## As posted by me on GoodReads on May 7th, 2017 after reading ##
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17660462-the-everything-store
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17660462-the-everything-store
It was a great read indeed. I will keep this among the legendary Biographies like Steve Jobs and DR Kalam. This isn't really a biography but I take it as an interim account of Amazon and Mr Bezos. As many would hope I guess Amazon and all the numerous initiatives that Jeff is exploring would result in a few more successes and future accomplishments will warrant a bigger edition of this book or the next part of this. I think Brad has put it very interestingly and it's amazing that an outsider could gather this much about a corporation and the key people that helped shape it. My note here is not a review of this book but my state of mind and the thoughts that waver across after reading the ideas with which Amazon has come this far: Positives : - The leader's focus and drive towards core objectives (like Customer centeredness, the urge to lead and pioneer ) can result in phenomenal energy and throughput across the whole organization. Isn't this what Simon Sinek calls "the why?" and "Start with why" - The theory that go after your crazy ideas (however crazy they sound) with whole-hearted hope and targeted efforts, though success is not assured but very much possible - there are good Step-parents, adapted parents who are as good as Bezos's step-dad who along with Jeff's mom were early investors in this crazy idea of ecommerce. And his Step-dad didn't know what an internet was when Amazon was founded. - the last but the most important revelation was Bezos' strategy to prepare the company for future. Don't worry about things and aspects that could change in the days to come but remain ultra-focused on what won't change and be ahead of the game on those aspects. Very very interesting idea and an eye-opener for me, indeed! Negatives: - Such big retailers compromise on profits to offer lesser prices for customers but only because of their financial might and bandwidth. Though it sounds consumer friendly idea, wouldn't this kill numerous small retailers who can't afford to cut prices and break the level playing field which is already severed - Harassing publishers, writers, small manufacturers to fuel the urge to grow and outgrow, how would this make a corporation a respected one? Do companies like Costco and Starbucks which are loved and well-respected by their customers engage in similar tactics? - Why do people(Bezos, Jobs) who are focused on their passion exhibit tyranny and be almost cruel when it comes to treating their team? Can't nice people succeed? Don't you need your employees to be happier before you clients and customers can be happy? Or these employees that help shape companies like Amazon don;t care about how they are treated rather are so passionate over the challenges that such companies offer and their passion is misused or abused for the advancement of these corporations? I badly want to listen to or read about a corporate leader who brought about breakthrough's and revolutionized their operating industry but with whom no colleague can have an ill-will. |
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