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jbabiarz's review against another edition
3.0
It was kind of a slog to get through, but overall, an interesting book.
bayboy's review against another edition
5.0
Great 1 of 2 Books that gives insight to Bezos Rise Up
RECOMMANDABLE (Especially To Any Entrepreneur)!!!
RECOMMANDABLE (Especially To Any Entrepreneur)!!!
fbroom's review against another edition
4.0
After reading this book I have one question: If Amazon is all about customer service and this book contains many stories around this topic, some of which are crazy since Amazon was so aggressive with competitors and third party retailers, then why are they so terrible and frugal with their employees? why do they have this poisonous culture?
Random notes from listening:
- Bezos graduated from Princeton and had a career in Wall Street before starting amazon.
- He worked for D.E. Shaw known for hiring top graduates.
- At D.E. Shaw the idea of the everything store formed.
- Also at D.E. Shaw is where Bezos met his wife.
- Bezos studied the idea and thought books will be a good category as a start since customers get exactly what they expected.
- Bezos left and went to Seattle to start his company is his garage.
- He hired Khapan as his first employee who built all the initial infrastructure.
- Khapan would later leave in 2001? As he was pushed aside from the main work and given a title with no direct reports.
- Bezos’s motto was “Get Big Fast” which meant that employees had to push really hard. There was no life-work balance.
- Bezos was adopted by his step dad Miguel Bezos who immigrated from Cuba. Bezos was raised in Texas.
- Bezos relentless force pushed employees to work non stop with barely any breaks. Employees didn’t have weekends and when they complained, Bezos would say that it’s the only way to get big fast.
- Amazon was frugal with employees not paying for their parking or any small things at work. They even had to share hotel rooms while traveling (just like Walmart).
- Bezos snatched a lot of Walmart executives who built distribution centers for amazon.
- Bezos banned spreadsheets and slides from meetings and asked people to prepare a 6-page narrative instead which everyone had to read before they started the meeting.
- Later on Amazon would grow much bigger and they end up building their own software to run their distribution center which later became their fulfillment centers.
- Amazon prime grew from an employee’s idea which Bezos loved and made sure it happened.
- Amazon patented the 1-click buy button which a lot of people thought it was ridiculous. Apple paid to used it.
- Amazon’s fulfillment center took a lot of heat from the press for not suitable working conditions. Tempretures reaching high hundrededs and workers fainting.
- Bezos invested in the early round of Google and also invested in space travel making the company Blue Origin.
- When Google became popular Amazon tried to do make its own search engine and even attempted at a street view project but was done cheeply. At the end it didn’t work out because somethings can’t done cheeply like the author suggested. Amazon was trying to prove to the world that it’s a technology company and not just a boring retailer.
- Google took a lot of Amazon employees since they provided much better conditions.
- Amazon’s deal with toys r us fell through and was sued in court because Amazon insisted on providing the best possible selection to customers.
- After the search failure and many other projects that didn’t, finally they had AWS which was we a major success and which a lot of companies big and small depended on it.
- Apple’s rise in music business and the iTunes Store pushed Amazon to think of new ideas. Maybe ebooks? Bezos didn’t want Amazon to turn into Kodak.
- Bezos didn’t want Apple or Google to do it before him. He established Lab126 to develop Fiona (kindle).
- Bezos insisted that book be priced at 9.99 even if Amazon is losing money at the beginning because later on publishers will be forced to lower prices. Publishers didn’t know of the price and were so upset.
- Before buying Zappos, Amazon spent so money to build a website endless similar to Zappos to pressure them. The offered free shipping and even 5 dollars bonus to buy from it. Zappos resisted but eventually with the financial recession they were bought by Amazon.
- Amazon ran the online stores for Circuit City and Borders. Both didn’t think much of the web and eventually went bankrupt. Target and Walmart eventually realized that they need to invest in the web presence otherwise they are doomed.
- Apple ended the 9.99 problem with publishers by letting publishers set prices and taking a 30% commission.
