# The Amazon “Secret” of C...
! [ rw-book-cover] (https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1657206088209506306/_v7qpB1u.jpg)
URL: https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500550820413893
Author: @EthanEvansVP on Twitter
## AI-Generated Summary
None
## Highlights
> The Amazon “secret” of controllable inputs for your career.
> When Jeff Bezos and his team figured out how to make Amazon grow quickly, one of their key ideas was to focus on what they called the “controllable inputs.” ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500550820413893))
> Applying this same idea to your career can help you have more success with much less frustration.
> What Jeff realized is that many companies and their leaders focus on the final outputs of the business. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500552846246015))
> They obsess about the total amount of sales they make or the profit they realize. These are the things that are easy to measure and that get reported in the newspapers. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500555241198067))
> The problem with outputs is that they are hard for you to control on a daily basis. It is not easy to decide exactly what you would do to “be more profitable.” ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500557267120325))
> The same is true for the outputs of our careers, such as salary and title. It is not easy to change our salary on a given day, nor to get a new title. It is not directly in our control. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500559292915758))
> For Amazon, Jeff realized there were 3 inputs to high sales and profits that he could control:
> 1/ Price
> 2/ Selection
> 3/ Convenience ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500561557881034))
> He could seek to provide the widest range of goods at low prices and with the easiest ordering and delivery. These were things his team could work on directly and he had faith that if they did this, sales and profit would follow. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500564187693233))
> You can do the same thing with your career.
> So what are the inputs of a career? Of successful job performance?
> 2 key inputs: ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500566389735508))
> 1/ High impact work is probably the most important key input you can focus on. It is very easy to be “busy” 8 or even 14 hours a day but to accomplish very little of lasting value. By taking the time to think about “what actually makes a difference”... ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500570462372253))
> ...and then making time to do those things, we can change how much impact we have each day. Do this for long enough and salary and title are almost sure to follow. I have spent whole days “catching up on email” and thinking that I was doing something important... ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500573318758548))
> ...Do not fall into this trap. Leave the email work and do the one thing that is actually most important each day. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500575902372324))
> 2/ The second thing we certainly control is our network. How many people we get to know, how we relate to them, and what value we provide to those people before we need them. A network is something that cannot be built in a rush once you discover you need it... ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500577882107994))
> ...Instead, relationships are something you cultivate over time, meeting people, getting to know them, and helping them with their own goals. Many people struggle to make this investment because on any given day there is no apparent cost to skipping networking. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500581866664385))
> But when you need help or a new job opportunity, the value of a network is unparalleled.
> There are many other inputs you control. Ongoing learning to stay current or to gain new skills. What projects you seek or prioritize. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500585087905797))
> The quality of your work (your expertise at your craft). Your relationships with others. How much you work versus surf social media or otherwise kill time on the job. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500589877784774))
> You have very little daily control over the typical measures of career, like pay and title. You have enormous control over the inputs listed here and long term, they determine pay and title. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500593879167335))
> Focus on building the right habits (what Amazon would call the right mechanisms) to excel in those inputs, and success will follow. ([View Tweet](https://twitter.com/EthanEvansVP/status/1841500595972186270))