The year was 1995, when Amazon made its first sale, a book, sold from founder Jeff Bezos' Seattle home. Eighteen years later, Amazon has become an e-commerce giant, ranking among the Fortune 100 companies and the largest retailer in the world with sales and revenues exceeding $61.09 billion in 2012. This achievement is nothing short of astonishing considering its humble beginnings. While adversaries question Amazon's continued success post-Bezos, the “Everything I Know” philosophy will ensure their dominance in the world of e-commerce. Jeff Bezos, since the inception of Amazon, has remained true to his short list of “Everything I Know” philosophy, which incorporates the principles of customer obsession, invention, and long-term thinking. These three principles have been a driving force from within and have supported the company for 19 years. Given the rise, expansion and success of this e-commerce giant, these principles merit further examination. Customer obsession has been important to Bezos since the beginning. In several interviews he stated that “customer obsession is the only reason Amazon exists in any form today” (Bezos, 2009). When given the choice to obsess over the competitor's efforts or obsess over the customer, the customer is always chosen. Amazon pays attention to its competitors and their businesses, but it is not an area where they focus their energy, nor an area from which they draw motivation. The invention was and is Amazon's motivation. In times of challenge, one or the other thought is never accepted, the solution lies in satisfying both. Amazon has always invented innovative solutions, continuing to invent on behalf of the customer. Bezos' position on invention is: "it's not the customer's job to invent themselves" (Bezos, 2009). Directly or indirectly the customer will do so