導讀
這封信是2008年Amazon的第12封致股東信。顧客至上價值觀，落實在工作中具體會是什麼樣子？
以顧客為終點，以終為始做出顧客真正想要的東西。這樣的做事方法，比起「我會做A，那A還可以拿來做什麼？」來得更加有效，更有可能發明出新東西。
將顧客至上的價值觀落實到工作中，不是直接問顧客要什麼，而是從顧客的言行中尋找機會、識別出來顧客的需求，然後為他們發明。
另外，在這封信中，你會看到Amazon的三大業務支柱初現，分別是Prime、AWS和第三方賣家服務。
這三大業務未來都會增長為巨無霸，而我們從2020年回望2008年的三大業務，我們可以看到巨大飛輪此時已經開始轉動，這就是日後Amazon飛輪效應的起點。
好了，導讀結束，以下致股東信正文開始。
正文
To our shareowners:
致我們的股東：
In this turbulent global economy, our fundamental approach remains the same. Stay heads down, focused on the long term and obsessed over customers. Long-term thinking levers our existing abilities and lets us do new things we couldn’t otherwise contemplate. It supports the failure and iteration required for invention, and it frees us to pioneer in unexplored spaces. Seek instant gratification — or the elusive promise of it — and chances are you’ll find a crowd there ahead of you. Long-term orientation interacts well with customer obsession. If we can identify a customer need and if we can further develop conviction that that need is meaningful and durable, our approach permits us to work patiently for multiple years to deliver a solution. “Working backwards” from customer needs can be contrasted with a “skills-forward” approach where existing skills and competencies are used to drive business opportunities. The skills-forward approach says, “We are really good at X. What else can we do with X?” That’s a useful and rewarding business approach. However, if used exclusively, the company employing it will never be driven to develop fresh skills. Eventually the existing skills will become outmoded. Working backwards from customer needs often demands that we acquire new competencies and exercise new muscles, never mind how uncomfortable and awkward-feeling those first steps might be.
在這個動盪的全球經濟中，我們的基本保持不變。保持低調，專注於長期發展，擁抱我們的客戶。長期主義，能夠指導我們做那些原本沒想到的事。長期主義，能夠支持創新過程中的失敗，讓我們在未開發空間中開拓先鋒。在創新的路上，你可能會找到一群志同道合的人，在過程中找到成就感。長期主義，能提升我們對客戶的關注。如果我們能夠識別客戶的需求，並且確認這樣的需求是有意義且持久的，長期主義會驅使我們耐著性子工作多年，提供客戶長久的解決方案。逆向工作（Working Backwards）指的是從客戶的需求出發，倒推現在應該做什麼；技能驅動（Skills-Forward）則是從已知的能力出發，試圖驅動商業機會。技能驅動說的是「我們真的很擅長A，那麼A還能拿來做什麼？」的確，這是很有效的工作方式，但這樣的公司永遠不會發展新技能。最終，已知的技能會越來越過時。從客戶需求出發的逆向工作則不然，它往往會要求我們鍛鍊新技能，即使我們踏出第一步時總感到困難重重。
Kindle is a good example of our fundamental approach. More than four years ago, we began with a long-term vision: every book, ever printed, in any language, all available in less than 60 seconds. The customer experience we envisioned didn’t allow for any hard lines of demarcation between Kindle the device and Kindle the service — the two had to blend together seamlessly. Amazon had never designed or built a hardware device, but rather than change the vision to accommodate our then-existing skills, we hired a number of talented (and missionary!) hardware engineers and got started learning a new institutional skill, one that we needed to better serve readers in the future.
