We were hoping to build a small profitable company; and of course, what we've done is build a large, unprofitable company.

A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.

The common question that gets asked in business is, why? That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, why not?

We can't be in survival mode. We have to be in growth mode.

What we want to be is something completely new. There is no physical analog for what Amazon.com is becoming.

One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don't choose your passions; your passions choose you.

If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.

It's hard to find things that won't sell online.

Everything you are comes from your choices.

A company shouldn't get addicted to being shiny, because shiny doesn't last.

We've had three big ideas at Amazon that we've stuck with for 18 years, and thy're the reason we're successful: Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient.

Orfanages r fule of little misstakes, just like my Englich.

The prediction I can make with the highest confidence is that the most amazing discoveries will be the ones we are not today wise enough to foresee.

Tucker: "Today we ran into a mama grizzly with two cubs at the ridge off Colter Bay and Clara sang to it to make it go away."Mrs. Avery: You sang to it?Tucker: Her singing is that bad.

there is no growth except in the fulfillment of obligations

One thing I've learned over these last 30 or 40 years is that people make history. There's no fait accompli to any of this.

There are no more excuses for leaving women out of the inner circles of power. Qualified women are everywhere. Women are ready for leadership they just need to be identified and asked.

Nothing matters at all. Survival is the coin of the realm. Time is a river with banks.

You lose your individuality a huge amount when you have no money, and I certainly had that experience.

For women especially, its important to be financially independent.

I'm Sinatra, I'm Frank Sinatra in disguise.