What do Ford and Amazon Have In Common (And What Can You Learn From Them)?

While both are giants in their respective industries, Ford and Amazon are very different on the surface. One was the bellwether of the industrial era, while the other helped ring in the digital age over 90 years later. The automaker conjures up scenes of three-piece suits, while the tech firm evokes images of jeans and T-shirts. Midwest conservative versus West Coast progressive. Building things compared to selling other peoples’ stuff.

Yet surprisingly, these two distant companies are more...