We believe they are taking a prudent course. The company, it seems, has become the stock du jour for two kinds of investors, those who see a potential windfall from book and music retailing on the Internet, and those who buy the stock in hopes of catching a market updraft and making a quick buck. Most investors are individuals. Most investors bet on a company's potential. In June, it began offering music CDs on its Web site.
Videos are next.
But providing a slew of items on the Internet isn't easy. That's a marketing challenge with no easy solutions, he said. Finding enough programmers, writers and warehouse workers to fuel its rapid growth is a constant challenge. The stratospheric stock price may prove a temporary distraction, but company executives know the real danger may lie in trying to do too many things at once. Without discipline and a clear vision, the plain wooden desks and no-frills office become nothing more than a corporate gimmick.