After launching Amazon's (AMZN, Fortune 500) first tablet with a fair amount of style at the end of 2011, many began drawing comparisons between Bezos and Jobs, the most singular figure in technology.
Of course, the comparisons were not completely unwarranted, as Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) and Amazon are part of a small group of companies that believe they can put the wants of customers first and still be successful. And they both also shared a penchant for big ideas.
But as evidenced by Sunday's Prime Air annoucement, Amazon's big ideas are nowhere near similar to Apple's.
Jobs' big ideas directly revolved around products: Beautiful, futuristic devices that customers interact with, inspiring awe and wonder.
Related story: Amazon drones? Time for a reality check
Bezos' innovations take place behind the scenes. Once a computer scientist who worked on Wall Street, Bezos reportedly started Amazon in part because he noticed a law thatexempted all online purchases from being taxed. He focuses on ways to improve the efficiency and infrastructure of his company, leading to orders that arrive faster, services that run smoother, and products that cost less. They're ultimately innovations that make people's lives easier, but they never touch or see them.
What started with Amazon's online marketplace expanded into offerings such as the Amazon Prime suite of services, the EC2 cloud farm, and the entire Kindle ecosystem. Now Amazon is even experimenting with the production of its own television shows and the delivery of groceries.
No comments:
Post a Comment