13. January 2026
Admin
Jeff Bezos Advises Gen Z to Gain Work Experience Before Starting a Company
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, recently shared career guidance for young entrepreneurs, urging members of Gen Z to gain meaningful work experience before launching their own companies. Reflecting on his own journey — including founding Amazon at age 30 after years in the workforce — Bezos emphasized that foundational skills and real-world exposure can significantly improve the odds of entrepreneurial success.
Quick Insight:
Bezos pointed out that iconic tech founders who built major companies at a young age are rare exceptions, and that building experience through meaningful employment first can give young founders valuable insights and capabilities.
Lessons From Bezos’s Career
• Before starting Amazon, Bezos worked in finance and tech roles, giving him years of practical experience in business fundamentals.
• He founded Amazon at age 30, illustrating that waiting to build professional skills did not hold him back but instead helped strengthen his venture’s foundation.
• According to Bezos, early work experience can teach essential skills such as hiring well, conducting interviews, understanding business operations, and navigating complex professional environments.
Why Work Experience Matters
• Gaining real-world experience helps aspiring founders develop capabilities that are difficult to learn in isolation, including teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving under pressure.
• Exposure to “best practices” at established companies can demonstrate how successful organizations handle challenges and grow sustainably.
• Bezos believes that taking time to learn from others increases an entrepreneur’s likelihood of building a successful company when the time is right.
Views on Education and Early Entrepreneurship
• Bezos also highlighted the value of completing formal education and drawing lessons from diverse professional experiences before pursuing entrepreneurial goals.
• While some tech success stories — including companies launched by young dropouts — capture the public’s imagination, Bezos reminded audiences that such cases are exceptions rather than the rule.
• For many founders, the combination of education and work experience contributes to stronger, more resilient ventures.
Final Thoughts
Jeff Bezos’s advice to Gen Z offers a reminder that entrepreneurship benefits from preparation as well as passion. By gaining experience and learning foundational business skills early on, aspiring founders can better position themselves to build lasting, successful ventures when they decide to take the plunge.
