At Amazon, “Day One” is code for inventing like a startup, with little regard for legacy.
Day Two is, in Jeff Bezos’s own words, “stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by an excruciating, painful decline, followed by death.”
Sadly, most companies today are set up for Day Two.
They build advantages & then defend them fiercely, rather than invent the future. But Amazon and fellow tech titans Facebook, Google, and Microsoft operate in Day One: they prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership.
To dig in, I just interviewed Alex Kantrowitz, author of the fascinating new book “Always Day One: How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever.”
After years as a reporter for Advertising Age, Forbes, and Buzzfeed, Alex stepped out on his own to launch Big Technology where he covers the Big Tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Through 130 interviews with insiders (from Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers) Always Day One reveals the tech giants’ blueprint for sustainable success in a business world where no advantage is safe.
Even if you’re not in tech (aren’t we all?), you’ll find this 20-minute conversation fascinating.