Rotman Management

Big-Picture Thinking

was working in finance in New York City. The Internet was just emerging, but it was growing at an incredible rate of over 2,300 per cent per year. He had an epiphany: e-commerce was the future. Bezos did some research and discovered that books were among the most popular retail items. So he packed up, moved to Seattle, and out of his garage. His vision: to become the world’s largest online bookstore. Critics scoffed, but Bezos saw how some critical puzzle pieces fit together: the rise of the Internet, growing computer ownership, and the simplicity of online book selling. This big-picture thinking has made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs of our time.

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