In today’s world, Amazon is more than just an online store—it’s a daily habit, a delivery truck on your street, a voice assistant in your home, and the cloud behind countless digital experiences. But the path to becoming one of the most influential companies on the planet began with a simple idea and a bold decision from one man who saw the internet’s future before most people even logged on.
In 1994, Jeff Bezos was working a comfortable job in New York when he came across a startling statistic: internet usage was growing by over 2,000% per year. That single figure pushed him to walk away from Wall Street and head to Seattle with a plan to start an online business. Books were his entry point—not out of passion, but because they were easy to ship, had a massive catalog, and were already well-documented. From a garage, Bezos and a tiny team built Amazon.com, which launched in 1995. Within weeks, orders poured in from across the U.S. They were packing boxes by hand and taping labels on the floor. The chaos didn’t stop Bezos from reminding his team, “It’s still Day One.”
Amazon went public in 1997, but profit wasn’t the immediate goal. The company expanded fast, moving into CDs, electronics, and toys. While customers loved the convenience, critics were skeptical. When the dot-com bubble burst in the early 2000s, Amazon’s stock plummeted, and many predicted it wouldn’t survive. But Bezos had a long-term mindset. He focused on cutting unnecessary costs while doubling down on what mattered most: customer experience. That stubborn focus helped Amazon weather the crash and emerge stronger when many early internet companies vanished.
Around this time, Amazon started investing in something most people didn’t notice—its own infrastructure. In 2002, it launched a project that eventually became Amazon Web Services (AWS), which allowed businesses to rent computing power and storage over the internet. It began as a tool to manage Amazon’s own operations but quickly became the foundation for countless startups and major companies. At the same time, Amazon launched Prime, offering fast shipping for a flat annual fee. What seemed like a risky bet became a customer loyalty program unlike anything else in retail.
By the late 2000s, Amazon was no longer just selling products—it was creating them. The Kindle changed the way people read books, letting users download entire libraries onto a slim device. Then came services like Amazon Pantry, fashion lines, and even original video content through Prime Video. When Amazon introduced Alexa and the Echo smart speaker in 2014, it signaled a new era where people could talk to their homes and control everything from lights to music with just their voice. What seemed like a gimmick at first quickly became part of everyday life for millions.
As Amazon expanded its reach, it also made bold moves offline. The 2017 acquisition of Whole Foods marked its entry into physical grocery stores. It began building its own logistics network, operating airplanes, delivery vans, and experimenting with drones. Its business wasn’t just about selling anymore—it was about delivering faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than anyone else. AWS continued growing, becoming the company’s most profitable division and supporting everything from streaming platforms to government agencies.
But Amazon’s growth brought new challenges. The company faced criticism over warehouse working conditions, its impact on small businesses, and its influence on the retail market. Labor protests and investigations became more common, yet Amazon’s momentum didn’t slow. The company focused on automation, robotics, and sustainability efforts while expanding into new territories like health care, smart home security, and AI.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Amazon’s role became even more critical. With millions stuck at home, people turned to it for essentials. The company rapidly hired workers and adjusted its systems to meet demand. In 2021, Jeff Bezos stepped down as CEO, handing leadership to Andy Jassy, who had built AWS into a tech powerhouse. Bezos shifted his focus to space exploration with Blue Origin, while Amazon continued exploring the future of AI and global internet access through satellite technology.
Today, Amazon isn’t just an online marketplace—it’s a cloud platform, a content producer, a logistics empire, and a tech innovator. Its tools power businesses, its products fill homes, and its ambitions continue to grow. From its earliest days in a garage to becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world, Amazon’s story is built on experimentation, patience, and a mindset that refuses to believe the journey is ever finished.
As Bezos often said, “It’s always Day One.” And at Amazon, Day One means staying hungry, staying curious, and always thinking about what’s next.