How did Amazon manage to become the most successful startup?
Unless you are living under a rock, you must know that Amazon has emerged as the new model of innovation. They have moved so fast and have implemented so many new products and processes that they are considered as the standard against which every company must measure itself.
From a converted Seattle garage in 1994 to become the epitome of success, how was Amazon able to drive to the top? Let’s have a look at some of Amazon’s practices that stand out from the crowd.
Customer centricity
Amazon puts a chair in every boardroom to represent the customer - a reminder to brainstorm on their behalf. Unless they look at every project through the customer’s eyes, they do not even consider going about a new project.
Amazon’s Customer Service team has won many awards for its commitment to address the problems for its customers.
Jeff Bezos remarked, “It is not our customers’ job to tell us what they will want next - that is our job.”
Steady optimization
It is difficult for most businesses because it means that one will never settle for “good enough.” Optimization basically means working continuously to improve processes so you work more efficiently and provide more value to your customers.
Although every improvement may add up to percentages on the business’ time or costs, consequently, they result in greater profits.
Standards are infectious
If a business functions with low standards, then most probably, a new employee will unknowingly adjust his/her working style accordingly.
As per Jeff Bezos- It is extremely important for people to work on their “blind spots”. Make a list of your duties, approach a colleague to tell you which areas are your strengths and in which areas lie your weaknesses. Then you can work on how you can upgrade your working standards in those weak areas.
Staying connected with the users
It is never a bad idea to never lose touch with the people that you are serving through your business.
Bezos said that he often reads emails from his public-inbox as a way to be up to date on what’s happening with his customers. He remarked- focusing on customers is much more important than focusing on competitors.
Value every idea
Amazon treats its ideas as nothing less than assets. Bezos strongly believes that an incessant plethora of ideas is what drives growth. He values and respects ideas, and acts swiftly to speed up their implementation.
Bezos ensures that this “opportunity mindset” channelizes to every individual in the company.
A community of risk-takers
Amazon puts a great value on experiments and constantly experiments with new thinking methodologies.
With this mindset, Amazon has expanded itself into a movie studio, a hardware company, a grocer, a web services provider and so on.
These were some of the most beneficial nuggets of wisdom that Amazon incorporates that made it what it is today, a technical giant!
