Podcasts about working backwards insights

Daniel Lereya, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at monday.com, shares how he and his team realized they were being outpaced by competitors and how that realization completely transformed how they operate and allowed them to build a global powerhouse, doing over $1 billion in ARR, with 245,000 customers worldwide.What you'll learn:1. How they used seemingly impossible goals, like building 25 new features in one month, to unlock bigger thinking on their team2. How sharing real-time metrics with the entire company—even during interviews—created a culture of accountability and alignment3. How focusing on impact, rather than just shipping features, has transformed the company's culture4. The story behind monday.com's decision to launch five new products simultaneously and how it redefined their market positioning5. How they use “traps” (timeboxed deadlines) to drive focus, avoid scope creep, and deliver faster6. Daniel's personal journey of navigating impostor syndrome and scaling challenges, and the mental models he uses to stay grounded and effective—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Airtable ProductCentral—Launch to new heights with a unified system for product development• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Where to find Daniel Lereya:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-lereya-aa487646/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Daniel and monday.com(04:20) The pivotal moment: competitors shipping faster(08:50) Setting ambitious goals(17:44) Focusing on impact rather than features(27:07) Transforming your product quarterly(32:07) Scaling monday.com: challenges and strategies(39:14) How monday.com maintains transparency as a public company(45:40) The importance of taking risks(51:02) Counterintuitive lessons in product development(54:33) The value of timeboxing and deadlines(57:28) Embracing user feedback(59:54) Adapting leadership styles(01:04:43) Personal reflections on leadership(01:10:41) Handling crises and strategic planning(01:17:28) The role of AI in work and personal life(01:22:13) Final thoughts and lightning round—Referenced:• Monday.com: https://monday.com/• The basics of a monday.com board: https://support.monday.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005317249-The-basics-of-a-board• Eran Zinman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eranzinman/• Roy Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manroy/• Tal Harari on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tal-harari-a2515215/• Four-minute mile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-minute_mile• A better way to plan, build, and ship products | Ryan Singer (creator of “Shape Up,” early employee at 37signals): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/shape-up-ryan-singer• Brian Chesky's new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• AI blocks: https://support.monday.com/hc/en-us/articles/18433811274386-AI-Automation-blocks• Unpacking Amazon's unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of• Behind the founder: Drew Houston (Dropbox): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-founder-drew-houston-dropbox• SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/• Why and how to lead with transparency: https://monday.com/blog/monday-insights/may-30th/• How to win in the AI era: Ship a feature every week, embrace technical debt, ruthlessly cut scope, and create magic your competitors can't copy | Gaurav Misra (CEO and co-founder of Captions): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-in-the-ai-era-gaurav-misra• This Week #5: Overcoming impostor syndrome, introducing growth to an org, and how to partner with your data scientist: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-overcoming-impostor-syndrome• Sheryl Sandberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652/• Bryan Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanrjohnson/• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/• How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• FIFA 22: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/10002538/• Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80204890• Google Photos: https://photos.google.com/—Recommended books:• Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters: https://basecamp.com/shapeup• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860• Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships: https://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Life-Changing-Relationships/dp/189200528X/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

We are joined by Colin Bryar, a former Amazon executive and co-author of the outstanding book, "Working Backwards:  Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon".  How did Amazon grow from a tiny start-up to one of the most successful companies on the planet?  What best practices did Amazon leverage to facilitate this success?  Colin was Jeff Bezos' "shadow" (Jeff's Chief of Staff") during those early days and talks to CSI Chat about: - How was Amazon able to hire the best and the brightest employees?  Colin explains Amazon's "Bar Raiser" hiring approach and how it was leveraged to hire 1,000's of Amazon's top employees.   - Amazon has banned the use of PowerPoint within their organization for most meeting presentations.  Why did Amazon ban PowerPoint and what format does Amazon now use for most presentations?   - How has "thinking long-term" and "focusing on the customer" resulted in some of Amazon's life changing products and services including "Amazon Prime" and "Amazon Web Hosting"? End of the day, Colin explains how nearly all of Amazon's best practices can be leveraged by all corporations to facilitate their growth and success.    