- Amazon tried so many tax loop holes to avoid paying taxes. I guess just like any other large company. They eventually made customers pay it.
- Amazon pressured small companies all the time by offering the same type of products for much lower prices and eventually leading them to agree to be bought. They did that to diapers.com and Zappos.com and others.
- Amazon buying lovefilm and getting in streaming competing with Netflix.
- Amazon’s unevenly distributes the stock grant for employees giving them only 5 percent the first year, 15 the second and 20 every sixth months in the last two years. Food isn’t subsidized. The backpack given in the beginning has to be returned when the employee leaves.
Random notes from listening:
- Bezos graduated from Princeton and had a career in Wall Street before starting amazon.
- He worked for D.E. Shaw known for hiring top graduates.
- At D.E. Shaw the idea of the everything store formed.
- Also at D.E. Shaw is where Bezos met his wife.
- Bezos studied the idea and thought books will be a good category as a start since customers get exactly what they expected.
- Bezos left and went to Seattle to start his company is his garage.
- He hired Khapan as his first employee who built all the initial infrastructure.
- Khapan would later leave in 2001? As he was pushed aside from the main work and given a title with no direct reports.
- Bezos’s motto was “Get Big Fast” which meant that employees had to push really hard. There was no life-work balance.
- Bezos was adopted by his step dad Miguel Bezos who immigrated from Cuba. Bezos was raised in Texas.
- Bezos relentless force pushed employees to work non stop with barely any breaks. Employees didn’t have weekends and when they complained, Bezos would say that it’s the only way to get big fast.
- Amazon was frugal with employees not paying for their parking or any small things at work. They even had to share hotel rooms while traveling (just like Walmart).
- Bezos snatched a lot of Walmart executives who built distribution centers for amazon.
- Bezos banned spreadsheets and slides from meetings and asked people to prepare a 6-page narrative instead which everyone had to read before they started the meeting.
- Later on Amazon would grow much bigger and they end up building their own software to run their distribution center which later became their fulfillment centers.
- Amazon prime grew from an employee’s idea which Bezos loved and made sure it happened.
- Amazon patented the 1-click buy button which a lot of people thought it was ridiculous. Apple paid to used it.
- Amazon’s fulfillment center took a lot of heat from the press for not suitable working conditions. Tempretures reaching high hundrededs and workers fainting.
- Bezos invested in the early round of Google and also invested in space travel making the company Blue Origin.
- When Google became popular Amazon tried to do make its own search engine and even attempted at a street view project but was done cheeply. At the end it didn’t work out because somethings can’t done cheeply like the author suggested. Amazon was trying to prove to the world that it’s a technology company and not just a boring retailer.
- Google took a lot of Amazon employees since they provided much better conditions.
- Amazon’s deal with toys r us fell through and was sued in court because Amazon insisted on providing the best possible selection to customers.
- After the search failure and many other projects that didn’t, finally they had AWS which was we a major success and which a lot of companies big and small depended on it.
- Apple’s rise in music business and the iTunes Store pushed Amazon to think of new ideas. Maybe ebooks? Bezos didn’t want Amazon to turn into Kodak.
- Bezos didn’t want Apple or Google to do it before him. He established Lab126 to develop Fiona (kindle).
- Bezos insisted that book be priced at 9.99 even if Amazon is losing money at the beginning because later on publishers will be forced to lower prices. Publishers didn’t know of the price and were so upset.
- Before buying Zappos, Amazon spent so money to build a website endless similar to Zappos to pressure them. The offered free shipping and even 5 dollars bonus to buy from it. Zappos resisted but eventually with the financial recession they were bought by Amazon.
- Amazon ran the online stores for Circuit City and Borders. Both didn’t think much of the web and eventually went bankrupt. Target and Walmart eventually realized that they need to invest in the web presence otherwise they are doomed.
- Apple ended the 9.99 problem with publishers by letting publishers set prices and taking a 30% commission.
- Amazon tried so many tax loop holes to avoid paying taxes. I guess just like any other large company. They eventually made customers pay it.
