No one asked for AWS. No one, turns out the world was in fact ready and hungry for an offering like AWS but didn't know it. We had a hunch, followed our curiosity, took the necessary financial risks, and began building -- reworking, experimenting, and iterating countless times as we proceeded.

Jeff Bezos

Categorized in : Technology

I'm not prepared to make any multi-decade commitments. by Jeff Bezos

I'm not prepared to make any multi-decade commitments.

prepared decades commitment

Ebooks had to happen. by Jeff Bezos

Ebooks had to happen.

I told all of our original investors that they would lose their m... by Jeff Bezos

I told all of our original investors that they would lose their money for sure.

investors loses originals

Our garage was basically science fair central. by Jeff Bezos

Our garage was basically science fair central.

science-fair garage fairs

I strongly believe that missionaries make better products. They care more. For a missionary, it's not just about the business. There has to be a business, and the business has to make sense, but that's not why you do it. You do it because you have something meaningful that motivates you.

entrepreneur meaningful believe

You know, we love stories and we love narrative; we love to get l... by Jeff Bezos

You know, we love stories and we love narrative; we love to get lost in an author's world.

narrative stories world

We also have no incentive compensation of any kind. And the reason we don’t is because it is detrimental to teamwork.

incentives kind teamwork

Infrastructure web services had to happen. by Jeff Bezos

Infrastructure web services had to happen.

infrastructure happens

What characteristics do I look for when hiring somebody? That's one of the questions I ask when interviewing. I want to know what kind of people they would hire.

teamwork people looks

If you're long-term oriented, customer interests and shareholder... by Jeff Bezos

If you're long-term oriented, customer interests and shareholder interests are aligned.

interest term long

We were hoping to build a small profitable company; and of course, what we've done is build a large, unprofitable company.

funny-business company done

The balance of power is shifting toward consumers and away from companies The right way to respond to this if you are a company is to put the vast majority of your energy, attention and dollars into building a great product or service and put a smaller amount into shouting about it, marketing it.

balance marketing energy

I like to be counted on. by Jeff Bezos

I like to be counted on.

Seek instant gratification - or the elusive promise of it - and chances are you'll find a crowd there ahead of you.

crowds chance promise

When you are eighty years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices.

quiet-moments reflection meaningful

One of the things that I hope will distinguish Amazon.com is that we continue to be a company that defies easy analogy. This requires a lot of innovation, and innovation requires a lot of random walk.

amazon innovation analogies

It's perfectly healthy-encouraged, even- to have an idea tomorrow... by Jeff Bezos

It's perfectly healthy-encouraged, even- to have an idea tomorrow that contradicted your idea today

healthy today ideas

What we want to be is something completely new. There is no physical analog for what Amazon.com is becoming.

amazon innovation want

I think that, ah, I'm a very goofy sort of person in many ways. by Jeff Bezos

I think that, ah, I'm a very goofy sort of person in many ways.

goofy way thinking

... if it's not your style to stretch and go the extra mile to make sure our customer experience is great, you're going to have an allergic reaction to this company. You probably won't stay. If you do try and stay, but can't adapt to the culture then it will reject you like a virus from a healthy immune system.

rejects-you style healthy