Alisa Cohn is an executive coach who has worked with C-suite executives at startups like Venmo, Etsy, Wirecutter, and DraftKings, and Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Google, Pfizer, Dell, and IBM. Inc. Magazine named Alisa one of the top 100 leadership speakers, and she was named one of the Top 50 coaches in the world by Thinkers50 and the #1 startup coach for the past four years by Global Gurus. She is also the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, which won the 2022 Independent Press Award and the American Book Fest 2023 Best Book Award for Entrepreneurship, and is the creator and host of a podcast of the same name. In our conversation, we discuss:• The psychology behind why we avoid difficult conversations• Specific scripts for having five common difficult conversations• How to handle defensive reactions in the moment• The three questions you should end every meeting with• “The founder prenup” that every founding team should work through• Common leadership myths• Stories of failure from Alisa's career—Brought to you by:• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Rippling—Automate HR, IT, and finance so you can scale faster• Liveblocks—Ready-made collaborative features to drop into your product—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scripts-for-difficult-conversations-alisa-cohn—Where to find Alisa Cohn:• X: https://x.com/AlisaCohn• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn• Website: https://www.alisacohn.com• Podcast: https://www.alisacohn.com/podcast—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Alisa's background(04:48) Having difficult conversations(12:48) Scripts for performance feedback(20:20) How to respond when someone is defensive or upset(25:07) Scripts for handling promotion disappointments(31:00) Scripts for handling terminations(35:44) The importance of positive feedback(38:49) Understanding your job as a leader(44:55) Recognizing your own blind spots(49:38) Three vital questions to ask in every meeting(55:57) The founder prenup(01:08:24) Failure corner(01:13:00) Final thoughts and lightning round—Referenced:• Alisa's free PDF downloads for Lenny's listeners: https://www.alisacohn.com/Lenny/• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice• Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Model: https://www.ucop.edu/ombuds/_files/nvc-model-requesting-change-remove.pdf• Sheryl Sandberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652• How embracing emotions will accelerate your career | Joe Hudson (executive coach, Art of Accomplishment): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/embracing-your-emotions-joe-hudson• Joe Gebbia on X: https://x.com/jgebbia• Noam Wasserman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noam-wasserman-462425• Core Values List: https://jamesclear.com/core-values• How Cofounders Can Prevent Their Relationship from Derailing: https://hbr.org/2022/04/how-cofounders-can-prevent-their-relationship-from-derailing• Inside Out 2 on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/inside-out-2/6MeZYf9JkFii• Ninja CREAMi: https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-NC299AMZ-Milkshakes-One-Touch-Container/dp/B09QV24FFZ• Joseph Campbell quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/136819-if-the-path-before-you-is-clear-you-re-probably-on—Recommended books:• From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Up-Grown-Up-Grow-Leadership-Business/dp/1398601403• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity/dp/1250235375• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Unpacking Amazon's unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination: https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Triumph-American-Imagination/dp/0679757473—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Moonshots Podcast, hosts Mike and Mark explore the behind-the-scenes strategies that powered Amazon's meteoric rise to global dominance. Drawing from Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, authors Colin Bryar and Bill Carr—two key executives who worked alongside Jeff Bezos—unpack the innovative practices and leadership philosophies that made Amazon a billion-dollar powerhouse.Through rich discussions and exclusive clips, we explore the core principles that have guided Amazon's evolution from its early startup days to becoming one of the most customer-obsessed companies in the world. Learn how Amazon's unique leadership, decision-making, and innovation approach can be applied to your ventures, helping you build a customer-centric, scalable organization.Key Topics Covered:1. Meet the AuthorsColin Bryar & Bill Carr's Trailer to Working Backwards (1m08)The authors introduce us to the book and share their experiences working inside Amazon, giving listeners a glimpse into the inner workings of the company's culture and strategy.2. Leadership at AmazonJeff Bezos on Hiring Talented Employees (55s)In this clip, Bezos discusses the importance of hiring top-tier talent and raising the bar with every new addition to the team. Discover how Amazon's strict hiring standards help the company continuously improve and innovate.Colin Bryar with Roger Dooley: Single-Threaded Leadership (4m19)Colin Bryar shares the single-threaded leader concept, one of Amazon's fundamental leadership principles. Learn how this practice fosters focused leadership, accountability, and faster execution by assigning one leader to own a project without competing priorities.3. How to Innovate Like AmazonColin Bryar on the Power of the 6-Page Memo (3m56)Amazon's internal decision-making relies heavily on the written word, with the 6-page memo being a staple of meetings. Discover why Amazon believes text is better than PowerPoint for conveying complex ideas and encouraging deep thinking.Bill Carr on the PRFAQ Process (4m14)The PRFAQ (Press Release and FAQ) process is at the heart of Amazon's product development strategy. By working backward from a customer-centric vision, teams are forced to think critically about how to build and deliver new products. Bill Carr explains how this method fosters clarity, innovation, and accountability.4. The Bigger PictureJeff Bezos on Managing Inputs, Not Outputs (49s)In this final clip, Bezos shares one of his key insights: the importance of focusing on the inputs you can control rather than fixating on outputs like profit or growth. This philosophy encourages long-term thinking and continuous improvement.Why You Should ListenThis episode provides a masterclass in leadership and innovation from one of the most successful companies in history. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a business leader, or someone who loves learning about breakthrough companies, you'll gain actionable insights from Amazon's unique hiring, decision-making, and scaling approach.Watch & Read MoreFull episode on YouTube.Read the related blog: Billion Dollar Entrepreneurial Secrets from Amazon.Check out the book summary on Blinkist.Apply the lessons from this episode to raise the bar in your organization, implement focused leadership, and transform your approach to innovation. Thanks to our monthly supporters Edward Rehfeldt III 孤鸿 月影 Fabian Jasper Verkaart Margy Diana Bastianelli Andy Pilara ola Fred Fox Austin Hammatt Zachary Phillips Antonio Candia Mike Leigh Cooper Daniela Wedemeier Corey LaMonica Smitty Laura KE Denise findlay Krzysztof Diana Bastianelli Roar Nikolay Ytre-Eide Stef Roger von Holdt Jette Haswell Marco Silva venkata reddy Dirk Breitsameter Ingram Casey Nicoara Talpes rahul grover Evert van de Plassche Ravi Govender Craig Lindsay Steve Woollard Lasse Brurok Deborah Spahr Barbara Samoela Christian Jo Hatchard Kalman Cseh Berg De Bleecker Paul Acquaah MrBonjour Sid Liza Goetz Konnor Ah kuoi Marjan Modara Dietmar Baur Nils Weigelt Bob Nolley ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

"Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a book that provides insights into Amazon's history, culture, and business practices. It covers Amazon's customer-centric approach, innovative spirit, leadership, and management practices and provides examples of how Amazon creates new products and services. The book is valuable for entrepreneurs who want to learn from Amazon's successes and apply those lessons to their businesses.But the Book: https://geni.us/lM2OrBecome a member here: https://www.patreon.com/Moonshots"Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a book that can be helpful for entrepreneurs for several reasons:Amazon's success: Amazon is one of the most successful and innovative companies of our time. The book provides insights into the company's history, culture, and unique business practices, making it a leader in the e-commerce industry. Entrepreneurs can learn from Amazon's successes and apply the lessons to their businesses.Customer-centric approach: Amazon's customer-centric approach is critical to its success. The book details how Amazon obsesses over its customers and their needs, and entrepreneurs can learn from this approach to prioritize their customers and create a customer-focused culture.Innovation and experimentation: Amazon is known for its innovative spirit and willingness to experiment with new ideas. The book provides examples of how Amazon has created new products and services and tested and iterated on them until they were successful. Entrepreneurs can learn from this approach to be more innovative and agile in their businesses.Leadership and management: The book provides insights into Amazon's leadership and management practices, including how it hires and develops its employees, sets goals and measures success, and fosters a culture of accountability and ownership. Entrepreneurs can learn from these practices to build effective teams and manage their businesses more effectively.Overall, "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs who want to learn from one of the most successful companies of our time and apply those lessons to their businesses. Thanks to our monthly supporters Ron Chris Turner Margy Diana Bastianelli Andy Pilara ola Jez Dix Fred Fox Austin Hammatt Zachary Phillips Antonio Candia Mike Leigh Cooper Daniela Wedemeier Corey LaMonica Smitty Laura KE Denise findlay Krzysztof Diana Bastianelli Nimalen Sivapalan Roar Nikolay Ytre-Eide Stef Roger von Holdt Jette Haswell Marco Silva venkata reddy Dirk Breitsameter Ingram Casey Nicoara Talpes rahul grover Evert van de Plassche Ravi Govender Craig Lindsay Steve Woollard Lasse Brurok Deborah Spahr Chris Way Barbara Samoela Christian Jo Hatchard Kalman Cseh Berg De Bleecker Paul Acquaah MrBonjour Sid Liza Goetz Konnor Ah kuoi Marjan Modara Dietmar Baur Bob Nolley ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Going deeper on shiny object syndrome, Dan & Ian open the mailbag to read responses to last week's episode. A listener shares his success story with shiny object syndrome, revealing how he pursues his entrepreneurial impulses without growing crazy. The listener emphasizes the value of muscle memory when it comes to going from zero to one successfully. Dan & Ian will also discuss how to use societal and scene shifts to gain traction on an idea and even build a successful business out of an idea that might seem a little stupid (to everyone else) at the time. Plus, we're looking for our next TMBA team member! If you love reading and writing about business topics and think working alongside Dan & Ian might seem like fun (or a little stupid!), let's talk. Dan & Ian's Stuff: The Newsletter (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) “The DC” (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) DC Black (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Global events (https://dynamitecircle.com/events) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) @AnythingIan (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan) Show Notes (00:00:54) Intro (00:01:13) If you love reading and writing about business, come work with us at the TMBA. (00:09:17) The two most popular roles that bootstrapped companies are hiring for right now and how much they're paying. (00:14:55) How founders get derailed by the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect (00:19:50) Why even your heroes' businesses are shit shows (00:20:33) How one listener channels his shiny object syndrome to grow his million-dollar business (00:26:27) What founders often regret about selling their business (00:30:30) Identifying societal disruptions can be a way for bootstrappers to be disruptive and successful (00:30:42) What Mark Manson, Patt Flynn, and Muhammad Ali have in common (00:39:54) Having a strong perspective could be what you're missing Links: Sign up for a DC Black Q&A virtual meeting (open to all) (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiQICoIOs5q_Ut6__qzlSN2dwxEDHrN_AfHufjP9zr2Czkiw/viewform) Join us in Playa del Carmen, Mexico this May (https://dynamitecircle.com/event-collection/dcmexico-2024) The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Acquisition (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/anti-agency-high-roi) Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/B088MFRK1H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MXQBAQIK8D5G&keywords=working+backwards&qid=1707870869&s=books&sprefix=working+backwards%2Cstripbooks%2C105&sr=1-1) The score takes care of itself (Bill Walsh) (https://www.amazon.com/Score-Takes-Care-Itself-Philosophy/dp/1591843472) You can have two Big Things, but not three (https://longform.asmartbear.com/two-big-things/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz Additional episodes you might enjoy: Business Basics: Revenue Durability, “Small” Goals, & High-Leverage Meetings (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/revenue-durability-meetings) Non-Obvious Ways to Grow Your Business + Favorite Moments of 2023 (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/favorite-moments-of-2023) End-of-Year Brainstorming, Goal-Setting, and a Mexico Meltdown (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/end-of-year-brainstorming)

