Jeff Bezos on "Transparent" and Amazon's "insurmountable opportunity"

According to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, success in business doesn't have to be measured solely by earnings reports. Founded in 1994, the company hasn't always pocketed profits, but the brainchild behind the operation said there's a good reason for that.

"I call it insurmountable opportunity," Bezos said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning." "We have so many things we can do because of the time that we started and the change that's happening because of the Internet."

Bezos and his team continually find new ventures to explore. From Amazon Prime, to the Kindle, to a number of partner sites, Amazon is focused on investing in the next big thing, the CEO said.

"What we're trying to do -- every time we do something -- we don't want to do it 'me too,'" Bezos said. "We want to do some wrinkle on it, some improvement, something the customers have a chance of really responding to."

One of their latest ventures making headlines is delivery by drones. Just over a year ago, Amazon revealed plans to add high-tech flying machines branded as Amazon Prime Air to their already expansive delivery network.

"The technology is going very well. The regulatory piece is going a little slower than anticipated. That's going to be the long pole in the tent, but we always knew that," Bezos said. "The FAA has their hands full trying to figure out how to regulate drones."

With that plan still waiting in the wings, Bezos may be working on another option to deliver products to customers' hands faster.

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Amazon may be in the running to purchase Radio Shack real estate. The near-bankrupt company is in discussions to sell some locations and leases to the tech giant.

"I've been reading the same article as you're reading on that but that's something I can't comment on," Bezos said.

But he did admit to their brick and mortar aspirations.

"We're starting in little bits and pieces. We've done some pop-up stores during the holidays. We've just launched some college bookstores," Bezos said.

That move into bookstores is a reflection of their roots. While robot workers staffed their fulfillment stores this holiday season, nearly 21 years ago, Bezos and his small team of employees worked their warehouse, shipping the only Amazon product at the time -- books. About a decade after hitting the market, Bezos announced Amazon Prime.

"It started out as a shipping program--sort of like fast shipping. It's kind of unlimited 'all you can eat' shipping for one annual price and a few years ago we started adding video streaming to it and then we started doing original content," Bezos said. "'Transparent' is the amazing example of it."

Produced by Amazon Studios, "Transparent," is part of Amazon's line of original TV shows developed from crowd-sourced feedback. It recently won the Golden Globe for best TV comedy or musical.

"You can say it's good news that Amazon continues to find areas to invest in and one of those areas is our original content," Bezos said. "Making a show of this quality level is not inexpensive, but it's worth it. It's worth it to our customers, it's worth it to our prime members. It's worth it to try to bring TV ... into that new golden age, which I think is really happening."

Creator and director Jill Soloway was responsible for pitching the show to Bezos and his team. Thanks in part to her show, Amazon beat investors' expectations and saw a 53 percent growth of Amazon Prime members in 2014.

"It went amazingly quickly, which is a tribute to the way they do business at Amazon," Soloway said. "In the TV business, I've been hustling business for 10, 15 years, and things really take forever. From the moment I pitched the show to them to this moment was probably only a couple of years."

"Transparent" is an example of Amazon's disruptive attitude both as an exclusively online show and as a champion of a somewhat sensitive subject.

"When the team decided to go ahead with the full season, you know, we're very aware this is a topic that would make some people uncomfortable, but it's also an important topic and it's one that we had a lot of passion for and it's one that we could see," Bezos said.

The show chronicles a Los Angeles family as the father, played by Jeffery Tambor, comes out as transgender to his wife and three adult children. Tambor, who also received a Golden Globe, had no trepidation in signing on to the role.

"I think I made my decision in 15 minutes," Tambor said. "I'm 70 years old and these roles don't come along."

In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Tambor dedicated his award to the transgender community and said "this is much bigger than me."

"[People] stop and tell me a story, either about the transgender community or more important, their own family and how they relate to this family, because down and dirty, this family is about 'Will you still love me? Will you still be there if I change?'" Tambor said.

The show is inspired by Soloway's real-life story. Her own parent came out to her family four years ago.

"I say my parent because my 'dad' would be who they were before," Soloway said.

Soloway had been working in the TV business for more a decade before finally the story of struggle, bravery and humor of her parent would be an inspiration.

"Of course my first reaction was one of love and support and you're so brave and I'm so proud of you. Shortly after it occurred to me that this was going to be the show I was going to make," she said. "Things just kind of came together in this way that really does make it feel like it's part of this moment."