Reading a job posting from Jeff Bezos in the early days of Amazon back in 1994 makes it seem like you took a ride in a time machine. Or a space capsule swept on shore describing a time and place way back in history.
Someone in Boston posted a screenshot of the ad, and the wording alone oozes the ambition and gusto that Bezos must have had as a pioneer settler on the brand new world wide web. This job posting was written by Bezos personally.
Here’s how the job listing started.
“Well-capitalized start-up seeks extremely talented C/C++/Unix developers to help pioneer commerce on the Internet.
“You must have experience designing and building large and complex (yet maintainable) systems, and you should be able to do so in about one-third the time that most competent people think possible. You should have a BS, MS, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or the equivalent.
“Top-notch communication skills are essential. Familiarity with web servers and HTML would be helpful but is not necessary.”
In a sneak peek into the type of workplace culture Bezos was building, the ad said the new employee should “expect talented, motivated, intense, and interesting co-workers.”
Whoever had the guts to apply for that job and get it had a winning lottery ticket because the gig came with stock options that might have turned this person into a billionaire if they stuck it out.
Back then, Amazon only sold books; the top movie in the country was Dumb and Dumber; CNN covered the news, and it was against the law in major cities to rob a Walgreens store.
Today Amazon’s market cap is $1.37 trillion.
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