Jeff Bezos: “Every startup is unlikely to work… But that doesn’t mean you can’t be optimistic”

When Jeff started Amazon, he told his investors that he thought there was a 30% chance they’d get their money back:

“Because that’s the truth. Every startup company is unlikely to work. It’s helpful to be in reality about that. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be optimistic. You kind of have to have this duality in your head. On the one hand, you know what the baseline statistics say about startup companies. And on the other hand, you have to ignore all that and just be 100% sure it’s going to work.”

He continues:

“You’re holding that contradiction in your head, but it was so exciting. From 1994 when the company was founded to 1995 when we opened our doors, all the way until today. I find Amazon so exciting and it’s full of pain. Full of problems. There’s so many things that need to be resolved and worked and made better, and et cetera. But on balance, it’s so fun… I feel so grateful that I’ve been part of that journey. It’s just been incredible.”

Full video: Lex Fridman “Jeff Bezos: Amazon and Blue Origin | Lex Fridman Podcast” (Dec 2013)

P.S. We’ve put together a YouTube playlist with every Jeff Bezos insight we’ve ever shared. You can watch it here: "Best startup advice from Jeff Bezos"