1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. Amazon will help you make your business better by sharing what made Jeff Bezos’s gigantic company so successful at going from its humble beginnings to now dominating the e-commerce market.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "One of the fundamental reasons for Amazon's success is its unwavering commitment to a vision laid out over two decades ago: to relentlessly innovate in a bid to create long-term value for customers." - Natalie Berg & Miya Knights
3. 3 lessons:
3.1. Make sure your customers are the center of everything you do in business if you want to be successful like Amazon.
3.1.1. It’s impossible to have a business without customers.
3.1.1.1. Amazon is so dedicated to this that the first of the company’s 14 leadership principles is Customer Obsession.
3.1.2. If you use Amazon regularly, you know how awesome it is.
3.1.3. A big reason for this is because of the company’s spending on research and development to improve customer experience.
3.1.3.1. Amazon’s investment of 6% of profits is much higher than the industry average of 1-2%.
3.1.4. Every time Amazon builds something new, teams begin by thinking of what the customer wants.
3.1.4.1. For example, employees show product ideas in the form of a mock press release to learn how the public will see them.
3.1.5. Did you know that more than 50% of all online product searches start on Amazon?
3.1.6. This gives it incredible amounts of data from which it can better serve people.
3.1.6.1. Sometimes the designs of products and services that Amazon creates give consumers just what they need even before they know they need it!
3.1.7. This consistent innovation to benefit customers sets Amazon apart in a big way.
3.1.7.1. The hard work this company puts in for the people it serves is now a prime reason why so many are loyal to it.
3.2. Amazon attracts loyal customers with its Prime membership, which is the foundation of its business model.
3.2.1. Were you aware that the fee for a Prime membership doesn’t even cover all of the extras that come with it?
3.2.1.1. It can’t even make Amazon break even on shipping!
3.2.1.2. But it doesn’t care about these little details. The bigger picture is more important.
3.2.2. Amazon’s customer obsession has set up the Prime membership as one of the best rewards programs ever.
3.2.2.1. With it, you get two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and a wide array of entertainment options.
3.2.3. Saving money isn’t even the heart of why this offering exists.
3.2.3.1. The idea behind Prime memberships is mainly to help customers save effort, time, and energy.
3.2.3.2. That makes it a natural choice to pick Amazon over other options.
3.2.4. Amazon knows that putting effort into making Prime memberships so valuable will yield significant results in the long-term.
3.2.4.1. Their hard work pays off because a Prime member spends an average of 500% more on Amazon than other customers!
3.2.4.2. The backbone of their business model.
3.3. If you want to succeed in the digital age, you’ve got to have the technological know-how and put it into practice.
3.3.1. Another of its leadership principles is to Invent and Simplify.
3.3.1.1. This has led to research in robotics and automation, cashier-less stores, cloud storage, and more.
3.3.2. It’s exciting to see where Amazon goes with its ability to use robots in warehouses.
3.3.3. It bought the primary provider of its warehouse robots in 2012.
3.3.3.1. Back then, automation made up 20% of the company’s total workforce!
3.3.4. Now, Amazon continues to increase productivity and what it can offer us by advancing robotics technology.
3.3.4.1. Think of how amazing it would be if you could go into a store and walk out without dealing with a cashier.
3.3.4.2. Think of the time, energy, and money you could save without having to get your groceries rung up every time.
3.3.4.3. This technology developed by Amazon detects what you have as you leave and charges you appropriately.
3.3.5. Did you know that Amazon also serves clients like Nasa, Netflix, and Nordstrom?
3.3.5.1. Each of these companies uses Amazon Web Services, or AWS, an originally in-house cloud storage system that Amazon now provides for others as well.
3.3.6. It’s no wonder that Amazon is on top in so many ways.
3.3.6.1. Making your business survive in today’s digital world requires that you follow suit and learn how to optimize!