Foundry is a premium business intelligence publication featuring 551 articles from the best founders and investors. Topics cover leadership, strategy, fundraising, growth, AI, and more.

What topics does Foundry cover?

Foundry covers leadership, investing, AI and technology, product development, founder stories, mindset and career, marketing, hiring, fundraising, strategy, and more. Articles feature insights from founders like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang.

Can I submit a story to Foundry?

Yes. You can submit a story at thefoundrybrief.com/submit. Foundry publishes articles featuring insights from founders and investors across all industries.

Jeff Bezos: People Who Are Right a Lot Change Their Mind a Lot

By Jeff Bezos · Leadership · 1 min read

The world is changing so rapidly. Long-term thinking forces you to ask — what are the points of stability? What is NOT going to change? Customer needs change very slowly.

Key Points

Long-term thinking forces you to find the points of stability — what won't change
No customer will ever say 'I wish you delivered more slowly' or 'I wish prices were higher'
Be stubborn on the vision, flexible on the details. People who are right a lot change their mind a lot.

People who are right a lot change their mind a lot. People who are wrong a lot are very stubborn on the details.

What Will NOT Change?

Bezos: The world is rapidly changing — AI, all these technologies, so many things changing so rapidly. If you think long-term, it forces you to think — what are the points of stability? What is not going to change?

Customer needs change very slowly. You would never expect a customer to say 'I love Amazon, I just wish you delivered a little more slowly.' Or 'I love Amazon, I just wish your prices were a little higher.' Or 'I love your rockets, but I wish they were a little less reliable.'

No customer will ever say — I wish you delivered more slowly. Or I wish prices were higher.

Build Around Customer Needs

Bezos: These big ideas that are customer-based — ideas that start in the customer's brain — those are durable because human nature doesn't change rapidly. What we as customers want tends to change slowly.

If you base your energies, direction, strategies, and tactics around those customer needs — you can change the details of how you get there all the time. The technologies will change. Your competitive set will change. Everything will change except those needs.

Base everything around customer needs. Technologies change. Competition changes. Customer needs don't.

Stubborn on Vision, Flexible on Details

Bezos: Long-term thinking is protective because it forces you to center the real customer needs as your big ideas, put energy into them in a hundred ways, and be very dynamic.

I always say — be stubborn on the vision and flexible on the details. You have to be, because the world is changing. And you change your mind. People who are right a lot change their mind a lot. People who are wrong a lot are very stubborn on the details.

Be stubborn on the vision, flexible on the details. People who are right a lot change their mind a lot.