MAKING BIG CHANGES IN TIMES OF BIG CHANGE (OR WHY AMAZON CREATED THE KINDLE)
Entrepreneur|Startups Summer 2021
Entrepreneurs are defined by how they adapt during crises. In this exclusive excerpt from their book Working Backwards, longtime Amazon execs Colin Bryar and Bill Carr reveal how the company dealt with massive disruption…and transformed itself as a result.
Colin Bryar and Bill Carr
MAKING BIG CHANGES IN TIMES OF BIG CHANGE (OR WHY AMAZON CREATED THE KINDLE)

Steve Jobs invited Jeff Bezos over for sushi.

It was the fall of 2003, which were consequential days for both Apple and Amazon. Only two years earlier, Apple released its first iPod and Amazon turned a quarterly profit for the first time. Now Steve was inviting Jeff, me (Colin), and another Amazon colleague down to Cupertino for a chat.

We arrived and were ushered into a nondescript conference room with a Windows PC and two platters of takeout sushi. Everyone chatted about the state of the music industry while doing some serious damage to the food. After dabbing his mouth with a napkin, Jobs segued into the real purpose of the meeting: He said that Apple had just finished building its first Windows application. He calmly and confidently told us that even though it was Apple’s first attempt to build a Windows application, he thought it was the best Windows application anyone had ever built. He then personally gave us a demo of the soon-to-be-launched iTunes for Windows.

During the demo, Jobs talked about how this move would transform the music industry. Up until this point, if you wanted to buy digital music from Apple, you needed a Mac, which made up less than 10 percent of the home computer market. Apple’s first foray into building software on the competing Windows platform showed how serious it was about the digital music market. Now anyone with a computer would be able to purchase digital music from Apple.

Denne historien er fra Startups Summer 2021-utgaven av Entrepreneur.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra Startups Summer 2021-utgaven av Entrepreneur.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA ENTREPRENEURSe alt
The Better Way to Fail
Entrepreneur US

The Better Way to Fail

The next time something you do flops, here's a new way to learn from it.

time-read
3 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
Making the Midlife Leap
Entrepreneur US

Making the Midlife Leap

After getting laid off in her early 50s, Keri Gardner decided she wanted to control her own fate-so she bought a franchise with her 401(k).

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
A Quick Guide to Franchise Ownership Costs
Entrepreneur US

A Quick Guide to Franchise Ownership Costs

Franchising costs money. Here's what everything means.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
This Doughnut Franchise Is Hitting the Road
Entrepreneur US

This Doughnut Franchise Is Hitting the Road

To grow, DonutNV needed a steady supply of delivery trailers. So last year, it started making them itself.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
3 Steps to Find Your Perfect Franchise
Entrepreneur US

3 Steps to Find Your Perfect Franchise

There are many brands out there. Finding the right one is up to you.

time-read
3 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
This Fencing Franchise Is Ready for Growth
Entrepreneur US

This Fencing Franchise Is Ready for Growth

Superior Fence & Rail nearly doubled its sales in one year. How? By stepping back and focusing on fundamentals.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
What Are a Franchisee's Role and Responsibilities?
Entrepreneur US

What Are a Franchisee's Role and Responsibilities?

If you're going to be a franchisee, you should know exactly what's expected of you.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
This Dog-Training Franchise Is Zooming Ahead
Entrepreneur US

This Dog-Training Franchise Is Zooming Ahead

After a rough few years, Zoom Room made major changes...and has emerged as a stronger, faster, very well-behaved business.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
What's the Real Damage?
Entrepreneur US

What's the Real Damage?

Most clean-up companies just fix messes, like fire or flood damage. But 911 Restoration's new CEO saw an opportunity to help with the other emergency they often encounter: customers' emotional trauma.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024
Mental Health Services, Franchised
Entrepreneur US

Mental Health Services, Franchised

The U.S. is facing a growing mental health crisis. Ellie Mental Health wants to be the solution.

time-read
2 mins  |
Startups - Fall/Winter 2024