You may be surprised to know that I am an integral part of the success of Amazon. While Jeff Bezos is certainly the seed that created the flower we today know as Amazon, I am most certainly the fertile ground on which it landed, and the sun that causes it to grow. And while I am certainly not alone amongst the millions of customers, partners, and employees of Amazon in being part of creating Amazon, I am a no less real and important part.
Why You Are Important
Now you may be asking yourself: “Who the hell is Andrew Whalen?” And again, you would not be alone amongst the millions of customers, partners, and employees that would ask the same question if they read this article. They don’t know me, and neither does good old Jeff Bezos. And yet together we – the millions of people that together are the customers, partners, and employees of Amazon, are the essence of why Amazon is successful.
How did I create Amazon? Through my choices. I choose to buy, do business with, and recommend Amazon to others. Any time I choose to interact with Amazon, it is an expression of who I am.
There are countless numbers of companies and people that I can do business with. Thanks to our interconnected and globalized world, there really are no limits to the choices that I have. And that is why my choice is so important. Who am I really? And what do I want to make of this world?
How You Create Value
Doing business with Amazon is more than just about getting a good price. In fact I would say that price isn’t relevant at all, it is value. But what is value? Value is simply an expression of what you think is important. You are the ultimate creator of value in this world. And that is what brings me back to my first claim: I created Amazon.
What is valuable to me? First of all is freedom of choice, and freedom to change. I’m an inventor, an experimenter, and an explorer. I don’t know exactly where I’m going when I go out the door, but I know what I want to achieve. And that is the beauty of my choice for Amazon. It expresses what I value most: freedom. Amazon’s business model and technology express who I am: it let’s me choose what I want, when I want, and for what I want. It is the polar opposite of the legacy world of business which is ‘take it or leave it’.
And then there’s trust. Freedom breeds trust because it creates room for you to express yourself exactly as you are. There’s no one hanging above you with a great big stick threatening your every move. Amazon’s leadership principles are open and transparent: ‘Work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust’. By choosing for Amazon I choose to create a company, set of technologies, and business model that expresses what is most valuable to me: trust. When I choose for Amazon, I choose to create a world that reflects my own values.
The Power of Your Choice
Whether you are conscious of the type of company that Amazon is or not, if you have ever chosen to buy something from them, do business with them, or work for them, you are part of creating Amazon and our world as it is. And yet think of how powerful your choice would be if you were conscious of the type of company that Amazon is. Think of how powerful your ability to create would be if you were conscious of all of your choices.
And thus my challenge to you: The next time you decide to buy a product, or shake hands with a potential business partner, or look eye to eye with your potential new employer, ask yourself this: what kind of world do you want to create for yourself? The answer to that question will not only lead you to making better decisions, but it will also lead to you creating the world you want to live in.