{"id":11539,"title":"How Jeff Bezos Built his Amazon Empire","publisher":"Share Talk","author":"sharetalk","published":"2017-06-25T09:03:52+00:00","modified":"2017-11-03T20:26:54+00:00","canonical_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/how-jeff-bezos-built-his-amazon-empire/","markdown_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/how-jeff-bezos-built-his-amazon-empire.md","json_url":"https://www.share-talk.com/how-jeff-bezos-built-his-amazon-empire.json","category":"Learning and Investing","categories":["Learning and Investing"],"tags":["Amazon","Visual Capitalist"],"featured_image":"https://i0.wp.com/www.share-talk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Stencil-Google-Chrome-2023-04-19-at-2.47.43-PM.jpeg?fit=1231%2C615&quality=89&ssl=1","format":"news","language":"en-GB","content":" \n\nToday’s infographic is from [Funders and Founders](http://fundersandfounders.com/how-jeff-bezos-started/), and it visualizes the career of Jeff Bezos in creating his “Everything Store”.\n\n#### HOW DID BEZOS DO IT?\n\n*“We are willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time.” – Jeff Bezos*\n\nPerhaps the most enthralling element of the Jeff Bezos story is his resolute commitment to executing a long-term vision, all while the rest of the world could not comprehend it.\n\nThe company ran 20 years without showing signs of [significant profit](http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2014/9/4/why-amazon-has-no-profits-and-why-it-works), and it was regularly criticized in the media. Pundits saw Amazon as a growing online book store that couldn’t make money. They didn’t get the bigger picture.\n\nAnd while the world debated Amazon’s aggressive expansion and polarizing nature, Bezos and his team stayed focused on execution. Even if people didn’t see the vision for the “everything store”, it didn’t mean that Amazon couldn’t build it.\n\n![Jeff Bezos Infographic](http://2oqz471sa19h3vbwa53m33yj.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/how-jeff-bezos-started-infographic.png)\n\nImage courtesy of: [Funders and Founders](http://fundersandfounders.com/how-jeff-bezos-started/)\n\nThey were willing to be misunderstood for a long time in order to follow the vision – one that was written down by Bezos in a famous napkin sketch:\n\n![Amazon napkin](http://2oqz471sa19h3vbwa53m33yj.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/amazon-image.jpg)\n\nImage courtesy of: Amazon\n\nNote that in this sketch, which is now over 15 years old, that there is no “take profits” offshoot. It’s a closed loop that uses free cash flow to reinvest back into the established business plan of providing low cost leadership.\n\nAnd now that Amazon has executed on this plan successfully, it is finally time for profits. That’s why the company had a [record quarter](http://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-reports-surge-in-profit-1461874333) earlier this year, and why analysts expect Q2 to be [just as impressive](http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/16/07/8241872/expectations-for-amazons-q2-earnings-from-goldman-sachs).\n\nWatch out Warren, because Bezos isn’t done yet."}