How Amazon, Bezos and Kneepads Can Revolutionize Your Business

For a few hours last week, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, was the world’s richest man. It’s widely known that he and his wife started the company out of their garage selling books. Here’s what you might not know. He wasn’t a natural at all facets of the business.

They moved into a warehouse and were doing things manually. It was still a tiny start up after all, and they were doing the work themselves with 2 or 3 employees. Employee number 3 was credited with this mind-blowing idea that Bezos considered “brilliant.”

They were pulling orders and stacking them on the floor to be boxed and prepared for shipment. It wasn’t technically difficult but it was uncomfortable. Bezos suggested buying knee-pads so that boxing and taping would be easier.

Employee number 3 (Nicholas Lovejoy) suggested buying tables so you could work standing up rather than kneeling.

Yep. THAT was the brilliant idea.

I know!

It’s so simple it’s hard to wonder how Bezos missed it right? Probably because they’d started in the garage and most of the space was likely taken up by inventory. Packing on the floor probably made sense. It didn’t take up much room.

And that’s the way he’d always done it.

Obviously, Amazon implemented robust automation and worker-friendly shipping processes. But there’s a lesson here for all of us. And that’s something Amazon’s leadership got right.

They brought in people who knew more than they did about lots of things. In fact, the first few hires weren’t really experts at building this type of business but they were smart. They knew how to challenge assumptions and look at things with new perspectives.

Since I’ve made the shift to Online Business Manger, I’ve been asked exactly what I do.

I bring the missing structure into your business processes. I’m the outside perspective that helps you find the gaps (what’s missing) or the roadblocks (what’s slowing you down) and fix, move, invent, replace or create what’s going to work better.

Like tables instead of knee-pads. 

And the best part? My team and I get it implemented for you so you can focus on the things only you can do…you know, your own unique brilliance!!

Feel free to set up a time to talk about how I can help.