“I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired,” recalled Bezos in a commencement speech he gave at his alma mater, Princeton, in 2010. “I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, ‘That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.’”

Bezos did think about the decision carefully.

“That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot,” said Bezos in his speech.

“You have to be willing to be misunderstood if you’re going to innovate.” – Jeff Bezos

“One of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out.” – Jeff Bezos

“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.” – Jeff Bezos

“A company shouldn’t get addicted to being shiny because shiny doesn’t last.” – Jeff Bezos

“If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.” – Jeff Bezos

“If you don’t understand the details of your business you are going to fail.” – Jeff Bezos

3 Key to Success from Jeff Bezos

Now you know all about Jeff Bezos’ net worth and success story, here are some of the best success lessons to learn from Bezos:

1. Prepare to Fail

Bezos didn’t actually expect to succeed when he first created Amazon.com. Back then, the online game was very new, and the security of such was uncertain. Bezos took a risk, and he knew that there was a great chance of failure.

However, his mindset paid off big time.

2. Play the Long Game

In the early days of Amazon, Bezos warned investors that the company was years away from turning a profit.

Bezos’s vision included recognizing that things wouldn’t always be easy, and that to become profitable, you have to work your way there – which involves envisioning and playing the long game.

3. Start Small, Then Diversify

Amazon began with books. It was a humble and simple beginning to the online empire. Today, however, Amazon sells a ridiculous number of things.

The lesson here is to start with what you know, and then proceed to diversify and expand!

Jeff Bezos – Inspirational Speech

Summary

Jeff Bezos went from failing at selling books, to succeeding at selling whatever he wants. Amazon has become an absolute powerhouse and is taking over the new world; it all started with one guy trying to sell used books.

Jeff Bezos’ net worth is estimated to be $170 billion, and that is a lot of money!