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A New Commentary Each Wednesday         Jan 8, 2014

HAPPY HALF CENTURY BIRTHDAY, JEFF BEZOS     

    January 12th, is/was* the 50th birthday of Jeffrey (Jeff) Preston Bezos, *(according to when you read this) founder and CEO of Amazon.com, the most successful Internet Retail Merchandising Company in the World.

    I came upon this birthday factoid while doing research for another piece some weeks ago, one in which I mentioned about seeing him on 60 Minutes.

    Among other things in the CBS-TV program, Bezos told about Amazon.com doing research and development on small helicopter drones that will ultimately deliver merchandise, including groceries, from Amazon.com to your doorstep.

    There was a great clearing of throats and shuffling of feet after the program aired, coming particularly from folks invested in the Aeronautical Industry.  

    I remember that sometime in the late 1990s, Wall Street was preparing to attend a wake for a fledgling company whose founder thought that selling books over the Internet could be profitable. Just another Silicon Valley Start-up headed for a big balloon bust, some said.

    They should visit the annual balloon festival in Albuquerque, where Bezos was born. Or get a tour, like the one 60-minutes took us on, of one of Amazon.com distribution centers.

    Jeff Bezos, like most of us, went through a few zigs and zags early in his career: Engineer, Wall Street Computer Whiz...others have already done excellent biographies, but what I have to say is that he had a great idea and a great plan. He stuck with it during some very stressful moments.

    Others had tried to sell things on the World Wide Web, sort of. Bezos just did it better than anyone else.

    I'll bet there had to be a lot of long, sleepless nights as the red lines got longer and when he got pumped on new ideas. It was tremendously exciting, and still is, because Jeff has yet a number of unrealized visions.

    I will say this: Jeff Bezos inherited some great genes. He inspires confidence in financial supporters and employees. But the great attribute that contributes to his success is his ability to persist; by getting up every day and cheering-on, persuading, mentoring, inspiring and inevitably, and sadly, discharging people who are unable to solve problems. This is a management style someone termed, "Walking Around and Sticking Your Nose into Everything."

   Others have had the ability to convey their dream, their mission, to a dedicated team. Edison had it, Ford had it, Vince Lombardy had it. Bill Gates, of course still has it. The list is long.

   Many others have that ability to lead, and succeed. In this decade, and it's my eighth on this planet, Jeff Bezos earns the title of Sheer Persistence Champion.

    And, he's just 50 years old! I have ties older than you, Jeff, so I probably won't be around when other dreams of yours become a reality, but I'm sure that my children, grandchildren and great-grand children who surround me, will.

Phil Richardson, Storyteller and Longtime Observer of the Human Condition.

PS: I think the drone idea is cool.


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