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Jeff Bezos: Build Your Strategy Around What Won't Change in 10 Years

By Jeff Bezos · Leadership · 1 min read

Everyone asks what's going to change in the next 10 years. Almost nobody asks what's NOT going to change. Bezos says the second question is more important — because you can build a business strategy around it.

Key Points

Build your strategy around the things that are stable in time — not the things that change
No customer will ever say 'I wish the prices were higher' or 'I wish you delivered more slowly'
It's very hard to maintain a firm grasp of the obvious at all times

It's impossible to imagine a customer saying 'I love Amazon, I just wish the prices were a little higher.'

What's NOT Going to Change

Bezos: I very frequently get the question — what's going to change in the next 10 years? That is an interesting question. I almost never get the question — what's not going to change in the next 10 years?

I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two. Because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time.

What's NOT going to change in 10 years? That's actually the more important question.

Impossible to Imagine

Bezos: In our retail business, we know that customers want low prices. I know that's going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery. They want vast selection.

It's impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up and says — I love Amazon, I just wish the prices were a little higher. Or — I love Amazon, I just wish you delivered a little more slowly. Impossible.

I love Amazon, I just wish the prices were a little higher. Impossible.

A Firm Grasp of the Obvious

Bezos: On AWS, the big ideas are also pretty straightforward. No one will ever say — I love AWS, I just wish it were a little less reliable. Or — I just wish you'd raise prices. Or — I wish you'd innovate at a slightly slower rate.

The big ideas in business are often very obvious. But it's very hard to maintain a firm grasp of the obvious at all times. If you can do that and continue to spin up those flywheels and put energy into those things — over time you build a better and better service on the things that genuinely matter to your customers.

The big ideas in business are often very obvious. But it's very hard to maintain a firm grasp of the obvious.