Dan & Ian delve into the complexities of combating shiny object syndrome, a challenge that plagues all entrepreneurs at one time or another (or all the time). They'll talk about six strategies for tackling “the syndrome” and how to harness your skill of going zero-to-one to grow your business to the next level. Dan & Ian's Stuff: The Newsletter (https://tropicalmba.com/subscribe) “The DC” (https://dynamitecircle.com/join-dc/) DC Black (https://dynamitecircle.com/dc-black) Global events (https://dynamitecircle.com/events) Hire remote talent (https://remotefirstrecruiting.com/) Find a remote job (https://dynamitejobs.com/) Listen on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OfficialTropicalMBA) Follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tropicalmba/) @TropicalMBA (https://twitter.com/TropicalMBA) @AnythingIan (https://twitter.com/AnythingIan) Show Notes: (00:00:33) Intro (00:03:05) How to connect with other founders by the beach (come to DC Mexico in May) (00:11:08) DC Black is now accepting new members year-round (00:17:54) Can shiny object syndrome be cured? Or am I doomed? (00:20:31) Why entrepreneurs are great at the 0 to 1, and how to apply that skill set towards the next phase of your goals (00:26:27) Six approaches to solving and harnessing your shiny object syndrome Links: Podcast producer job post (https://dynamitejobs.com/company/tropicalmba/remote-job/podcast-producer) Sign up for a DC Black Q&A virtual meeting (open to all) (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeiQICoIOs5q_Ut6__qzlSN2dwxEDHrN_AfHufjP9zr2Czkiw/viewform) Join us in Playa del Carmen, Mexico this May (https://dynamitecircle.com/event-collection/dcmexico-2024) The Anti-Agency Agency + High ROI Customer Acquisition (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/anti-agency-high-roi) Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/B088MFRK1H/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MXQBAQIK8D5G&keywords=working+backwards&qid=1707870869&s=books&sprefix=working+backwards%2Cstripbooks%2C105&sr=1-1) The score takes care of itself (Bill Walsh) (https://www.amazon.com/Score-Takes-Care-Itself-Philosophy/dp/1591843472) You can have two Big Things, but not three (https://longform.asmartbear.com/two-big-things/) Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz Additional episodes you might enjoy: Business Basics: Revenue Durability, “Small” Goals, & High-Leverage Meetings (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/revenue-durability-meetings) Non-Obvious Ways to Grow Your Business + Favorite Moments of 2023 (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/favorite-moments-of-2023) End-of-Year Brainstorming, Goal-Setting, and a Mexico Meltdown (https://tropicalmba.com/episodes/end-of-year-brainstorming)

Ethan Evans is a writer, career coach, course instructor, and retired VP at Amazon. During his 15 years at Amazon, he helped invent Prime Video, Amazon Video, the Amazon Appstore, Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime), and Twitch Commerce. Prior to Amazon, Ethan spent 12 years in technical leadership roles at several East Coast startups. He writes a newsletter, Level Up, which publishes candid career advice and has a growing community of ambitious professionals to connect with. Ethan also offers a range of Leadership Development Courses via live online classes and on-demand courses. In this episode, we discuss:• The Magic Loop framework: a five-step process to grow your career• A handful of reasons why people get stuck in their career growth• Advice on how to break out of a career plateau• How to cultivate inventiveness in your work• How to stand out in interviews• A personal story of failing Jeff Bezos and lessons learned• Contrarian opinions on the return-to-office movement and doing business on a handshake—Brought to you by Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers | Sprig—Build a product people love | Arcade Software—Create effortlessly beautiful demos in minutes—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan-evans-amazon/—Where to find Ethan Evans:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/• Substack: https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Ethan's background(04:25) The Magic Loop(08:31) The goal of the Magic Loop(10:59) Clarifications on the framework(12:46) Success stories(17:22) The importance and effectiveness of the Magic Loop(19:01) A quick summary of the steps in the Magic Loop(21:46) What if you're not pursuing a promotion?(23:09) How to break out of a career plateau(28:52) How to become systematically inventive(36:04) Interview advice and how to stand out(40:43) A story of failing Jeff Bezos(50:31) Lessons learned from that failure(57:30) What Ethan would have done differently(01:00:35) Amazon's leadership principles(01:08:52) Contrarian corner: Returning to the office vs. staying remote(01:10:39) Contrarian corner: Doing business on a handshake(01:11:52) Lightning round—Referenced:• The Magic Loop: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop• SDE levels: https://www.masaischool.com/blog/understanding-sde-levels-sde-1-vs-sde-2-vs-sde-3-differences/• What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful: https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There/dp/1401301304• Thomas Edison's quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_a_edison_109928• Jeff Bezos: Amazon and Blue Origin | Lex Fridman Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWqzZ3I2cY• Unpacking Amazon's unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of-working-bill-carr-author-of-working-backwards/• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Jeff Wilke on X: https://twitter.com/jeffawilke• Andy Jassy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-jassy-8b1615/• Werner Vogels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wernervogels/• Amazon's Silk browser explained: https://www.androidpolice.com/amazon-silk-browser-explainer/• Chickens and pigs: https://www.scrum.org/resources/chickens-and-pigs• 58% of tech employees experience imposter syndrome. Here's how to overcome it: https://medium.com/wearefutureworks/58-of-tech-employees-experience-imposter-syndrome-heres-how-to-overcome-it-78172d8a2258• Jeff Bezos to exec after product totally flopped: ‘You can't, for one minute, feel bad': https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/22/jeff-bezos-why-you-cant-feel-bad-about-failure.html• Amazon's leadership principles: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles• Sam Altman on X: https://twitter.com/sama• Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work: https://www.amazon.com/Decisive-Make-Better-Choices-Life/dp/0307956393• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/dp/1523097809• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness: https://www.amazon.com/Almanack-Naval-Ravikant-Wealth-Happiness/dp/1544514212/• Angel list: https://venture.angellist.com/naval/syndicate• Naval Ravikant on X: