' I have always tried to lead by

example—flying economy, staying in modest hotels,

and avoiding the 'fancy' life. If we are to serve the many

people, we must be part of the many people. My

'Testament of a Furniture Dealer' was written to ensure

that even when I am gone, the spirit of Småland—

simplicity, humility, and the will to improve—remains the

heart of IKEA.

— Ingvar Kamprad

Leading by Design The IKEA Story by Ingvar Kamprad IKEA Founder Autobiography

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