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Jeff Bezos: Your Business Strategy Should Be Built on Things That Will NOT Change

By Jeff Bezos · Leadership · 1 min read

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

Key Points

Build strategy around the things that are stable in time
No customer will ever want higher prices, slower delivery, or less selection
The big ideas in business are often very obvious — but it's hard to maintain a firm grasp of the obvious

I almost never get the question: what's not going to change in the next 10 years? That second question is actually the more important of the two.

The More Important Question

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

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? That's the more important question. You can build strategy around it.

Impossible to Imagine

Bezos: Customers want low prices. Fast delivery. Vast selection. It's impossible to imagine a customer saying 'I love Amazon, I just wish the prices were a little higher.' Or 'I just wish you delivered a little more slowly.' Impossible.

The energy we put into those things today will still be paying dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something you know is true even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it.

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

A Firm Grasp of the Obvious

Bezos: 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 — 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 customers.

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