https://twitter.com/naval• 1923 on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/1923/• Yellowstone on Paramount+: https://www.paramountnetwork.com/shows/yellowstone• Chuckit! dog toys: https://www.chuckit-toys.co.uk/• Luke 12:48: https://law.utk.edu/2016/05/10/to-whom-much-is-given-much-will-be-required• The Challenger space shuttle disaster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster• Ethan's popular course on Maven: https://maven.com/ethan-evans/break-through-to-executive—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Unlocking Excellence: Read to Lead Better, Learn to Grow Faster These are two powerhouse books that capture the journey of leadership. These two books are distinctly different, but both reflect our focus on school leaders' need to Navigate the Seas of School Leadership. Joe recommends, Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations, which is an autobiographical book by Admiral William H. McRaven, a retired Navy SEAL and former commander of the United States Special Operations Command. The book is a firsthand account of Admiral McRaven's remarkable military career, spanning from his childhood, the early days in training, to his experiences leading special operations missions. The narrative is filled with anecdotes and insights into the world of special operations, offering readers a glimpse into the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned in high-stakes environments. It's an amazing exploration of leadership, resilience, and the values that underpin success in the most demanding situations. The book not only shares the author's personal journey but also imparts valuable leadership lessons that can be applied in various contexts, making it a great recommendation for school leaders who are navigating their own challenges. T.J. recommends, Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, a book written by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, former executives at Amazon. The book provides a unique insider's perspective on Amazon's culture, leadership principles, and business strategies. In "Working Backwards," the authors share anecdotes and insights based on their experiences working with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The book covers Amazon's customer-centric approach, decision-making processes, and the principles that have contributed to the company's success. It also offers valuable lessons for leaders and businesses seeking to adopt Amazon's innovative practices. What You'll Learn in this Episode with Joe & T.J. Joe reveals that his mentor and friend, Dr. Steven Godowsky, originally shared this book with him knowing his interest in leadership perspectives from the military. Listen to Joe describe how Admiral McRaven structures the book to capture the intention of the reader. Joe also emphasizes how Sea Stories covers McRaven's career. Too often leadership books don't chronicle the journey of a leader and the many different leadership positions that an individual may hold. This book does! Who doesn't want a look inside Amazon? Listen to T.J. describe why he likes this book and why he recommends it to school leaders. T.J. describes how these gentlemen detail their work within Amazon and the lessons that can be learned for leaders. You don't want to miss how the authors describe working for Jeff Bezos. Let us know what you're reading by contacting us at contact@theschoolhouse302.com. And don't miss our leadership newsletter every week by subscribing on the site. We can't wait to hear from you. Joe & T.J.

Bill Carr is the co-author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. With a background at Amazon of over 15 years, Bill played a pivotal role in shaping the company's global digital music and video ventures, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive in Residence with Maveron, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. He later served as the chief operating officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today he's the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC, where he helps companies implement Amazon's time-tested management strategies. In this episode, we discuss:• What exactly “working backwards” is, and how you do it• Why having “single-threaded leaders” is so effective• Inside Amazon's intense product review process• How to actually follow the “disagree and commit” principle• The thinking behind the principle “Leaders are right, a lot”• Input vs. output metrics• Fostering a culture of risk-taking and innovation• The role and responsibilities of a “bar raiser” in your hiring, and how it significantly improves the success rate of new hires—Brought to you by AssemblyAI—Production-ready AI models to transcribe and understand speech | Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of-working-bill-carr-author-of-working-backwards/—Where to find Bill Carr:• X: https://twitter.com/BillCarr89• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/• Website: https://www.workingbackwards.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Bill's background(04:26) Amazon's workplace evolution(09:54) Amazon's “fitness function”(11:44) Single-threaded leadership(18:07) Implementing a program orientation with single-threaded leadership(20:16) The GM model vs. single-threaded leadership(21:31) Functional countermeasures needed for single-threaded leadership(25:22) Embracing the “disagree and commit” principle(30:22) Understanding disagreements(32:41) Deciphering Amazon's “Leaders are right, a lot” principle(35:25) An explanation of the working backwards framework(41:16) PR FAQ process: Amazon's innovation engine(44:47) Deconstructing the PR FAQ structure(43:49) The concentric circle model for sharing PR FAQs(44:55) The customer problem-solution statement(47:52) Create a product funnel, not a product tunnel(51:19) How Amazon promotes action vs. talk(54:35) Amazon's flywheel and input metrics(1:00:51) Signs you've got a good input metric(1:04:23) How mistakes can still be made with working backwards(1:06:54) Why disagreements aren't necessarily signs products will fail(1:08:02) Examples of failed Amazon projects(1:09:55) Cultivating risk-taking and accepting failure(1:13:57) Amazon's “bar-raiser” practice for hiring(1:18:21) Selecting Amazon's bar raisers(1:20:41) Advice on implementing practices from Working Backwards(1:23:10) Bill's work as an advisor(1:26:05) Lightning round—Referenced:• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Jeff Bezos on X: https://twitter.com/jeffbezos• D.E. Shaw: https://www.deshaw.com/• Eric Ries's website: https://theleanstartup.com/• GM business model: https://fourweekmba.com/general-motors-business-model/• Rick Dalzell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddalzell/• The Effective Decision by Peter F. Drucker: https://hbr.org/1967/01/the-effective-decision• Template: Working Backwards PR FAQ: https://www.workingbackwards.com/resources/working-backwards-pr-faq• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996• The Amazon flywheel: