Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once said the company’s success could be traced to four rules: “Obsess over your customers,” “Invent on their behalf,” “Think long term,” and “It’s always Day 1.” The principles, according to a Benzinga report, were first outlined in a 2009 video after Amazon announced its purchase of Zappos. These rules helped shape the company’s path from a small garage operation into a business now valued at about $2.3 trillion.

Obsess Over Customers

Jeff Bezos’ first rule was to always start with customer needs and “work backwards.” The approach, repeated in his shareholder letters and Amazon’s leadership principles, shaped how the company built products and services. Amazon describes this as one of its core “Day 1 defenses.”

Invent on Their Behalf

The second rule highlighted the importance of bold innovation. Bezos said employees should “invent and simplify,” even if some ideas are misunderstood at first. Staff are urged to scan widely for solutions, take risks, and make fast decisions when outcomes can be corrected.

Think Long Term

Jeff Bezos emphasized patience as a defining value. He urged Amazon to focus on long-term payoffs, even if it meant years of investment before results appeared. Prime Video is a key example: the company spent nearly a decade building it before it reached more than 100 million viewers.In an interview with Forbes, former Amazon executive Bill Carr said that Amazon spent a decade on research, development and content acquisition to build Prime Video. “Having that long time horizon is critical if you want to build something big and enduring,” Carr said.While many companies drop ideas if they don’t produce returns within a quarter or a year, but, as Carr stated, “Amazon will stick with an initiative for five, six, seven years — all the while keeping the investment manageable, constantly learning and improving — until it gains momentum and acceptance.”

It’s Always Day 1

Jeff Bezos often told employees to act as if Amazon were still a startup. In his 1997 shareholder letter, he wrote: “This is Day 1 for the Internet… and, if we execute well, for Amazon.com.” The “Day 1” mindset, he said, keeps teams customer-focused, nimble, and ready to experiment.