Dr.keiの研究室2－Contemplation of the B.L.U.E-

ジェフ・ベゾス（Jeff Bezo's）「さまようことを忘れるな！」

2021-02-03 23:13:38

Amazonの創始者、ジェフ・ベゾスさん。

素敵なことを言っていたので、彼の言葉を残しておきます。

Read Bezos' letter in full below:

Fellow Amazonians:

I'm excited to announce that this Q3 I'll transition to Executive Chair of the Amazon Board and Andy Jassy will become CEO. In the Exec Chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives. Andy is well known inside the company and has been at Amazon almost as long as I have. He will be an outstanding leader, and he has my full confidence.

This journey began some 27 years ago. Amazon was only an idea, and it had no name. The question I was asked most frequently at that time was, "What's the internet?" Blessedly, I haven't had to explain that in a long while.

Today, we employ 1.3 million talented, dedicated people, serve hundreds of millions of customers and businesses, and are widely recognized as one of the most successful companies in the world.

How did that happen? Invention. Invention is the root of our success. We've done crazy things together, and then made them normal. We pioneered customer reviews, 1-Click, personalized recommendations, Prime's insanely-fast shipping, Just Walk Out shopping, the Climate Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, marketplace, infrastructure cloud computing, Career Choice, and much more. If you get it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. And that yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive.

I don't know of another company with an invention track record as good as Amazon's, and I believe we are at our most inventive right now. I hope you are as proud of our inventiveness as I am. I think you should be.

As Amazon became large, we decided to use our scale and scope to lead on important social issues. Two high-impact examples: our $15 minimum wage and the Climate Pledge. In both cases, we staked out leadership positions and then asked others to come along with us. In both cases, it's working. Other large companies are coming our way. I hope you're proud of that as well.

I find my work meaningful and fun. I get to work with the smartest, most talented, most ingenious teammates. When times have been good, you've been humble. When times have been tough, you've been strong and supportive, and we've made each other laugh. It is a joy to work on this team.

As much as I still tap dance into the office, I'm excited about this transition. Millions of customers depend on us for our services, and more than a million employees depend on us for their livelihoods. Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it's consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it's hard to put attention on anything else. As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions. I've never had more energy, and this isn't about retiring. I'm super passionate about the impact I think these organizations can have.

Amazon couldn't be better positioned for the future. We are firing on all cylinders, just as the world needs us to. We have things in the pipeline that will continue to astonish. We serve individuals and enterprises, and we've pioneered two complete industries and a whole new class of devices. We are leaders in areas as varied as machine learning and logistics, and if an Amazonian's idea requires yet another new institutional skill, we're flexible enough and patient enough to learn it.

Keep inventing, and don't despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1.

引用元はこちら

日本語訳（一例）はこちら

いいなぁと思った箇所。

「How did that happen? Invention. Invention is the root of our success. We've done crazy things together, and then made them normal.（どのようにして[成功を]実現したのか。発明（創案・創意）だ。発明こそ、われわれの成功の根源（根っこ）だ。われわれは、クレイジーなことを共に実行してきて、その後、それをノーマルなものにしたのだ）」

Inventionは、発明という意味だけでなく、創意や創案や考案という意味もあります。ただ物質主義的に何かを創り出すだけでなく、創造的に考えるということ、もっと言えば「思考すること」だと言えます。

あと、最後の一文が本当に大事だなぁと思いました。

「Keep inventing, and don't despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass.（発明し続けよ（創案し続けよ）。そして、最初はクレイジーだと思われるようなアイデアであっても、がっかりしてはいけない。さまよい続けよ。好奇心をあなたのコンパス（羅針盤）にせよ）」

最初はみんなにクレイジーと思われるようなアイデアを出しても、がっかりするな（絶望するな）って、本当にいい言葉だと思うし、また、remember to wanderというのも、本当に素敵な言葉だなぁって思いました。

wanderは、「歩き回る、ぶらつく」「徘徊する」「さまよう、迷う、迷子になる」「横道にそれる、正道をそれる」「〔思考などが〕とりとめがなくなる、はっきりしない」といった意味の自動詞です。これをrememberしておけよ、と。

remember toは、「忘れるな」というニュアンス！？　とすれば、ぶらつくことを忘れるな、徘徊することを忘れるな、さまようことを忘れるな、横道にそれることを忘れるな、とりとめがなくなることを忘れるな、ということになります。

そして、最後に「好奇心をコンパスにせよ」と呼び掛けるんです。

…

覚えておきたい言葉になりました。