The gospel of Bezos

To view a version of this email in a browser, [click here](. INC. THIS MORNING The gospel of Bezos Good morning, If you poke around some startup circles, you’ll notice a new generation of founders following a certain credo. Among some of its tenets: - Make decisions based on data - Circulate [six-page “narrative memos” to be read in silence]( at the beginning of meetings (no PowerPoints!) - Keep teams small enough that two pizzas are sufficient for team dinners This is but a small sliver of the gospel of Jeff Bezos, and according to a new report, Amazon is effectively churning out a flock of founders spreading it far and wide. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal [highlighted a series of former Amazon executives]( who left the e-commerce giant to found their own startups. Many of the businesses--which include household names like Hulu and lesser-known ventures like home-maintenance company Latchel--have gone so far as to blatantly appropriate Amazon’s [14 leadership principles]( which emphasize scrappiness, discipline, and constant change. They’re not adopting all things Bezos. Particularly absent is Amazon’s cutthroat culture, which many seemingly want to leave behind. Still, the similarities in their strategies are striking--both to each other and to Bezos himself. The trend has two apparent explanations. First: Amazon’s management principles are deeply ingrained in every executive’s head. One former vice president, Laura Orvidas, found herself saying phrases to her children like “Honey, really good bias for action.” Second: Amazon’s top leaders are so long-tenured that the company’s rising stars often begin to see more opportunity in entrepreneurship rather than waiting for promotions that may never come. Thus, Bezos has created a CEO factory that rivals few others. While the Journal draws a comparison between Amazon and General Electric in its heyday, it feels like an inadequate comparison: GE’s execs arguably are better known for becoming high-profile CEOs of large companies, not launching their own companies. Alphabet’s X Development facility has generated plenty of founders, but the common thread is usually the “moonshot” idea behind the new company’s technology, rather than any set of core management tenets. Apple’s Steve Jobs cut a massively inspirational figure, but I’d argue that his cult of personality didn’t generate such a complete operational philosophy for other startups to follow. Even the PayPal Mafia--a group of former PayPal employees who went on to found companies like LinkedIn, Tesla, YouTube, and Yelp--is an imperfect comparison. While those founders were undeniably influenced by their experiences at PayPal, much of their shared success has been due to the [trust and support they’ve given each other]( since leaving. It’s hard to predict the future impact of these Bezos-inspired startups, but if they do well, you’ll probably see even more founders preaching this gospel in the years to come. The trend might even inspire a new entrepreneurial path: Go to college, get a job at Amazon (easy, right?), rise through the ranks, stay long enough to learn the gospel (and perhaps pay off your student loans), follow your startup dreams. Then you, too, might have children you’ll praise for their biases for action one day. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: [Here’s the scoop]( on how a 27-year-old “ice cream girl” turned a whimsical summer project into a business valued at $200 million. --Inc. Marc Benioff is starting to get involved in national politics, and [lawmakers appear to be listening](. --Politico Related: Protesters interrupted [Benioff’s keynote address]( at the Dreamforce conference on Tuesday. --Business Insider A 9-year-old is about to get a university degree, and he’s [defying the stereotypes]( of young geniuses. --The New York Times New overtime rules start on January 1, 2020. [Here’s what you need to know](. --Inc. Electric bus workers in Los Angeles are [unionizing]( the support of their Silicon Valley CEO. --Los Angeles Times As part of a new security feature, Uber plans to start [recording audio during rides]( in the U.S. --The Washington Post In an attempt to alleviate privacy concerns, [Amazon has offered some details]( on how police request videos from Ring doorbell cameras. --The Verge --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback for Inc. This Morning at [calbertdeitch@inc.com](mailto:calbertdeitch@inc.com?subject=) or on [Twitter](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Privacy Policy](