Rich Kao

Great interview with my 2nd favorite CEO (Steve Jobs is first; although Bezos is close to overtaking Jobs in my ranking; much better EQ).  (I know, he also looks like Seth Godin).  Application & commentary in underline are mind.

Since founding Amazon in 1994, he has revolutionized retailing. Now he's out to transform how we read.

No one has been more surprised by the success of the Kindle than Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The electronic book reader has become the online retailer's bestselling product. Bezos spoke to NEWSWEEK'S Daniel Lyons about the device, how the Apple tablet might affect it, and the next phase of digital distribution.

Excerpts:

Lyons: Amazon had an amazing year despite the bad economy. How did you do it?
Bezos: It is the basics. It is focusing on selection, low prices, and reliable, convenient, fast delivery. It's the cumulative effect of having this approach for 14 years. I always tell people, if we have a good quarter it's because of the work we did three, four, and five years ago. It's not because we did a good job this quarter. (Gotta put in the hard work of sowing, and the reaping will come. Gal. 6:9. When the farmer plants the seed, it comes up in due season, not instantly - Jas 5:7; important mind set for church planters.)

Amazon started off as a retailer. Now you're also selling computing services, and you're in the consumer-electronics business with the Kindle. How do you define what Amazon is today?
We start with the customer and we work backward. (Laser focus baby; knowing your audience, your target, whom you serve maximizes success & impact; no confusion.  Big debate:  Does the church start with God or the seeker and "work backwards."  I've been in this debate 20 years.  My answer:  It's both, but you start with God.) We learn whatever skills we need to service the customer. We build whatever technology we need to service the customer. The second thing is, we are inventors, so you won't see us focusing on "me too" areas. We like to go down unexplored alleys and see what's at the end. Sometimes they're dead ends. Sometimes they open up into broad avenues and we find something really exciting. (Don't be afraid to fail; Prov. 24:16; creativity is contagioius.) And then the third thing is, we're willing to be long-term-oriented, which I think is one of the rarest characteristics. If you look at the corporate world, a genuine focus on the long term is not that common. But a lot of the most important things we've done have taken a long time. (Amen! Invest for the long haul; exponential effect takes hold in the back half of the curve, not 1st half; Jesus spent 30 years in training, 3 years in ministry; no short cuts, trust your investments to create unstoppable momentum down the road.)

Continued here....