Kindle很好地體現了我們的工作觀。四年多以前，我們從一個長期願景開始：任何語言的任一本書，都可以在Kindle上用不到60秒的時間取得。基於我們想像出來的客戶體驗，Kindle的裝置與服務不能有明顯的區隔線，必須無縫融合在一起。Amazon從未設計或製造硬體，但我們沒有因此退縮。我們聘用許多有才華、有傳教士般熱情的硬體工程師，並開始學習新技能，以便在未來更好地服務我們的客戶。
We’re grateful and excited that Kindle sales have exceeded our most optimistic expectations. On February 23, we began shipping Kindle 2. If you haven’t seen it, Kindle 2 is everything customers loved about the original Kindle, only thinner, faster, with a crisper display, and longer battery life, and capable of holding 1,500 books. You can choose from more than 250,000 of the most popular books, magazines, and newspapers. Wireless delivery is free, and you’ll have your book in less than 60 seconds. We’ve received thousands of feedback emails from customers about Kindle, and — remarkably — 26% of them contain the word “love.”
我們對於Kindle的銷售超乎我們最樂觀的預期，感到非常開心與感激。2月23日，第二代Kindle開始出貨。如果你還沒看過它，我可以跟你介紹一下，第二代Kindle匯集了第一代Kindle受歡迎的所有元素，而且更輕、更快、更清晰、更持久，還可以容納1500本書。你可以選擇超過25萬本受歡迎的書、雜誌和報紙。無線傳輸書籍的服務是免費的，你在60秒之內可以擁有任何書。我們已經收到數千封關於Kindle反饋的電子郵件，值得注意的是，其中26%的信件中用戶用了「愛」這個字。
Customer Experience Pillars
客戶體驗基石
In our retail business, we have strong conviction that customers value low prices, vast selection, and fast, convenient delivery and that these needs will remain stable over time. It is difficult for us to imagine that ten years from now, customers will want higher prices, less selection, or slower delivery. Our belief in the durability of these pillars is what gives us the confidence required to invest in strengthening them. We know that the energy we put in now will continue to pay dividends well into the future.
在我們的零售業務中，我們堅信客戶偏好低價、多樣化和快速運送，而且這樣的偏好歷久不衰。對我們來說，很難想像十年之後，用戶會變得偏好高價、少樣與慢速運送。我們相信客戶的偏好是不變的，這給了我們信心，持續降低價格、提升商品多樣性和運送速度。我們很清楚，我們現在投入的精力，將在未來持續得到回報。
Our pricing objective is to earn customer trust, not to optimize short-term profit dollars. We take it as an article of faith that pricing in this manner is the best way to grow our aggregate profit dollars over the long term. We may make less per item, but by consistently earning trust we will sell many more items. Therefore, we offer low prices across our entire product range. For the same reason, we continue to invest in our free shipping programs, including Amazon Prime. Customers are well-informed and smart, and they evaluate the total cost, including delivery charges, when making their purchasing decisions. In the last 12 months, customers worldwide have saved more than $800 million by taking advantage of our free shipping offers.
關於訂價，我們的目標是贏得客戶信任，而不是優化短期內的利潤。我們認為這樣的訂價策略，長期來看可以提升我們的利潤。也許每件商品賺得比較少，但贏得客戶信任的我們，在長期來看可以賣更多件商品。因此，我們在全品項都提供低價商品。出於相同原因，我們持續投資於免費運送計畫，包括Amazon Prime服務。客戶是聰明人，他們衡量花費時，也會把運費考慮進去。過去12個月裡，Amazon的客戶透過免費運送計畫節省了超過8億美元。
We’re relentlessly focused on adding selection, both by increasing selection inside existing categories and by adding new categories. We’ve added 28 new categories since 2007. One business that is rapidly growing and continues to surprise me is our shoe store, Endless.com, which we launched in 2007. Fast, reliable delivery is important to customers. In 2005, we launched Amazon Prime. For $79 per year, Prime members get unlimited express two-day shipping for free and upgrades to one-day delivery for just $3.99. In 2007, we launched Fulfillment by Amazon, a new service for third-party sellers. With FBA, sellers warehouse their inventory in our global fulfillment network, and we pick, pack, and ship to the end customer on the sellers’ behalf. FBA items are eligible for Amazon Prime and Super Saver Shipping — just as if the items were Amazonowned inventory. As a result, FBA both improves the customer experience and drives seller sales. In the fourth quarter of 2008, we shipped more than 3 million units on behalf of sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon, a win-win for customers and sellers.
