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Alex Kantrowitz

Always Day One

Always Day One

How the Tech Titans Stay on Top

Summary

At Amazon, 'Day One' is code for inventing like a startup with little regard for legacy. Day Two is, in Jeff Bezos's own words, is 'stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline, followed by death.'

Most companies today are set up for Day Two. They build advantages and defend them fiercely rather than invent the future. But Amazon and fellow tech titans Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are operating in Day One: they prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership.

Through 130 interviews with insiders, from Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers, Always Day One reveals the tech giants' blueprint for sustainable success. Kantrowitz uncovers the engine propelling the tech giants' continued dominance at a stage when most big companies begin to decline. And he shows the way forward for everyone who wants to compete with, and beat, the titans.