Black Friday Sale! 50% Off All Access

Check Out the First Job Listing Jeff Bezos Ever Posted for Amazon 25 Years Ago The position was for a computer programmer who could finish their work, 'in about one-third the time that most competent people think possible.'

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Drew Angerer/Getty Images via BI
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

In August 1994, a little-known entrepreneur posted a job listing to Usenet, a pre-web message board. He was looking for "extremely talented" software developers to "help pioneer commerce on the internet."

The entrepreneur in question was Jeff Bezos, who was taking his first steps towards building Amazon. Bezos is now the wealthiest man not only in the world, but in all of modern history, and Amazon has grown into such a dominant force the FTC has started questioning its rivals about whether they feel crushed by the company.

BNN Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman dug up the vintage job ad last year. It's reproduced below in its entirety:

Here's the text:

Well-capitalized start-up seeks extremely talented C/C++/Unix developers to help pioneer commerce on the Internet. You must have experience designing and building large and complex (yet maintainable) systems, and you should be able to do so in about one-third the time that most competent people think possible. You should have a BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science or the equivalent. Top-notch communication skills are essential. Familiarity with web servers and HTML would be helpful but is not necessary.

Expect talented, motivated, intense, and interesting co-workers. Must be willing to relocate to the Seattle area (we will help cover moving costs).

Your compensation will include meaningful equity ownership.

Send resume and cover letter to Jeff Bezos:

mail: be...@netcom.com fax: 206/828-0951 US mail: Cadabra, Inc. 10704 N.E. 28th St. Bellevue, WA 98004

We are an equal opportunity employer.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

"It's easier to invent the future than to predict it." -- Alan Kay

-------------------------------------------------------------------

At this time when Bezos posted this ad he had not even settled on the name "Amazon" for his startup, according to Brad Stone's Jeff Bezos biography, The Everything Store.

Whoever replied to that post was applying to "Cadabra," as mentioned in the ad. "Awake.com," "Browse.com," or even "Relentless.com" were also names Bezos was considering at the time, according to the Stone. If you type any of those three domains into your browser today, you'll be redirected to Amazon.

The quote at the end is from computer scientist Alan Kay, winner of the 2003 Alan Turing Award -- computer science's most presitgious accolade.

It may be lost to time who eventually got the job listed in the Usenet post, but soon thereafter Bezos hired Shel Kaphan as the company's first employee and CTO in charge of building its technical infrastructure.

In the job listing, Bezos said he was looking for an engineer who could build complicated systems in "about one-third the time that most competent people think possible." In exchange, they would get "meaningful equity ownership."

How much would that Amazon stock be worth today?

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Living

These Are the 'Wealthiest and Safest' Places to Retire in the U.S. None of Them Are in Florida — and 2 States Swept the List.

More than 338,000 U.S. residents retired to a new home in 2023 — a 44% increase year over year.

Business News

These Are the Highest Paying Jobs Available Without a College Degree, According to a New Report

The median salaries for these positions go up to $102,420 per year.

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

Starting a Business

This Sommelier's 'Laughable' Idea Is Disrupting the $385 Billion Wine Industry

Kristin Olszewski, founder of Nomadica, is bringing premium wine to aluminum cans, and major retailers are taking note.

Business News

Is Reddit Down Again? Tens of Thousands of Users Are Reporting Issues With the Platform.

A Reddit outage has been occurring off-and-on for two days.

Business News

DOGE Leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy Say Mandating In-Person Work Would Make 'a Wave' of Federal Employees Quit

The two published an op-ed outlining their goals for their new department, including workforce reductions.