Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has shared some words of wisdom for budding entrepreneurs. Bezos advised young business enthusiasts to first gain experience by working in a successful company before setting up their own enterprises.
At the Italian Tech Week in Turin last week, Bezos expressed his belief that gaining practical experience in a well-established firm could “increase your odds” of creating a successful business.
During the conversation, he highlighted the importance of learning fundamental skills like hiring and interviewing in a well-run organization.
Bezos’ advice contradicts the common narrative of successful entrepreneurs who leave college to start their own businesses. He referred to such cases as “the exception,” pointing out that most successful startups are usually led by founders with prior experience.
“I always advise young people to work at a best-practices company somewhere where you can learn a lot of basic fundamental things like how to hire really well, how to interview, etc.,” said Bezos.
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“There’s a lot of stuff you would learn in a great company that will help you, and then there’s still lots of time to start a company after you have absorbed it,” he added.
Bezos, who started Amazon at the age of 30, attributes his success to the experience and knowledge he acquired while working at three different companies. He is of the opinion that this experience significantly enhanced Amazon’s chances of success.
Bezos’ advice could potentially reshape the mindset of young entrepreneurs who are often inspired by stories of college dropouts turned successful business owners. His emphasis on gaining experience before launching a startup aligns with research findings, suggesting that experience plays a critical role in the success of a business.
This advice, coming from the founder of one of the most successful companies in the world, could influence the decisions of future entrepreneurs and potentially lead to a higher success rate of startups.
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