Business Quote by Jeff Bezos
““I very frequently get the question: 'What's going to change in the next 10 years?' And that is a very interesting question; it's a very common one. I almost never get the question: 'What's not going to change in the next 10 years?' And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two -- because you can build a business strategy around the things that are stable in time. ... [I]n our retail business, we know that customers want low prices, and I know that's going to be true 10 years from now. They want fast delivery; they want vast selection. It's impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up and says, 'Jeff I love Amazon; I just wish the prices were a little higher,' [or] 'I love Amazon; I just wish you'd deliver a little more slowly.' Impossible. And so the effort we put into those things, spinning those things up, we know the energy we put into it today will still be paying off dividends for our customers 10 years from now. When you have something that you know is true, even over the long term, you can afford to put a lot of energy into it.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Annual Shareholder Letter, Amazon, 2016
Focus on enduring customer needs rather than speculative trends to guide long‑term strategy.
In simple terms: Build on stable customer expectations.
Invest in core values that endure.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- retail planning
- product pricing
- delivery logistics
- market analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What needs might change despite stable expectations?
- How can you balance stability with adaptability?
Assuming current preferences won’t shift can overlook disruptive innovations.