- Amazon pressured small companies all the time by offering the same type of products for much lower prices and eventually leading them to agree to be bought. They did that to diapers.com and Zappos.com and others.
- Amazon buying lovefilm and getting in streaming competing with Netflix.
- Amazon’s unevenly distributes the stock grant for employees giving them only 5 percent the first year, 15 the second and 20 every sixth months in the last two years. Food isn’t subsidized. The backpack given in the beginning has to be returned when the employee leaves.
alyssajcori's review against another edition
4.0
“Amazon.com.” That is what Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, insisted on calling what most simply refer to as “Amazon.” His motivation? He wanted his company to forever be associated in its rightful place as a driving force in the rise of the internet and online shopping. But how did Amazon come to dominate e-commerce, and who was the man who has made the vision of building a store that stocks nearly any item imaginable, possible? These are the questions Brad Stone’s The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon seeks to answer.
This book explores the life and success of both the man and the store, which become indistinguishable as you learn of the bordering maniacal drive of Bezos to revolutionize retailing. As the culture of Amazon had been under examination recently due to the critical New York Times article on the subject, it is useful to understand the origins of Amazon and its influence on the current culture. At the beginning, Amazon and Bezos had to fight tooth and nail for every advantage, inspiring a culture of frugality and relentless improvement of the customer experience. While some view the competitive nature inside the organization as stressful and uninspiring, those who are suited to it thrive and bring great value to the company. Amazonians are willing to question everyone and everything, as well as engage in combative debates if it will mean finding the best solution.
The book delivers a comprehensive analysis of what has made Amazon an unprecedented success. With unparalleled access to Amazon employees, Bezos, and his family, Stone has shared the exhilarating story of a modest bookseller turned internet behemoth; what he calls “the most beguiling company that ever existed.” Learning about the management practices and strategic decisions of Amazon is useful for students, professors, and professionals alike. The company that is both “missionary and mercenary” shows that having diverse abilities, and knowing when to utilize them, is key to being a success. While the actions of Amazon are sometimes questionable (just wait until you read about the events preceding the release of the Kindle), there can be no doubt that their methods work. Reading The Everything Store will shed light on the company that permeates businesses everywhere and shook the very foundation of retailing; accomplishing exactly what Bezos set out to do with Amazon.com.
This book explores the life and success of both the man and the store, which become indistinguishable as you learn of the bordering maniacal drive of Bezos to revolutionize retailing. As the culture of Amazon had been under examination recently due to the critical New York Times article on the subject, it is useful to understand the origins of Amazon and its influence on the current culture. At the beginning, Amazon and Bezos had to fight tooth and nail for every advantage, inspiring a culture of frugality and relentless improvement of the customer experience. While some view the competitive nature inside the organization as stressful and uninspiring, those who are suited to it thrive and bring great value to the company. Amazonians are willing to question everyone and everything, as well as engage in combative debates if it will mean finding the best solution.
The book delivers a comprehensive analysis of what has made Amazon an unprecedented success. With unparalleled access to Amazon employees, Bezos, and his family, Stone has shared the exhilarating story of a modest bookseller turned internet behemoth; what he calls “the most beguiling company that ever existed.” Learning about the management practices and strategic decisions of Amazon is useful for students, professors, and professionals alike. The company that is both “missionary and mercenary” shows that having diverse abilities, and knowing when to utilize them, is key to being a success. While the actions of Amazon are sometimes questionable (just wait until you read about the events preceding the release of the Kindle), there can be no doubt that their methods work. Reading The Everything Store will shed light on the company that permeates businesses everywhere and shook the very foundation of retailing; accomplishing exactly what Bezos set out to do with Amazon.com.
opson's review against another edition
3.0
Jeff Bezos är visionären och skaparen av Amazon.com, återförsäljarföretaget som genom sitt obevekliga kundfokus och användandet av internet som hävstång har lyckats med bedriften att för alltid förändra detaljhandeln. Förutom att sälja produkter, har de dessutom inträtt och snabbt etablerat sig som ledare inom marknadssegmentet molnhosting via sin AWS-tjänst (Amazon Web Services). Företagets AWS-tjänst är bara ytterligare ett bevis på sin innovationskraft och förmåga att förstå och uppfylla kundbehov.
