Jeff Bezos really does not need any introduction. Being the richest person in the world, he has singlehandedly changed the face of eCommerce. But there’s a lot more to Bezos than his $126 billion fortune.
- Who is Bezos exactly?
- How did he start his journey?
- What’s the story behind the brain of Bezos?
To seek inspiration from anyone, we first need to know their whole story.
Contrary to what many think, Bezos wasn’t always a success. Let’s dig deeper into this man’s life to find the secret to his success.
The Frequently-Untold Story of Jeff Bezos
Surprisingly, Bezos did not consider himself to be the smartest college student.
Before he started selling books online, Bezos was a Physics major at Princeton University. No, he wasn’t an average student. In fact, he was among the top 25 students in his honors program.
But that wasn’t enough for him. Bezos felt he just wasn’t smart enough to compete with the rest. As per his own account, Bezos believed three people in his class were better than him at Physics and had a much easier time in the course. And this is what triggered him to change his track.
He came to a conclusion after struggling to solve a math problem for hours without success. Bezos and his roommate accepted the help of another student, who solved the problem in a jiffy. That was an epiphany for Bezos.
Perhaps this tells us a lot about what goes behind the brain of Bezos. After all, not many would consider switching their major in university despite doing well academically.
Bezos changed his major to electrical engineering and computer science and it changed his life forever. Luckily, he identified his true calling at the right time. As soon as he realized he was never going to be a great theatrical physicist, he wasted no time.
He did some soul searching and decided on the path he wanted to walk. After switching his major, he was committed to starting and running his own business.
After switching his major, Jeff Bezos was committed to starting and running his own business.
The Beginning of the Professional Journey
It was after he graduated from Princeton in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science that the journey truly began for Jeff Bezos.
Bezos was working at a hedge fund in 1994 when he discovered the staggering statistic of the web growing at 2300% annually. This inspired him to come up with Amazon, an online bookstore he launched in 1995.
There has been no looking back since then.
What started as an online bookstore soon became an everything store. Now, there’s no limit to the stuff you can find on Amazon. And it all started with the vision of Bezos. He identified the writing on the wall and wasted no time taking the right steps.
There’s a reason that Bezos controls approximately 40% of eCommerce in the U.S. Many consumers routinely search Amazon for products instead of starting with Google. This has further established the advertising role of Amazon. To sum it all up, his rise to the top is truly inspirational. There’s something here for all of us to learn.
Understanding Jeff Bezos…Beyond His Fortune and Success
Bezos’s growth has been staggering, inspirational, and surprising. Everyone views him differently. For some, he is a nemesis, while for others, he is a wonder. And it’s just starting.
Amazon has announced many new endeavors. It intends to integrate new homes with Amazon devices. Alexa, its voice assistant, is being designed to access healthcare data. Work is in progress to stream major games and launch more than 3000 satellites into orbit. Indeed, despite being the richest man in the world, Bezos has shown no signs of slowing down.
His relentless approach has made many wonder, “What exactly does Bezos want? What’s his ambition? What are his beliefs?” He is somewhat mysterious and keeps his intentions to himself. For example, no one can quote Jeff Bezos on any political issue. All his interviews comprise the same anecdotes being repeated time and again.
Fictional Inspiration, Real-World Results
Not many know that before settling for Amazon, Bezos wanted to name his store makeitso.com. The primary idea behind using this phrase was his inability to contain a long-standing enthusiasm.
You guessed it right. Star Trek, including its spin-offs, is a favorite of Bezos. In honor of the character who invented warp drive, he even has a holding company named Zefram. The series was so important to him that he convinced the makers of Star Trek Beyond to give him a cameo appearance in the film.
That’s the only insight we have into his personal preference. He has kept the rest well hidden from the rest of the world.
When his high-school girlfriend was tracked down and questioned about him, she revealed his interest in outer space. Of course, Bezos has never really hidden this side of him. During his graduation speech in 1982, he spoke of his vision for humanity. He dreamt about having humans relocate to colonies in space.
Usually, what people say in high school is quickly forgotten. But not everyone is Jeff Bezos. He remains committed to his dream. Despite being looked down upon for his lack of charity, Bezos has remained undeterred. He believes his humanitarian contribution should be something else.
Usually, what people say in high school is quickly forgotten. But not everyone is Jeff Bezos.
The Vital Importance of Pursuing Your Dream
So what does this tell you about Jeff Bezos?
Behind his brain is the story of a kid who saw a dream and never stopped pursuing it. He’s the man who remained committed to his vision. He doesn’t seem to care if it’s taking too long. What matters to him is his ongoing effort.
Bezos has demonstrated a knack for recognizing both opportunities and weaknesses. And that’s the secret to his success.