我們致力於增加品項，既包括擴增現有品項，也包括增加新品項。自2007年，我們增加了28個新品項。其中，2007年成立的鞋類商店Endless.com，增長速度極快，讓我最為印象深刻。我們知道，消費者會在意運送服務是否快速、穩定。2005年，我們推出了Amazon Prime。一年79美元，Prime會員可限次數使用2天內送達的運送服務。若要縮短為1天內送達，則只要再多付3.99美元。2007年，我們推出了Amazon FBA（Fulfillment by Amazon）為第三方賣家處理配送問題。有了FBA服務，第三方賣家可將庫存放在我們的倉庫，由我們代表賣家進行負責揀貨、包裝，最終運送至消費者手中。第三方賣家使用FBA服務販售的商品，如同我們自家的商品一樣，也適用於Amazon Prime和Super Saver Shipping服務。FBA不只是改進了客戶體驗，也提高賣家的銷售額。2008年第四季度，我們代表賣家運送了超過三百萬件商品，這對消費者和賣家都是雙贏的結果。
Prudent Spending
謹慎支出
The customer-experience path we’ve chosen requires us to have an efficient cost structure. The good news for shareowners is that we see much opportunity for improvement in that regard. Everywhere we look (and we all look), we find what experienced Japanese manufacturers would call “muda” or waste. I find this incredibly energizing. I see it as potential — years and years of variable and fixed productivity gains and more efficient, higher velocity, more flexible capital expenditures.
專注於客戶體驗是Amazon的選擇，這條路要求我們具備高效的成本結構。對於股東來說，好消息是我們找到很多改進成本結構的機會。在我們舉目所見之處，都能見到不具附加價值的浪費，這點讓我感到相當興奮。我認為它具備潛力，年復一年，持續提升的生產率，將會使我們的資本支出越來越高效、快速、有彈性。
Our primary financial goal remains maximizing long-term free cash flow and doing so with high rates of return on invested capital. We are investing heartily in Amazon Web Services, in tools for third-party sellers, in digital media, in China, and in new product categories. And we make these investments with the belief that they can be of meaningful scale and can clear our high bar for returns.
我們最重要的財務目標，是在高回報的情況下，最大化長期現金流。我們大力投資於AWS服務、第三方賣家服務工具、媒體服務、中國業務和新品項。我們確信，這樣的投資最終會規模化，滿足我們對於投資回報的高要求。
Around the world, amazing, inventive, and hard-working Amazonians are putting customers first. I take great pride in being part of this team. We thank you, our owners, for your support, for your encouragement, and for joining us on our continuing adventure.
在世界各地，出色、富有創意且勤奮的Amazon員工總是將客戶視為第一要務。身為他們其中的一員，我深感榮幸。股東們，謝謝你們的支持與鼓勵，謝謝你們參與我們的冒險。
As always, I attach our 1997 letter to shareowners. Even as the rate of change accelerates, we hope and believe our focus on what stays the same should serve us well.
如同往常，我把我們在1997年寫的致股東信附在文末。即使事物變化的步伐加快，我們依然相信客戶優先的價值觀，將會一如既往地有效。
Jeffrey P. Bezos
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Amazon.com, Inc.
April 2009
傑夫·貝佐斯
Amazon創始人暨CEO
2009年4月
以上就是2008年Amazon致股東信。
想看隔年的Amazon致股東信，請至《2009年Amazon致股東信：少談財務目標，多想業務投入》。
想看全系列導讀目錄，請至《Amazon 1997–2019年致股東信導讀目錄》。
