WHY AMAZON ONCE CONSIDERED BECOMING “RELENTLESS”
Before Amazon became Amazon...
Jeff Bezos almost gave it a very different name.
RELENTLESS.
And somehow, the name makes a lot of sense when you look at what Amazon eventually became.
THE COMPANY WASN'T EVEN AMAZON YET
When Bezos started the company in 1994, it was initially called Cadabra.
But his lawyer pointed out a problem:
When spoken aloud, “Cadabra” could sound like “cadaver.”
So Bezos started looking for alternatives.
He registered several domains, including Awake.com, Browse.com, Bookmall.com...
And Relentless.com.
That one stuck with him.
BEZOS REALLY LIKED THE NAME
The idea behind “Relentless” was simple.
Keep pushing.
Keep improving.
Keep satisfying customers.
Don't stop.
But there was a problem.
Some of the people around Bezos thought the name sounded too aggressive.
Imagine receiving an email from:
RELENTLESS.COM
instead of Amazon.com.
It doesn't exactly sound like a friendly online bookstore.
So Bezos eventually went with Amazon.
WHY AMAZON?
Bezos wanted a name that suggested enormous scale.
The Amazon River was known for its immense size, which fit his ambition for the world's biggest online bookstore.
There was another clever reason too.
Early internet directories and listings were often alphabetical.
Starting with “A” could help Amazon appear near the top.
BUT BEZOS NEVER GAVE UP THE DOMAIN
Here's the strange part.
Bezos kept Relentless.com.
He didn't sell it.
He didn't abandon it.
He didn't let someone else build a company around it.
Even today, typing Relentless.com takes you to Amazon.
Amazon itself has pointed this out as part of the company's early history.
AND THE NAME BECAME A DESCRIPTION
Amazon eventually became famous for exactly what “Relentless” suggests.
Lower prices.
Faster delivery.
More products.
More convenience.
More infrastructure.
More markets.
More technology.
Amazon even describes its culture around ideas such as relentlessly improving for customers and treating every day as “Day 1.”
THE INTERESTING PART
The name Amazon sounds enormous.
But the name Relentless sounds like a strategy.
Amazon became the brand.
Relentless became the mentality.
SIMPLE IDEA
A company name doesn't determine the company.
But sometimes a rejected name can reveal exactly what the founder wanted the company to become.
MAACAT PERSPECTIVE
Jeff Bezos didn't get to use “Relentless” as the company name.
But he kept the domain.
And decades later, it still points to Amazon.
Maybe the name was never officially chosen...
but the philosophy behind it was.
