The success story of AWS: From sailor's home to the skyscrapers of technology

In 2003, when Amazon first turned a profit and annual revenues surpassed the 4 billion dollar mark, critical discussions took place at Jeff Bezos' house on Lake Washington. The goal was to identify Amazon's strengths, which led to the idea of Amazon Web Services (AWS). A passionate advocate of this idea was Andy Jassy, an economics graduate who was then working as Bezos' "shadow." Jassy recognized that AWS could address the challenges faced by Amazon's software engineers, who spent significant time building their own infrastructure. AWS's model of offering cloud computing resources on demand was a radical innovation. Today, Jassy leads AWS, which is not only Amazon's fastest-growing but also its most profitable segment. Despite his non-technical background and years of experience at Amazon, he established principles like "having backbone" and the lack of a "compression algorithm for experience." Initially, AWS met with skepticism, but ten years after launching its first service, prominent startups like Airbnb, Yelp, Slack, and even Netflix run on AWS. A major turning point came in 2012 with a contract with the CIA. AWS is now the largest provider of technology infrastructure in the world. Wall Street is enthusiastic: some analysts predict that AWS could soon be more valuable than Amazon's core business. However, the competition is not idle. Microsoft and Google are investing heavily in their cloud offerings, and Apple might also move away from AWS. Despite all challenges, Jassy remains composed and committed to Amazon’s long-term growth strategy. The belief in a consistent, future-proof corporate culture remains unwavering, supported by principles such as "working backwards documents." These help to clearly structure innovative ideas before they are implemented. With over 200,000 employees worldwide, Amazon maintains the dynamism of a startup, driven by a culture of building and constant innovation. Jassy himself, a "born Amazonian," remains focused on sustainable development and creating a company that endures through time.