https://feedvisor.com/resources/amazon-trends/amazon-flywheel-explained/• Sixsigma: https://www.6sigma.us/• Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries: https://www.amazon.com/Loonshots-Nurture-Diseases-Transform-Industries/dp/1250185963• Andy Jassy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-jassy-8b1615/• Implementing Amazon's Bar Raiser Process in Hiring: A Quick Guide: https://www.barraiser.com/blogs/implementing-amazons-bar-raiser-process-in-hiring• Microspeak: The As-Appropriate (AA) interviewer: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20231017-00/?p=108897• The Practice of Management: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Management-Peter-F-Drucker/dp/0060878975• The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done: https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459• Steve Jobs: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537• Seveneves: https://www.amazon.com/Seveneves-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0062334514• A Gentleman in Moscow: https://www.amazon.com/A-Gentleman-in-Moscow/dp/0143110438• Dune on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Dune-Timoth%C3%A9e-Chalamet/dp/B09LJXY4PH• A Spy Among Friends: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15565872/• Zipp 303 Firecrest tubeless disc brake: https://www.sram.com/en/zipp/models/wh-303-ftld-a1• The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization: https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization/dp/0385517254—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Brought to you by Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ezra—The leading full-body cancer screening company—Lane Shackleton is CPO of Coda, where he's been leading the product and design team for over eight years. Lane started his career as an Alaskan climbing guide and then as a manual reviewer of AdWords ads before becoming a product specialist at Google and later a Group PM at YouTube. He also writes a weekly newsletter with insights and rituals for PMs, product teams, and startups. In today's conversation, we discuss:• Principles that set great PMs apart• Rituals of great product teams• The fine line between OKRs and strategy, and why it matters• “Two-way write-up”• The story of how skippable YouTube ads were born and lessons learned• How to gauge personal career growth• “Tim Ferriss Day” and its impact on Coda's history• How Lane bootstrapped his way to CPO from the bottom of the tech ladder—Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-sets-great-teams-apart-lane-shackleton-cpo-of-coda/ —Where to find Lane Shackleton:• X: https://twitter.com/lshackleton• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneshackleton• Substack: https://lane.substack.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Lane's background(04:03) Working as a guide in Alaska(07:32) Parallels between guiding and building software(09:12) Why Lane started studying and writing about product teams(12:49) How Lane came up with the career ladder and guiding principles(14:10) The five levels Coda's career ladder(16:30) Principles of great product managers(21:06) The beginner's-mind ritual at Coda(24:05) Two rituals: “cathedrals not bricks” and “proactive not reactive”(27:46) How to develop your own guiding principles(31:17) Learning from your “oh s**t” moments(36:03) Rituals from great product teams: HubSpot's FlashTags(42:15) Rituals from great product teams: Coda's Catalyst(47:01) Implementing rituals from other companies(49:48) How to navigate changing vs. sticking with current rituals(53:02) “Tag up” and why one-on-one meetings are harmful (55:27) Lane's handbook on strategy and rituals(57:10) How skippable ads came about on YouTube   (1:01:46) Lane's path to CPO(1:07:02) Advice for aspiring PMs(1:10:53) Tim Ferriss Day at Coda(1:13:24) Using two-way write-ups (1:19:30) The fine line between OKRs and strategy, and why it matters(1:21:41) Lightning round—Referenced:• Endurance: https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881• Bret Victor's talk “Inventing on Principle”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGqwXt90ZqA• Jeremy Britton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremybritton/• Comedian on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/60024976• The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Score-Takes-Care-Itself-Philosophy/dp/1591843472• The Creative Act: A Way of Being: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886• AlphaZero: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaZero• Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exup%C3%A9ry• Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling: https://www.amazon.com/Storyworthy-Engage-Persuade-through-Storytelling/dp/1608685489• The Moth: https://themoth.org/events• Seth Godin's website: https://www.sethgodin.com/• The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph: https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/dp/1591846358• Tony Fadell's TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uOMectkCCs• FlashTags: A Simple Hack for Conveying Context Without Confusion: https://www.onstartups.com/flashtags-a-simple-hack-for-conveying-context-without-confusion• How Coda builds product: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product• 100-dollar voting ritual: https://coda.io/@lshackleton/100-dollar-voting-exercise• Pixar's Brain Trust: https://pixar.fandom.com/wiki/Brain_Trust• Lane's product handbook: coda.io/producthandbook• The rituals of great teams | Shishir Mehrotra of Coda, YouTube, Microsoft: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir-mehrotra-coda-youtube-microsoft/• Principle #4: Learn by making, not talking: https://lane.substack.com/p/principle-4-learn-by-making-not-talking• Phil Farhi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philfarhi/• How to ask the right questions, project confidence, and win over skeptics | Paige Costello (Asana, Intercom, Intuit): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-ask-the-right-questions-project-confidence-and-win-over-skeptics-paige-costello-asana-intercom-intuit/• Chip Conley's website: https://chipconley.com/• Jeff Bezos Banned PowerPoint in Meetings. His Replacement Is Brilliant: https://www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/jeff-bezos-bans-powerpoint-in-meetings-his-replacement-is-brilliant.html• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Dory and Pulse: https://coda.io/@codatemplates/dory-and-pulse• Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great: https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Flywheel-Monograph-Accompany-Great/dp/0062933795/• Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion: https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/dp/1451636024• The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance: https://www.amazon.com/Inner-Game-Tennis-Classic-Performance/dp/0679778314• Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239• The Last Dance on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80203144• Full Swing on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81483353• Stephen Curry: Underrated on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/stephen-curry-underrated/umc.cmc.23v0wxaiwz60bjy1w4vg7npun• Arrested Development on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70140358• Shishir's interview question clip on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/7160779872296652078• The Ultimate Reference Check Template: https://coda.io/@startup-hiring/reference-checks-template• SwingVision: https://swing.tennis/• Waking Up app: https://www.wakingup.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

