Bezos in a brief e-mail to Amazon employees introduced this transition and likewise talked in regards to the significance of reinventing oneself. “Hold inventing, and don’t despair when at first the thought seems loopy. Bear in mind to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It stays Day 1,” he wrote.
Amazon began when the world was nonetheless asking: “What’s the web?” Bezos feels blessed that he hasn’t needed to clarify that in a protracted whereas.
Right here’s the complete textual content of the e-mail written by Jeff Bezos to workers at Amazon:
Fellow Amazonians:
I’m excited to announce that this Q3 I’ll transition to Government Chair of the Amazon Board and Andy Jassy will grow to be CEO. Within the Exec Chair position, I intend to focus my energies and a focus on new merchandise and early initiatives. Andy is well-known inside the corporate and has been at Amazon virtually so long as I’ve. He will probably be an excellent chief, and he has my full confidence.
This journey started some 27 years in the past. Amazon was solely an thought, and it had no identify. The query I used to be requested most continuously at the moment was, “What’s the web?” Blessedly, I haven’t needed to clarify that in a protracted whereas.
At present, we make use of 1.3 million proficient, devoted folks, serve lots of of tens of millions of consumers and companies, and are widely known as probably the most profitable corporations on this planet.
How did that occur? Invention. Invention is the foundation of our success. We’ve executed loopy issues collectively, after which made them regular. We pioneered buyer critiques, 1-Click on, customized suggestions, Prime’s insanely-fast transport, Simply Stroll Out buying, the Local weather Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, market, infrastructure cloud computing, Profession Selection, and rather more. When you get it proper, just a few years after a stunning invention, the brand new factor has grow to be regular. Folks yawn. And that yawn is the best praise an inventor can obtain.
I don’t know of one other firm with an invention monitor file pretty much as good as Amazon’s, and I imagine we’re at our most creative proper now. I hope you might be as pleased with our inventiveness as I’m. I believe try to be.
As Amazon turned giant, we determined to make use of our scale and scope to steer on essential social points. Two high-impact examples: our $15 minimal wage and the Local weather Pledge. In each instances, we staked out management positions after which requested others to return together with us. In each instances, it’s working. Different giant corporations are coming our manner. I hope you’re pleased with that as effectively.
I discover my work significant and enjoyable. I get to work with the neatest, most proficient, most ingenious teammates. When occasions have been good, you’ve been humble. When occasions have been powerful, you’ve been robust and supportive, and we’ve made one another giggle. It’s a pleasure to work on this staff.
As a lot as I nonetheless faucet dance into the workplace, I’m enthusiastic about this transition. Thousands and thousands of consumers rely upon us for our companies, and greater than 1,000,000 workers rely upon us for his or her livelihoods. Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep accountability, and it’s consuming. When you’ve a accountability like that, it’s arduous to place consideration on the rest. As Exec Chair I’ll keep engaged in essential Amazon initiatives but in addition have the time and power I must give attention to the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Put up, and my different passions. I’ve by no means had extra power, and this isn’t about retiring. I’m tremendous passionate in regards to the influence I believe these organizations can have.
Amazon couldn’t be higher positioned for the long run. We’re firing on all cylinders, simply because the world wants us to. Now we have issues within the pipeline that can proceed to astonish. We serve people and enterprises, and we’ve pioneered two full industries and an entire new class of gadgets. We’re leaders in areas as diverse as machine studying and logistics, and if an Amazonian’s thought requires one more new institutional ability, we’re versatile sufficient and affected person sufficient to study it.
Hold inventing, and don’t despair when at first the thought seems loopy. Bear in mind to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It stays Day 1.
Jeff
