8 ms·
Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon’s CEO After 27 Years
- ElViajero 5y agoIt makes sense that he steps down, I have heard that he is leaving Earth.
- advisedwang 5y agoOriginally announced in Feb (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/jeff-bezos-to-step-down-as-amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-to-take-over-in-q3.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/02/jeff-bezos-to-step-down-as-a...) with exact date announced in May (https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/26/jeff-bezos-to-formally-step-down-as-amazon-ceo-on-july-5.html https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/26/jeff-bezos-to-formally-step-...)
- legitster 5y agoEnd of an era. Jeff's concept of the API mandate was such small and pivotal moment in technology, I may put it up there with Edison's lightbulb or James Watt's addition of the condenser to the steam engine. There is a lot left if Bezos' career. There is no telling what he will do next or what his final legacy will be. But regardless, Amazon is quite a thing. It's not the biggest or wealthiest corporation on the planet, but it is far and away the most important right now. It's quite a thing he made. It will be interesting to see what Amazon does without him. (But again, I may have said the same thing about the Gates/Balmer era of Microsoft, but I think Microsoft has arguably done better since).
- thefourthchime 5y agoLet's not conflate the Gates in Balmer era at Microsoft. The Gates era produced some of the finest software Microsoft ever made, Windows 2000, Visual Studio and Office 2000. They had a real focus on developers, and developer support (remember when MSDN didn't suck?). In spite of Balmer jumping up and down on stage yelling "Developers!!", he had no idea how to build a software company and subsequently nearly drove it into the ground.
- azinman2 5y agoLet’s also recognize that while clearly both of these guys (Bezos and Gates) are clear outliers in talent and execution, they themselves did not build these companies and products alone. They were supported by thousands and thousands of people. And many of them coming up with the important ingredients that made it all happen.
- legitster 5y agoHaha! Fair enough. Although, to give Ballmer some credit, he inherited a lot of structural problems in the business, and I merged their eras because it was never very clear when Gates actually let go of all of the reigns.
- taneq 5y ago> In spite of Balmer jumping up and down on stage yelling "Developers!!" ... If you actually know how to support developers you don't need to jump up and down on stage screaming about it.
- heurisko 5y agoIn my mind, I compare Jeff Bezos with Bill Gates. I have often disliked the practices of Microsoft, and don't think creating benevolent billionaires is the best way to solve the world's problems, but I have to credit the fact that Bill Gates has actually tried to change the world for the better through the Gates foundation. In comparison, Jeff Bezos's aspiration to travel into space seems to me mawkish (to use the same word as Russell Brand https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhMY23kgcKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhMY23kgcKQ). Jeff Bezos says that space "changes your relationship with this planet, this humanity, it's one earth". It seems to me completely out-of-touch with the reputation of Amazon.
- donmcronald 5y agoI disagree. How much innovation did we lose because of 90s Microsoft? We might be 5 years more advanced in tech if Bill Gates hadn’t been such an asshole. The same goes for Intel, Amazon, etc.. They're stifling innovation for their own personal gain.
- thinkingemote 5y agoim not sure who said it, but theres a quote that said something like "in 150 years the world will not remember microsoft or any of these tech companies but they will remember the legacy of bill gates's philanthropy." 5 years of lost tech advancement means nothing to history.
- dna_polymerase 5y agoWhat would we remember his philanthropy for? Is there something yet to come or are the mosquito nets the thing to remember?
- bradstewart 5y agoPolio?
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- _xander 5y agoSay what you want about Amazon as a company, Jeff was a world-class operator and (relatively) drama free for 27 years. I'm still holding out for a 'big reveal' on his vision for the 2nd half of his career - hopefully more than just an egotistical space race. The world is depending on him given his outsized influence and wealth.
- donmcronald 5y agoWe shouldn’t be depending on people that ruthlessly exploit others to gain their wealth. We should be shunning them.
- kennywinker 5y ago“World class operator” while employees pee in bottles on the warehouse floor to meet quotas. That’s not a world class operator, that’s a world class tyrant.
- gccs 5y agoPeople act like peeing in bottles is so bad. I really don't get it. Have you never peed in a bottle? Like they have access to toilets for #2 which is great. Ask anyone doing carpet cleaning or another home based trade. Where do you think they pee and poo? They dont do it in the clients home. They go in a bottle or into a bucket in the back of their van.
- kennywinker 5y agoI’m focusing on peeing in a bottle because I think it’s particularly dehumanizing and humiliating part of amazon’s horrible labour practices. And for the record, if you’re doing a job in my house, you can use my toilet. Whatever social stigmas there are around contractors and cleaners using the house toilet - those are the same classist and toxic forces that let people justify dehumanizing work.
- munificent 5y ago> Ask anyone doing carpet cleaning or another home based trade. Where do you think they pee and poo? Any time I have contractors working at my house, they use my bathroom like a human being. What dystopian hellhole are you advocating for here?
- tonetheman 5y agoThe end of an era. Jeff's concept of all of his workers being lazy has been pivotal in the concept of hiring to fire. Jeff lead the way in his idea of firing people with cancer. He lead in having the most people cry at their desk. His concept of making people wear diapers instead of letting them go to the bathroom. Don't get me wrong. I want my cheap stuff and to some degree they are the only game in town. I do think that Amazon changed how we shop in a large way.
- DantesKite 5y agoDo you still use Amazon despite their bad conduct?
- sdenton4 5y agoI don't!