Episode 93: Be Brilliant with the Basics - The Amazon Way, with Jon Derkits

Jon is the founder of AUXO eCommerce, a consultancy that helps brands launch and grow on Amazon. Prior to AUXO, Jon was a leader at Amazon, managing a $2+ billion business and recruiting over 25k third-party sellers to the marketplace.  At AUXO, Jon teaches brands how to think like Amazon and be "brilliant at the basics." He works with both large brands (including the #1 third-party seller on Amazon) and small brands to tap hidden growth opportunities, improve operations, and gain a share of voice through Amazon Advertising. He is a recognized expert in Amazon and eCommerce marketplaces and is regularly quoted in Bloomberg, Business Insider, CNBC, and the WSJ. Jon is also an active advisor to, and investor in, early-stage digital start-ups. He's a mentor at Chicago-based tech incubator, 1871, and recently joined the advisory board of Vexpo, a technology company that has created a wedding marketplace designed for today's digitally centric couples. What you'll learn about in this episode: What the shopping cart test is and where he learned that lesson What it takes to succeed in a fast-moving and high-pressure environment like Amazon Why the first 100 days at Amazon are so critical and how they revealed what was already inside of him Why he chooses to focus on three long-term systems instead of goals and what those systems are What are the two mental models he leans into when making big decisions Why good intentions do not work in business Why the white-belt mentality is so critical What are the three things he looks for in a startup Additional resources: https://www.auxoecommerce.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-derkits/