What I learned from reading Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr.---I'm doing a live show with Patrick O'Shaughnessy from Invest Like the Best on October 19th in New York City. Get your tickets here!---Sponsors: I use EightSleep to get the best sleep of my life. Find out why EightSleep is loved by founders everywhere and get $150 off at eightsleep.com/founders/----Vesto makes it easy for you to invest your businesses idle cash. Schedule a demo with Vesto's founder Ben and tell him David from Founders sent you. Here's the legal disclosures to make the lawyers happy:Vesto Advisors, LLC (“Vesto”) is an SEC registered investment adviser. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Vesto and our partnership can be found hereWe are entitled to compensation for promoting Vesto Advisors, LLC. Accordingly, we have an incentive to endorse Vesto and its team and services. We are not current advisory clients of the Vesto.----Join Founders AMAMembers of Founders AMA can:-Email me your questions directly (you get a private email address in the confirmation email) -Promote your company to other members by including a link to your website with you question -Unlock 40 Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes immediately-Listen to new Ask Me Anything (AMA) episodes every week ---Join my free email newsletter to get my top 10 highlights from every book---(8:00) Principles Jeff Bezos would repeat: customer obsession, innovation, frugality, personal ownership, bias for action, high standards.(10:30) Single threaded leadership: For each project, there is a single leader whose focus is that project and that project alone, and that leader oversees teams of people whose attention is focused on that one project.(11:00) The best thing I did as a manager at PayPal was to make every person in the company responsible for doing just one thing. Every employee's one thing was unique, and everyone knew I would evaluate him only on that one thing. I had started doing this just to simplify the task of managing people. But then I noticed a deeper result: defining roles reduced conflict. — Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Futureby Peter Thiel. (Founders #278)  (12:30) Jeff said many times: We need to eliminate communication, not encourage it. Communication is a sign of dysfunction.(14:30) Jeff is insisted that instead of finding new and better ways to manage our dependencies, we figure out how to remove them.(15:30) Jeff on decision making speed: “Most decisions should probably be made with somewhere around 70% of the information you wish you had. If you wait for 90%, in most cases, you're probably being slow. Plus, either way, you need to be good at quickly recognizing and correcting bad decisions. If you're good at course correcting, being wrong may be less costly than you think, whereas being slow is going to be expensive for sure."(16:30) The best way to fail at inventing something is by making it somebody's part-time job.(21:00) Even though you cannot hear it, with a well-written narrative there is a massive amount of useful information that is being transferred in those 20 minutes.(23:00) A simple tip on how to produce unique insights:Jeff has an uncanny ability to read a narrative and consistently arrive at insights that no one else did, even though we were all reading the same narrative. After one meeting, I asked him how he was able to do that. He responded with a simple and useful tip that I have not forgotten: he assumes each sentence he reads is wrong until he can prove otherwise. He's challenging the content of the sentence, not the motive of the writer. Jeff was usually among the last to finish reading.(26:30) Jeff wanted to know exactly what we were going to build and how it would be better for customers. To Jeff a half-baked mockup was evidence of half-baked thinking.(27:00) Founders force the issue.(28:00) Writing required us to be thorough and precise. We had to describe features, pricing, how the service would work, why customers would want it. Half baked thinking was harder to disguise on the written page than in PowerPoint slides.(34:30) Failure and invention are inseparable twins.(35:30) Working backwards exposes skill sets that your company needs but does not yet have.(36:30) Differentiation with customers is often one of the key reasons to invent.(44:00) To read Bezos' shareholder letters is to get a crash course in running a high-growth internet business from someone who mastered it before any of the playbooks were written.(46:00) The idea that Amazon, a pure e-commerce distributor of retail products made by others, would become a hardware company and make and sell its own reader device was controversial.(46:00) If you outsource then your company doesn't acquire those skills. Amazon wants the skills.(54:00) Jeff wanted to build a moat around his best customers.(58:00) We had acquired a core competency only a few other companies could match.List of Jeff Bezos episodes to learn more:#282 Jeff Bezos shareholder letters#180 Jeff Bezos (Invention of a Global Empire)#179 Jeff Bezos (Everything Store)#155 Jeff Bezos (Invent and Wander)#71 Jeff Bezos Shareholder Letters#38 Space Barons#17 Jeff Bezos (Everything Store)----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested, so my poor wallet suffers.” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast

Global Product Management Talk is pleased to bring you the next episode of... Product Mastery Now with host Chad McAllister, PhD. The podcast is all about helping people involved in innovation and managing products become more successful, grow their careers, and STANDOUT from their peers. About the Episode:  Today we are talking about the “working backwards” approach to product that was created at Amazon. To give us the details on this approach, Colin Bryar is with us. He joined Amazon in 1998—four years after its founding—and spent the next 12 years as part of Amazon's senior leadership team. For two of his years at Amazon, Colin was Chief of Staff to Jeff Bezos, AKA “Jeff's shadow,” during which he spent each day attending meetings, traveling with, and discussing business and life with Jeff. Colin is co-founder of Working Backwards where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. He is also the co-author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon.

