Entrepreneur

What’s always amazed me is how Amazon did what Sears did… a century apart… while Sears stood by and watched its own downfall. Amazon eventually destroying Sears and pretty much all big box stores.

I’d use my $50K to convince Sears to partner with me in an Amazon-style distribution system. The railroad was the key to Sears first distribution revolution, the internet for the second.

Partner with '90s icons for exclusive product launches. Imagine the Spice Girls endorsing your new line of futuristic gadgets. Zig-a-zig-ah, anyone?

Buy Apple shares and get Jeff hooked on drugs.

The aim is to help yourself and help mom and pap businesses on Main or high Street.

Ok. I will play. Because i started building online in 1994. Here is the truth, we spent well over 50k trying not to build amazon. The internet then was a wonderful place. What you are asking is like: go back to haight asbury in 1968 and plot how you will turn every corner into a chik-fil-a or Starbucks. It is absolutely missing the point. The point is never: how can we isolate all of the riches to ourselves at the expense of humanity, but rather how can we not do that! Give me 50k and 1994 and the only real answer is to buy amazon stock to shut it down. Which only delays the hateful march of commerce and its destruction of human culture. Short of that i would give the money and knowledge to the EFF to help them protect us from what we have wrought.

In around 1995 around the time Bezos moved from garage to warehouse I’d approach Bezos to suggest a partnership expanding Amazon beyond books, entering into other product categories. I’d have prenegotiated shipping agreements with FedEx CEO Fred Smith and USPS CEO Marvin Runyon for 2-day shipping, laying the foundation for “Amazon Prime” from the start.

In 1996, I’d recommend Amazon delve into DVD and movie rentals as a subscription service, setting the stage for “Prime Video.” To facilitate this, I’d involve Anthony Wood, Roku’s founder, to create hardware for internet-connected TVs.

In 1997, we would file patents for internet-connected TVs, anticipating the future of streaming technology.

In 1998, I’d present Benjamin Black and Chris Pinkham’s 2003 AWS proposal to Bezos, accelerating Amazon’s journey into cloud computing and the inception of AWS.

1998-1999: With the Prime membership concept already in motion, AWS would provide the necessary infrastructure to rapidly scale the businesses. Amazon could approach Samsung for an early licensing deal, leveraging the newly filed patents for internet-connected TVs. This partnership could expedite the development and market introduction of TV streaming capabilities.

2000: AWS launched before the dot-com bubble, could've drastically cut operating costs for many online businesses. By offering scalable cloud infrastructure, AWS would provide a cost-effective solution, potentially easing the financial strains that fueled the bubble's burst.

2001: I'd arrange a meeting between Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos. During this meeting, we would conceptualize the iPod's evolution into an iPhone, integrating AWS for iCloud storage. This innovative device would also feature Amazon Prime books through an integrated Kindle app and include the Amazon shopping app, creating a multifaceted platform for music, reading, and e-commerce.

I’m just buying a ton of their stock and going for the ride.

Look messages bro

Ha! Right, because everyone wants to use the slowest internet in the world. AOL.

No…

I would create a giant store for anything related to domestic animals, like cats or dogs.

I would call it pet.com

Skip the e-commerce site and go straight to making an actual tech company. Why be Amazon.com when you can be Google search and AWS?

You would have to start in an industry with low concentration of publishers that you can order one item at a time. I don't think you could sell music because you are dependent on the labels. It would have to be DVDs or video games.

Greetings, time travelers and tech dreamers! Ever wondered what you'd do if you zapped back to 1960 with a pocketful of today's knowledge and a mind to invest? Here are my top three picks:
Internet Infrastructure: The Web Before it Was Cool: Imagine pitching the idea of a global internet in the era of rotary phones. "So, you're telling me, we can share cat pictures with someone across the globe? Preposterous!" But that's exactly what I'd do – invest in the building blocks of the internet. Servers, routers, and the whole shebang. Talk about laying the groundwork for future meme lords!
Electric Transport: Tesla's Grandpa: Why wait for Elon Musk when you can be the Elon Musk of the '60s? I'd jumpstart the electric vehicle revolution way before it became mainstream. "Gasoline? How quaint. Check out these cool, silent electric cars!" Not only would we beat the rush hour, but we'd also save the planet while at it.
Biotech & Gene Editing: Playing God (Responsibly): While everyone's still freaking out about space travel, I'd dive into biotech and gene editing. Think of creating personalized medicine before it was a hashtag. "Custom-tailored health solutions? Sounds like sci-fi, but let's make it sci-fact."
So, there you have it – my strategy to shake up the '60s and make a fortune while at it.

Rent DVDs direct to consumers

I would make a hell of a presentation and pitch it to Sears. Try and get them to move their catalog online and keep their distribution network.

Buy stuff from china and sell it on Amazon…I mean my new website.

1994 I’d put everything into the online store and advertising, and I’d burn the phone lines down between me and the post office / UPS / FedEx, and the Waltons. I’d be digging 100% of the time for freight and warehousing and logistics and investors.

1960 I’d go into real estate, which is a lot of work but easily the most lucrative business a determined person can use to make significant money consistently.

Also I’d bet on every World Series and Super Bowl between then and now.

