Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stands as a key member of the "Montessori Mafia."
"Mr. Bezos often compares Amazon’s strategy of developing ideas in new markets to 'planting seeds' or 'going down blind alleys,' " writes The Wall Street Journal. "Amazon’s executives learn and uncover opportunities as they go. Many efforts turn out to be dead ends, Mr. Bezos has said, 'But every once in a while, you go down an alley and it opens up into this huge, broad avenue.' "