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AcquiredDecember 31, 2016
Episode 28: The Amazon IPO with original Amazon Board Member Tom Alberg
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Ben & David welcome very special guest Tom Alberg, board member and first lead investor in Amazon.com, to cover the IPO of "earth’s most customer-centric company". From longterm thinking to flywheels to riding big waves, this episode is chock full of lessons and stories from the journey of building one of tech’s most iconic franchises. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it!
4 book mentions in this episode.
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Books Mentioned
The Everything Store
Brad Stone
“The mention refers to the coda of 'The Everything Store' and a letter written by Joy Covey to Brad Stone, reflecting on her time at Amazon.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: Amazon's rapid growth
For: Entrepreneurs and business students
Key quote: “So in 1995, which is the first half year of operations, Amazon did about 500,000 in revenue.”
The host mentions 'The Everything Store' to highlight how Jeff Bezos adopted the mantra of 'get big fast' after Kleiner Perkins invested in Amazon. This shift in mindset was crucial for Amazon's explosive growth during its early years.
ASIN: B00FJFJOLC
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
All the Pretty Horses
Cormac McCarthy
“Cormac McCarthy, the novelist who wrote All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men and many other Pulitzer Prize winning works.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: Cormac McCarthy's influence
For: Readers interested in the intersection of literature and economics
Key quote: “it turns out that Cormac McCarthy, the author, uh, the novelist who, you know, wrote all the pretty horses and no country for old men and many other, you know, Pulitzer Prize winning author, um, Brian Arthur, the economist who wrote the article, he went to Cormac MacArthur for help writing this piece”
The host mentioned Cormac McCarthy in relation to a Harvard Business Review article that he contributed to, highlighting his ability to make complex economic ideas more accessible. This reference serves to illustrate the unexpected intersections between literature and economics.
ASIN: 9123978643
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
No Country for Old Men
Cormac McCarthy
“Cormac McCarthy, the novelist who wrote All the Pretty Horses and No Country for Old Men and many other Pulitzer Prize winning works.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: Cormac McCarthy's influence
For: Readers interested in the intersection of literature and economics
Key quote: “it turns out that Cormac McCarthy, the author, uh, the novelist who, you know, wrote all the pretty horses and no country for old men and many other, you know, Pulitzer Prize winning author, um, Brian Arthur, the economist who wrote the article, he went to Cormac MacArthur for help writing this piece”
The host mentions Cormac McCarthy in relation to an academic paper by Brian Arthur, highlighting McCarthy's role in improving the clarity of the writing. This reference serves to illustrate the intersection of literature and economics.
ASIN: 1529064430
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
The Undoing Project
Michael Lewis
“On my Amazon Christmas gift list that I've given to my wife is The Undoing Project book by Michael Lewis.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: Christmas gift list
For: Anyone looking for gift ideas
Key quote: “On my Amazon Christmas gift list that I've given to my wife is The Undoing Project book by Michael Lewis.”
The host casually mentions adding 'The Undoing Project' to their Christmas gift list. This indicates a personal interest in the book rather than a deep analysis or recommendation.
ASIN: B01KBM82M4
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.