The four best bits of Jeff Bezos’ letter to employees upon the announcement of his stepping down as CEO of Amazon:
This journey began some 27 years ago. Amazon was only an idea, and it had no name. The question I was asked most frequently at that time was, “What’s the internet?” Blessedly, I haven’t had to explain that in a long while.
And:
How did that happen? Invention. Invention is the root of our success. We’ve done crazy things together, and then made them normal.
And:
If you get it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. And that yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive.
And finally:
Keep inventing, and don’t despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1.
Coincidentally, I had been thinking about revisiting my “Squid and Whale” (and Leviathan) posts with an update today— Amazon, of course, is my whale — as we approach four years since I first wrote them (and three years since I last revisited). But figured I’d wait until after Amazon’s earnings. Those were, of course, fantastic. But the Bezos/Jassy news will bury everything else. Perhaps tomorrow. 🐋