Also I’d bang Sherry when I had that one shot.

Be born rich (like Bezos and all billionaires except Oprah).

just invest in the company. you can't beat em, join em

I think the most important lesson we learned from Bezos is:

The customers' desire for convenience and good customer service is possibly the most important factor

I remember my "aha" moment some 10 years ago... I had an issue with an order and Amazon sent a replacement free of charge, told me to keep both. Decided to always use Amazon from then on.

We know that Amazon doesn't always have the best prices anymore, but we use it because it's reliable time and time again, and constantly finds ways to maintain that "customer first" approach through incremental improvements.

I live in NYC, and I can walk down the street to multiple locations to drop off returns free of charge. Why would I buy direct from other companies? I recently did, and I have to print a label, pay for shipping, and pay a restock fee. It's hard to believe any company can survive with that type of friction.

Take a leaf out of Temu's book and make all the products absolutely shit

Hear me out….

Shmamazon!

I would use the court of public opinion. I'd pay dozens of women to make fake allegations against him. Perhaps use some identity theft to damage his business reputation and his credit. All the while working to sabotage any mergers and acquisitions by ANY means necessary. Otherwise, I would let the free market work while creating chaos on the playing field.

If you cant beat 'em, join 'em. I buy 50k of AMZN and be a bazillionaire

Not sure about what to do in 1994 but if you want to see how to compete with him today check into what ryan cohen has done/doing.

I don't know enough about the technical aspects and such. I'd have to go back to like 1991 and spend those 3 years learning.

But if anything I would get on American airlines flight 11 and stop 9/11. At least one of them. And then use that fame to be oracle-esque about the future.

The same with 1960 and saving JFK.

I have an idea for you.... Is that what you are wanting? A way to better things and win? Are you even reading these posts anymore with this many comments?

I kill Jeff bezos and max out all my credit cards on scratch offs

I would return to 1957 - and, under the Lex Luthor Brand, make the “Traitorous Eight” an offer that they couldn’t refuse.

They still resigned enmasse from Shockley Electronics, but commenced a joint venture for “Luthor Semiconductors”, spawned other startups, all Luthorchildren tech businesses, and gave rise to Luthor Valley.

In the original timeline, the Traitorous Eight created Fairchild Semiconductors, this begat “Fairchildren” tech startups, and this gave rise to Silicon Valley.

People often forget, a huge, HUGE part of all of the startups success is luck. Pure, dumb, sheer luck. Right time, right place, right thing, right decisions. Most would have had competition for sure. The reason one succeeded and another didn't would more often come down to luck than not. Most entrepreneurs have tried and started multiple startups but only one(maybe few) of them would have had staggering success.

I was dumb to not invest in Amazon. I was too focused on commercial investment real estate and thought its returns were so superior, why bother with equities? I was definitely wrong and regret it. But hey, I’m still young, blah blah.

I'd find a way to start a cigarette factory business that distributes them to different businesses in my country growing into becoming a global success but with the first million I receive as a payout to myself I would start a book of how to become successful (it's ridiculous how such books sell) and distribute it globally with the fan base iv built from my now globally distributing massive business By now all this might have happened in a span of 6 years now being very wealthy but not the richest I start buying the biggest farms in the world that supplies the goods to commercial companies increasing my wealth

By now I can do what I want I start tracking down all owners of billion dollar companies whilst they on there lowest and Need funding I pay them well enough to sign the patents over and I launch them until they become worth there billions giving them enough power to run on the Us30 stocks when thats done I plan a 911 (note this is a fictionional story) removing all those billions into an offshore account at more or less the same time before the planes would hit the buildings when that finished( this might not be on the same day the real event happened it would be earlier then that)

By now I'm a billionaire one of the richest in the world

Now I start to buy land where there's oil and gold and start a oil chain supply and sell gold goods to manufacturing businesses start myself a small Dubai with its own currency thats economy runs on oil when that's done

I start investing 1000 times more money then what buffet invested in the same stocks he did and that how I would end up becoming maybe a trillionaire

You're inviting a whole "butterfly effect / stream of time" debate that for argument's sake your actions don't ripple the fabric of time and change the future.

I would not try to create a new software company and compete against the giants as that even with the "biff from B2TF" god-knowledge would not save you from the day to day grind of having to run a company which requires massive time $ and energy commitment.

I would exploit the hell out of early technologies at their peak profit-value ratio. Reverse engineer the Gary Vee school of thought on "attention economy" and put $ into the platforms early when the value/eyeballs ratio is good and then transition to every platform.

Outside of exploiting knowledge of the future it would make sense to take that money and invest in the growing trends. If I could earn enough money I would try to do venture capital angel funds for ideas that were profitable longterm.

That said I fear that all of my decisions would alter the fabric of spacetime and start ww3. So in reality I would dump it all into stock and live quietly in the woods.

I would invest heavily on Amazon, not try to outcompete it

Off the Bezos

I would just approach Columbia House and start with.."have you considered...."

Travel back to the Reagan administration and stop him from altering the anti trust laws

50k worth of toilet paper and hold out until 2020. Markets itself.

Buy 100% of Amazon before it gets big…