Jeff Bezo’s “The Future of Amazon” Provides Some Great Tools for Creating Your Own Business
In his new book, “Bezos”, economic philosopher Jeff Bezos outlines a vision for the future of the free market, with everyone in charge and everyone else renting money from investors to buy things. Amazon, founded by Jeff Bezos, is an internet retailer that bought Whole Foods Market for a huge price, and re-branded it as a low-cost super-food powerhouse. Many economic theorists have taken this as the green light to tear down the walls between private property and the common good, and to use the information age to eliminate such obsolete rules as rent to own, and feudalistic taxation. One might call this a case of the Singles’ Club ruling the world, or rather, of Jeff Bezos using his money to create a bunch more millionaires.
But if we dig deeper, we find that there is absolutely nothing special about Jeff Bezo’s character, nor about the Internet, nor about being an individual with his own ideas, and no special purpose in life other than creating wealth. The truth is that he is a product of the Information Age, and not a visionary, entrepreneur, or leader. Amazon’s success is based on its ability to package and sell books, and to fill niches in the ever-expanding global marketplace. No one can claim any special insight or life force, just like no one could claim an ownership interest in a company, an entity, or a life force. Amazon was created by Jeff Bezo’s vision for the future of the World Wide Web, and nothing else. It does not owe its success to its creator or any other individual.
Jeff Bezo claims that his focus is on creating real, high-quality E-books that are designed to solve problems for readers. What he actually offers is a blueprint for an alternate future, where people do not have to own real goods or services in order to access information, and their lives are not controlled by financial institutions or corporations. Instead, individuals can create whatever they want to use any tool they choose, and that tool becomes their “real” product. Jeff Bezo calls this a “utopia,” and one that is distinctly different from traditional business models. The key difference between a business future and a Bezo future is how information and technology are used to achieve the future. A business future depends on brand names and advertising campaigns, whereas a Bezo future relies on tools and E-books, without the necessity of a physical product.
This is a vision of the future, because it is based on what has already happened. What Jeff Bezo offers instead is a blueprint for living in a world where money and economic power have lessened, and people have more control over their lives. His book does not promise anyone a way to get rich instantly, but it does offer practical strategies for living a truly remarkable and powerful life. It is based on the principals of ancient wisdom and spiritual wisdom passed down through generations, and is a guide to living a life that looks beyond our personal experiences and into the larger context of reality. In short, it’s a guide to cultivating greatness.
One thing that struck me about Amazon when I read Jeff Bezo’s book was how much it seemed to correlate with the current economic landscape. Amazon is one of the largest online book retailers, and its stock price is a good indicator of how things are going in the economy. Jeff Bezo points out in his guide that the low price of eBooks is an indication that readers are finding them easier and cheaper to purchase in bulk than in the past. This is because print costs have gone up significantly, and many small businesses cannot afford to publish an eBook on every single topic. As an example, many of the biggest publishers are no longer publishing children’s books because the market is oversaturated with the material.
Amazon also has many other tools for the future. For example, the Kindle has revolutionized the way we communicate thanks to its electronic ink and portable memory device capabilities. Amazon also provides customers with tons of free gifts and bonuses, many of which are geared toward maintaining their buyer-business relationship. Amazon also provides customers with an amazing shopping experience, especially when buying products on-demand. It shows customers that they can go to any website and purchase books, music, digital video, food, and so much more. Amazon’s future appears to be a bright one, and I believe that many individuals are going to be very happy with the results.
