7 Secrets to Success from Jeff Bezos — The Richest Person in History

Listening to the founder of Amazon is truly worthwhile.

CNN announced that Jeff Bezos has overtaken Bill Gates. By January 10, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI), Bezos's net worth hit an astounding $106 billion.

Bezos is not only immensely successful but also multifaceted. Besides the renowned online marketplace Amazon, he owns the prestigious publication The Washington Post and the aerospace firm Blue Origin. Despite his achievements, Bezos remains humble, granting very few interviews. However, a recent candid conversation with TechCrunch unveiled several key secrets behind his success.

1. Choose Your Life Partner Carefully

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos have been married for 24 years. Before meeting MacKenzie, Jeff struggled to find the right partner, even going on blind dates recommended by friends without success. He realized he sought specific qualities in a woman — creativity and the ability to inspire.

"I needed a woman who could elevate me beyond mediocrity, spark ideas, and help bring them to life," Jeff explains. "With MacKenzie, just a few words were enough to recognize her inventiveness — exactly what I was looking for. No doubt about it."

2. Avoid Multitasking

"I focus on one task at a time. If I’m having lunch with friends or family, I’m fully present. When I read emails, I concentrate solely on that," says the billionaire.

I enjoy deep concentration on whatever I’m doing.
— Jeff Bezos

Indeed, multitasking often reduces productivity, and Bezos’s approach aligns perfectly with maximizing focus.

3. Embrace Risk and Adventure Over Comfort

Everyone’s life can follow two paths: one safe and comfortable, the other filled with risk, experimentation, highs, and lows. Bezos clearly chooses the latter.

In 1994, he worked as a financial software developer on Wall Street — a secure job that provided steady income and peace of mind.

When he told his boss he wanted to quit to start an online bookstore, his boss was genuinely surprised: "It’s a great idea, but it would be better suited for someone without your job and status. Are you really ready to give it all up?" Jeff was ready.

Reflecting on his journey to founding Amazon, Bezos says: "I knew that when I turn 80, I wouldn’t regret taking the risk. Once I saw the potential of the internet, I realized it could change my life. I just had to dive in. Even if I failed, I would despise myself less than if I hadn’t tried."

In business, people often ask, 'Why?' That’s a good question. But a better one is: 'Why not?'
— Jeff Bezos

4. Always Have Backup Plans

When asked what he would be if Amazon failed, Bezos offers two answers.

First: "Most likely, I’d be a very happy programmer. I’m used to starting from scratch."

Second: "I imagine I could be a bartender — a really good, albeit slow one. I enjoy crafting cocktails with care, treating it like an art. My slowness would be my signature. My bar would have a sign: 'Do you want it fast or do you want it well?'"

5. Understand That Failures Are Essential for Learning

Jeff and his wife have adopted unconventional but effective parenting methods. For example, they allowed their children to use sharp knives at age 4 and later introduced them to power tools.

What would alarm many parents, Bezos justifies by saying: "Those who don’t make mistakes and never feel the pain of failure lose the chance to learn. I’d rather have a child with nine fingers than one who never experiences the real world."

6. Maintain Work-Life Harmony

Bezos advocates for work-life balance, or rather harmony. "I prefer the term ‘harmony’ over ‘balance,’" he explains. "Work and personal life should be independent yet complementary, like yin and yang. When I’m happy at home, I’m a better employee and leader. When I’m productive at work, I’m a more balanced and positive husband and father."

He strongly opposes overtime and family calls during work hours. In his view, a harmonious life means keeping these areas distinct.

7. Preserve Childlike Curiosity

"The world is so complex that sometimes you must become an expert to find solutions," Bezos says. "But becoming an expert risks trapping you in rigid beliefs about how things should be, losing the ability to ask how things could be done differently. To avoid this, it’s vital to maintain childlike curiosity — constantly asking, ‘What if we try this? Or that? What happens if...?’ All great inventors and pioneers think like beginners. They never stop exploring new paths, even where experts have already paved highways."

If you’re doing something interesting, you’ll face critics. If you can’t handle criticism, don’t do anything new or exciting.
— Jeff Bezos

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