Amazon's Schwerpunkt Focus

A military strategy of concentrated force and focused resources that has been successfully applied to business, particularly exemplified by Amazon's early focus on books.

Core Concept of Schwerpunkt

• German military term meaning "gravity" or "focal point"
• Involves massing resources on a specific target or goal
• Different from "Blitzkrieg" which was more about speed of attack
• Emphasizes sustained follow-through after initial breakthrough

Historical Military Examples

• Napoleon's Strategy
  • Packed troops in the middle instead of spreading thin
  • Punched holes through enemy lines with concentrated force
• German Military
  • Used concentrated strikes with sustained follow-up
  • Focused resources on specific breakthrough points

Business Application

• Amazon's Implementation
  • Started solely with books before expanding
  • Concentrated all resources on dominating book market
  • Used book success as foundation for expansion
  • Followed up initial victory with marginal victories in other areas

Key Success Factors

• Total resource concentration on narrow focus
• Sustained follow-through after initial success
• Avoiding spread of resources too thin
• Building on victories systematically
• Using success in one area to expand to others

Why It Works

• Creates overwhelming force in specific area
• Allows for complete domination of chosen sector
• Provides foundation for expansion
• More effective than spreading resources thinly
• Enables sustained momentum after breakthrough