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1994: The Start of Cadabra
In 1994, Jeff Bezos began an online bookstore company in Seattle, registering it under the name "Cadabra." However, a pivotal moment occurred when a lawyer, asking for the company's name over the phone, misheard it and questioned, "Cadaver?" Bezos immediately recognized the potential for misinterpretation and began searching for an alternative. This single misunderstanding, stemming from a simple phone call, ultimately altered the trajectory and identity of what would become one of the world's largest corporations.
Relentless.com
Bezos's second choice for the company name was "Relentless." He proceeded to register this domain, and remarkably, he still owns it today. His friends, however, strongly advised against it, expressing concerns that the name sounded "too sinister." Despite their reservations, Bezos's core business philosophy truly embodied the concept of "relentlessness." While he eventually settled on a different public-facing name, he never abandoned the "Relentless" domain, instead choosing to redirect it to amazon.com, a testament to his persistent vision.
Amazon: Two Reasons
In 1995, Jeff Bezos deliberately searched through a dictionary for a word beginning with the letter "A." His primary motivation was to ensure the company would appear at the very top of alphabetical listings on early search engines and directories, such as Yahoo. Beyond this strategic alphabetical placement, Bezos also sought a name that conveyed immense scale. The idea of "the world's largest river" resonated deeply with his ambitious vision for the company he was building. "Amazon" was the perfect word that simultaneously satisfied both of these crucial conditions.
Flow in Hanja
The Chinese character "流 (ryu)" is composed of two elements: 氵, which represents water, and 㐬, an ancient depiction of a child flowing out upside down. Together, these components convey the meaning of "water flowing out." This character is fundamental to concepts such as flow, exchange, and distribution. At its core, Amazon embodies this very idea of "flow" — a vast river of information, goods, and capital. The choice of a river's name for the company is therefore not a mere coincidence, but rather a precise and fitting metaphor for its operational essence.
