Tom Alberg. Ever heard of him? Probably not. But trust me, he’s the reason you can get almost anything delivered to your doorstep in two days. He’s the guy who believed in Jeff Bezos’ vision when Amazon was a humble online bookstore in a garage. His playbook? Legendary. And if you’re serious about making your mark, you’d better pay attention.

1. Stop Chasing Tiny Wins – Go Big or Go Home

Alberg wasn’t interested in Amazon squeezing out profits early on. Nah, he told Bezos to pump every single dollar back into growth, into the future, into total market takeover. Wall Street screamed, but Alberg didn’t budge. He knew the power of thinking big.

Today? Amazon dominates every corner of the market. And you’re over here sweating small wins? It’s embarrassing.

2. Innovate Like Your Survival Depends on It – Because It Does

When Bezos pitched the idea of Amazon Web Services, most people thought he was nuts. But Alberg saw the game-changing potential and said, “Let’s do it.” AWS now makes more money than Amazon’s entire retail business. That’s what happens when you’re willing to look beyond what everyone else can see.

Think your SaaS is groundbreaking? Guess again. Time to push boundaries.

3. Build for Global Domination, Not Just Growth

Alberg knew Amazon needed to own its delivery game. So he pushed for fulfillment centers, world-class logistics—the whole nine yards. Prime didn’t just speed up delivery; it transformed consumer expectations. Amazon set the bar, and the rest are still playing catch-up.

The takeaway? If you’re not ready to play at a global scale, go home.

4. Customers First – No, Seriously

“Obsess over customers,” Alberg said. Not competitors. He pushed Amazon to build features like one-click ordering, predictive shopping, and Prime, all to make customers stick. He saw that loyalty would be Amazon’s secret weapon, and he was right.

And here’s where everyone else screws it up—they’re trying to play catch-up instead of creating value.

The Alberg Formula – It’s Not for the Weak

Alberg’s strategy? Brutal, but effective:

  • Think long-term

  • Innovate like your life depends on it

  • Build a machine for scale

  • Put the customer experience above everything else

Most people can’t handle this level of vision because they’re too busy clinging to short-term wins. You want real growth? Start acting like it.