SPEAKING TOPIC
What’s the Future of Industry — Think Like Amazon
Who’s reinventing your industry—and will it be you? John Rossman reveals Amazon’s framework for seeing around corners: how to read emerging forces, spot where value is shifting, and move decisively while competitors are still analyzing. John has delivered this keynote to leaders across insurance, utilities and infrastructure, and logistics and supply chain—industries where the cost of being late to disruption is existential. You don’t need to become Amazon. You need to think like them. Based on his bestseller Think Like Amazon.
See the Framework in 3 Minutes
“I learned more in John’s 90-minute keynote than I learned from my NYU MBA program. That sounds like hyperbole, but it’s not. Everything we studied about strategy was theoretical. This was the actual playbook—how Amazon makes decisions, how they spot market shifts before competitors, how they build mechanisms that force customer obsession into daily operations. My team is still referencing the framework six months later.” — Private Equity Event Attendee
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Perfect for Industry Conferences
Most conferences look for a futurist to predict what’s coming—then wonder why those predictions don’t translate to their industry, culture, or competitive reality.
Predictions are always wrong. And even when they’re directionally right, they’re built for headlines, not execution.
Amazon didn’t become a trillion-dollar company by predicting the future. They built a systematic framework for continuously reinventing themselves—and that framework works in any industry.
In this keynote, John Rossman (who launched Amazon’s Marketplace) delivers the playbook to become the futurist your organization needs. He’s brought this framework to leaders across insurance, utilities and infrastructure, and logistics and supply chain—industries where the cost of disruption isn’t theoretical, it’s existential. You’ll learn how to obsess over future customer needs, not just current satisfaction scores. How to strategize like a platform company that creates value beyond your core business. How to make big bets that reshape categories instead of protecting yesterday’s wins. And most critically—how to build a systematic reinvention machine that doesn’t depend on visionary leaders or lucky timing.
These aren’t Amazon-specific principles. They’re the building blocks for shaping what’s next in your industry.
The companies that win aren’t waiting for someone to tell them what’s next. They’re already building it. This keynote shows you exactly how.
Based on Think Like Amazon: 50 ½ Ideas to Become a Digital Leader
Praise for John
"An amazing event! John really helped us think in terms of the championship habits. Highly recommend John for your corporate event!"
- Frank Marini, President & CEO
"He set the tone on transformational leadership and gave the necessary tools for participants to execute. John was ranked the highest speaker at our event!"
- Maria, VCA
"I learned more in John's 90-minute keynote than I learned from my NYU MBA program. That sounds like hyperbole, but it's not. Everything we studied about strategy was theoretical. This was the actual playbook—how Amazon makes decisions, how they spot market shifts before competitors, how they build mechanisms that force customer obsession into daily operations. My team is still referencing the framework six months later."
- Private Equity Event Attendee
"Wow! Our team loved John’s Big Bet Leadership presentation. The message was spot on for our digital journey. We are ordering more books now."
- Keith Nelson, Manufacturing Executive
“The audience LOVED your leadership keynote and they took away many key learnings that they hope can be applied moving forward.”
– NOVARTIS
"The Big Bet Leadership keynote delivered an unparalleled journey through innovation and leadership excellence. Its profound insights have invigorated our team, equipping us to navigate our industry with newfound clarity and velocity. This keynote set a new benchmark for our team’s leadership excellence. John was incredible in preparing & interacting with our team!"
– Frank Marini, CEO of Railbookers, 2024
What Makes This Different
- Not predictions—a framework. Most futurists tell you what’s coming. John shows you how to build the system that shapes what’s next in your industry.
- Not about copying Amazon. You’ll learn how to think like Amazon about your market, your customers, your competitive reality—not theirs.
- Not theory—mechanisms. You get the actual tools Amazon uses: working backwards from customer needs, platform thinking, systematic reinvention processes you can implement Monday.
- Built by someone who did it. John didn’t study Amazon from the outside. He led the launch and scaling of the Marketplace and has applied this framework at T-Mobile, Gates Foundation, and Fortune 1000 companies across industries.
- Works in your world. Healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, infrastructure—the framework adapts to your constraints, culture, and competitive dynamics.
John Rossman
Digital and Innovation Keynote Speaker
Author | Advisor | Founder
About John Rossman
John Rossman launched Amazon Marketplace and has spent twenty years advising Fortune 1000 enterprises, mid-market companies, and startups on competitive advantage and operational excellence.
He’s the author of four best-selling books including The Amazon Way, Think Like Amazon, and Big Bet Leadership. He served as Senior Innovation Advisor at T-Mobile, Senior Technology Advisor at the Gates Foundation, and Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal.
John goes beyond keynote speaking—he works with leadership teams to apply these principles into their business and culture as advisor and executive coach.
John's Bestselling Books
Leadership + Strategy books creating lasting impact and business results
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