På produktsidan är företagets innovativa affärsmodell baserad på kontinuerlig och exponentiell kundtillväxt genom internets räckvidd, samt strategiskt välplacerade centrallager i syfte att kunna tillgodose kunders begär utan att vara begränsade till tid och rum. Genom att använda postsystemet kan de nå merparten av USAs befolkning, vilket öppnar för möjligheten att förhandla till sig låga marginaler hos tillverkarna vars produkter de säljer. Amazon Prime är en relativt ny tjänst där de använder sig an expressleverans (bekostat via en mindre årssumma) för att minimera tiden före kunden erhåller sin(a) var(or), vilket har ökat både hennes köpfrekvens och orderstorlek ytterligare. Genom att hemsidan främjar möjligheten till kundrecensioner blir bra produkter uppmärksammade medan sämre produkter försvinner i det övriga havet av produktutbud.
Deras växande kundbas och låga slutpris resulterar i hög omsättning och uppåtspiral genom en kontinuerligt lägre kostnadsstruktur. Det är på detta nytänkande sätt Amazon möjliggjort priser och produktvariation som omöjligen går att uppnå i fysiska butiker.
Illustration av företagsmodell - https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/2c/96/222c967f61362cc89cf6d047bea2d0bd.jpg
Genom att vara återförsäljaren av ett brett produktutbud står företaget i en unik position där de lär känna sina kunders handelsmönster. Via algoritmer kan de sedan föreslå ytterligare produkter kunderna kan tänkas vara intresserade av. Företagets breda produktutbud medför också att de erhåller ovärderlig information vilket de använder för att följa och förutspå produkttrender, och sätter dem i en position där de kontinuerligt kan befinna sig i innovationens framkant.
Dessa värdetillägg gör att min helhetsuppfattning om företaget är att de nästintill är kapitalism förkroppsligad. Boken gör det klart att arbetsklimatet och kulturen på Amazon är oerhört krävande. De anställda på golvet arbetar för minimilöner, och företaget har kämpat hårt för att behålla sin strategiska fördel att inte behöva betala omsättningsskatt. Företagets ekonomiska värde är såklart slutligen grundat i den nytta det förser, och det är inte konstigt att Bezos lyckats förskaffa sig rollen som världens rikaste man, samtidigt som Amazon är en av de tio högst värderade företagen i världen.
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-richest-man-world-career-life-story-2017-7?r=US&IR=T
https://i.redd.it/r3x1hr5b2f851.png
Trots detta startade Amazon såklart inte som revolutionär inom e-handel. Istället sålde de böcker genom att ha en närmast symbiotisk relation med förlagen. Genom företagets algoritmer kunde de uppmärksamma kunderna på äldre, ofta bortglömda böcker de kunde tänkas vara intresserade av. Detta möjliggjorde intäkter som annars skulle gått förlorade. Men i takt med att Amazon växte, förstärktes också deras förhandlingsposition. Genom sitt extrema kundfokus hade de lite sympati för förlagen, vilket medförde att deras krav på låga marginaler gjorde att förlagen tvingades acceptera Amazon som återförsäljare, då de inte kunde tacka nej till den ökade omsättningen företaget försåg dem med.
Mina avslutande tankar om boken är att den är skriven ett antal årtionden för tidigt. Den känns emellanåt halvbakad och urvattnad, och jag uppfattar att Amazon är mitt i sin expansiva och världsförändrande utveckling. Det kommer bli mycket intressant att följa Amazons utveckling de kommande årtionden.
