More than a decade after Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos outlined his philosophy of building around unchanging truths, Amazon Web Services appears to be proving him right once again.
Why Jeff Bezos Built Around Unchanging Customer Needs
During a 2012 fireside chat at Amazon Web Services' first “re:Invent” conference, Bezos shared a principle he considered more important than predicting the future: identifying what won't change over time.
While speaking with CTO Werner Vogels, Bezos said that most people ask what the next 10 years will look like, but the more meaningful question is, "What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?"
Bezos explained that Amazon's retail business is built on three constants — low prices, fast delivery and broad selection.
"It’s impossible to imagine a future 10 years from now where a customer comes up to me and says, ‘Jeff, I love Amazon. I just wish the prices were a little higher,' you know, ‘I love Amazon, I just wish you delivered a little more slowly,'" he said.
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By investing heavily in those stable priorities, he argued, Amazon could build a durable flywheel that compounds over decades.
He applied the same logic to AWS, noting customers would never ask for a less reliable cloud, slower innovation or higher prices.
The challenge, Bezos said, is maintaining "a firm grasp of the obvious" and putting consistent energy into the fundamentals that always matter.
A Decade Later, AWS' Growth Aligns With Bezos' Playbook
Today, Amazon's cloud business appears to be benefiting from that long-term approach.
In the third quarter of 2025, AWS revenue climbed 20% year-over-year to $33 billion, marking its fastest growth rate since 2022.
Operating income reached $11.4 billion, signaling continued strength in the company's most profitable division.
Amazon's broader business also remains strong. The company reported third-quarter net sales of $180.2 billion, beating Wall Street expectations, according to Benzinga Pro.
Meanwhile, Amazon's market capitalization has reached $2.49 trillion.
Bezos Steps Back In — And Steps Up AI Efforts
Bezos, whose net worth stands at $255 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, ranking him as the world's third-richest individual, stepped down as Amazon's chief executive officer in 2021. However, he has again taken on a prominent internal role.
In December 2024, he revealed at the DealBook Summit that he now spends about 95% of his time focused on Amazon's artificial intelligence initiatives.
"My heart is in Amazon, my curiosity is in Amazon, and my fears are there, and my love is there," he said.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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