På produktsidan är företagets innovativa affärsmodell baserad på kontinuerlig och exponentiell kundtillväxt genom internets räckvidd, samt strategiskt välplacerade centrallager i syfte att kunna tillgodose kunders begär utan att vara begränsade till tid och rum. Genom att använda postsystemet kan de nå merparten av USAs befolkning, vilket öppnar för möjligheten att förhandla till sig låga marginaler hos tillverkarna vars produkter de säljer. Amazon Prime är en relativt ny tjänst där de använder sig an expressleverans (bekostat via en mindre årssumma) för att minimera tiden före kunden erhåller sin(a) var(or), vilket har ökat både hennes köpfrekvens och orderstorlek ytterligare. Genom att hemsidan främjar möjligheten till kundrecensioner blir bra produkter uppmärksammade medan sämre produkter försvinner i det övriga havet av produktutbud.
Deras växande kundbas och låga slutpris resulterar i hög omsättning och uppåtspiral genom en kontinuerligt lägre kostnadsstruktur. Det är på detta nytänkande sätt Amazon möjliggjort priser och produktvariation som omöjligen går att uppnå i fysiska butiker.
Illustration av företagsmodell - https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/2c/96/222c967f61362cc89cf6d047bea2d0bd.jpg
Genom att vara återförsäljaren av ett brett produktutbud står företaget i en unik position där de lär känna sina kunders handelsmönster. Via algoritmer kan de sedan föreslå ytterligare produkter kunderna kan tänkas vara intresserade av. Företagets breda produktutbud medför också att de erhåller ovärderlig information vilket de använder för att följa och förutspå produkttrender, och sätter dem i en position där de kontinuerligt kan befinna sig i innovationens framkant.
Dessa värdetillägg gör att min helhetsuppfattning om företaget är att de nästintill är kapitalism förkroppsligad. Boken gör det klart att arbetsklimatet och kulturen på Amazon är oerhört krävande. De anställda på golvet arbetar för minimilöner, och företaget har kämpat hårt för att behålla sin strategiska fördel att inte behöva betala omsättningsskatt. Företagets ekonomiska värde är såklart slutligen grundat i den nytta det förser, och det är inte konstigt att Bezos lyckats förskaffa sig rollen som världens rikaste man, samtidigt som Amazon är en av de tio högst värderade företagen i världen.
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-richest-man-world-career-life-story-2017-7?r=US&IR=T
https://i.redd.it/r3x1hr5b2f851.png
Trots detta startade Amazon såklart inte som revolutionär inom e-handel. Istället sålde de böcker genom att ha en närmast symbiotisk relation med förlagen. Genom företagets algoritmer kunde de uppmärksamma kunderna på äldre, ofta bortglömda böcker de kunde tänkas vara intresserade av. Detta möjliggjorde intäkter som annars skulle gått förlorade. Men i takt med att Amazon växte, förstärktes också deras förhandlingsposition. Genom sitt extrema kundfokus hade de lite sympati för förlagen, vilket medförde att deras krav på låga marginaler gjorde att förlagen tvingades acceptera Amazon som återförsäljare, då de inte kunde tacka nej till den ökade omsättningen företaget försåg dem med.
Mina avslutande tankar om boken är att den är skriven ett antal årtionden för tidigt. Den känns emellanåt halvbakad och urvattnad, och jag uppfattar att Amazon är mitt i sin expansiva och världsförändrande utveckling. Det kommer bli mycket intressant att följa Amazons utveckling de kommande årtionden.
conhllnd's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5
Interesting take on another modern founder who’s values continue to guide the direction of a giant, highly influential company.
bentrevett's review against another edition
2.0
it’s alright. more detail than you’d get than reading a Wikipedia article about the history of Amazon, but probably not that much more entertaining.
no idea how the FT gave this book of the year. must’ve been a very bad year for books?
no idea how the FT gave this book of the year. must’ve been a very bad year for books?
alfsan's review against another edition
5.0
It's one of those few non fiction books that besides having a compelling and interesting story, filters and teaches great management lessons and gives you great business insights. It boils down the success of Amazon to two key factors, the non stop aggressive approach of Jeff Bezos and also his obsession for Customer satisfaction. I've never heard about any other company so focused on its customer that it just borderlines ridiculous. But I guess ridiculously obsessive gets you to where Amazon is nowadays.