Apple's VR head set looks cool, very well marketed by apple like any other product but why is it so high priced at $3500? We breakdown their product strategy and debate why the price is right! Also we have a new book of the week for product, tech and design leaders - Working Backwards - Insights, stories, secrets from Amazon Book like - https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=83bb7674-ebc4-420a-9ea9-f9a774b15cde

In this episode of Mind Your Business with a C-Suite leader, LynLee Foo and Ryan speak with Caesar Indra, President of Traveloka, to get some inspiration to find out why the book "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" made an impact on his leadership approach. This podcast is produced and edited by Anthea Ng (nganthea@sph.com.sg)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brought to you by Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Public—Invest in stocks, treasuries, crypto, and more | LMNT—Zero-sugar hydration—Shweta Shrivastava is a Senior Product Leader at Waymo, an autonomous driving technology company backed by Alphabet. Prior to joining Waymo, she was the CPO of Nauto, where she also worked on AI-assisted driver tools. Shweta has worked in product for over 15 years in senior roles at several companies, including Amazon and Cisco. In today's episode, we discuss:• How Waymo builds trust with riders• Product management at Waymo vs software-only products• The state of self-driving technology• The importance of being a disruptor and why large companies need to disrupt more• Underrated product management skills—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/product-lessons-from-waymo-shweta-shrivastava-waymo-amazon-cisco/#transcript—Where to find Shweta Shriva• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shshrivastava/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Shweta's background(03:47) What Shweta and her team are responsible for at Waymo(05:30) About the autonomous driving vehicle hardware, software, and simulation tools (08:14) Differences in working at Waymo vs. a more traditional software company(11:02) How Waymo builds trust with riders and the difference between driver assist and fully autonomous(13:57) An example of how Waymo builds trust with riders(15:55) The commercial, operational, and system behavior metrics Waymo uses (20:38) What are L5 autonomous vehicles and why Shweta thinks L4 vehicles are good enough(22:53) How to keep investors enthusiastic when it's a long-term investment(25:24) Building successful teams and successful products(26:39) Determining what you're not building, especially before product-market-fit(27:49) Why large companies need to disrupt their own models (29:33) The most underrated product management skills(33:07) Tips for getting promoted(35:19) Where is Waymo and how to try it out(36:46) Lightning round—Referenced:• Waymo: https://waymo.com/• Nauto: https://www.nauto.com/• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986• The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation/dp/1633691780• Top Gun: Maverick on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Top-Gun-Maverick-Tom-Cruise/dp/B0B18G8R9B—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classics where we interviewed the former Amazon Digital Media VP, Bill Carr. Bill is the coauthor of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives.  Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As the former Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today, Bill is the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College and a Masters in Business Administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Get Bill's book here: Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Bill Carr and Colin Bryar. Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

"Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a book that provides insights into Amazon's history, culture, and business practices. It covers topics such as Amazon's customer-centric approach, innovative spirit, leadership and management practices, and provides examples of how Amazon creates new products and services. The book is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs who want to learn from Amazon's successes and apply those lessons to their own businesses."Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a book that can be helpful for entrepreneurs for several reasons: Amazon's success: Amazon is one of the most successful and innovative companies of our time. The book provides insights into the company's history, culture, and unique business practices that have made it a leader in the e-commerce industry. Entrepreneurs can learn from Amazon's successes and apply the lessons to their own businesses. Customer-centric approach: Amazon's customer-centric approach is a key factor in its success. The book details how Amazon obsesses over its customers and their needs, and entrepreneurs can learn from this approach to prioritize their own customers and create a customer-focused culture. Innovation and experimentation: Amazon is known for its innovative spirit and willingness to experiment with new ideas. The book provides examples of how Amazon has created new products and services, and how it tests and iterates on them until they are successful. Entrepreneurs can learn from this approach to be more innovative and agile in their own businesses. Leadership and management: The book provides insights into Amazon's leadership and management practices, including how it hires and develops its employees, how it sets goals and measures success, and how it fosters a culture of accountability and ownership. Entrepreneurs can learn from these practices to build effective teams and manage their businesses more effectively. Overall, "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs who want to learn from one of the most successful companies of our time and apply those lessons to their own businesses. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Amazon is a massive success in part because of its principle of ‘working backwards'. Starting with the customer and working backwards to the technology has been Amazon's core belief since the beginning, and is key to how the company operates. This week, episode 173 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about working backwards: both the methodology and the book written by Colin and his co-author Bill Carr.Watch our new recorded video training: Relationship-Driven New Business At-ScaleIn this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Colin Bryar shares the importance of not being afraid to fail to innovate and actionable steps you can take right now to improve your hiring process based on your leadership principles. Colin Bryar co-authored Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, a first-person account of how Amazon created and implemented the principles and processes that have made it successful. Colin spent 12 years at Amazon where he earned the moniker “Jeff's Shadow”, after working alongside Bezos attending meetings, traveling with, and discussing work and life as his Technical Advisor. Colin has served as COO of IMDb and RedMart, and is co-founder of Working Backwards, LLC where we help companies learn how to work backwards. In this episode, Dan and Colin discuss the following:Single-threaded leadership and what that means.The bar-raiser process for hiring, how it worked at Amazon, and how it can work for your agency.The importance of measuring inputs, not outputs.What really makes Jeff Bezos different than anyone who has worked alongside him.Don't forget to check out Working Backward: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon and let us know your thoughts on the book.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/CONNECT WITH COLIN:Working BackwardsLinkedInTwitterCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

Hello Needlemovers!On this weeks episode of our Book club series, your hosts dive into "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" by Bill Carr and Colin Bryar.Support the showCheck us out and send us a message on our instagram, Tik Tok and Youtube platforms @the.needle.moverswww.theneedlemovers.xyz

For this episode, let's revisit a Strategy Skills classic where we interviewed the former Amazon Digital Media VP, Bill Carr. Bill is the coauthor of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives.  Bill Carr joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As the former Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive In Residence with Maveron LLC, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. Bill later served as the Chief Operating Officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today, Bill is the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colby College and a Masters in Business Administration from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Get Bill's book here: Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Bill Carr and Colin Bryar. Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Ravi was previously CPO at Tinder, Product Director at Facebook, and VP of Product at Tripadvisor. Currently, he's co-founder and CEO of Outpace, a coaching platform designed to help people reach their professional goals. In today's podcast, we dive deep into Ravi's product strategy stack framework and how it was used to develop a powerful strategy at Tinder. We also cover his other popular frameworks—the frontier of understanding and exponential feedback—and how both of them can help you grow in your career. We discuss the differences between building product at a startup versus a large tech company, and how Ravi has had to shift his mindset as he's moved away from a product leadership role into a founder role. Finally, he shares a bit about how Outpace is using AI to amplify coaches and help make them more efficient and effective.—Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/. Today's transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.—Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:• Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app: http://merge.dev/lenny• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster: https://oneschema.co/lenny• Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life: https://miro.com/lenny—Where to find Ravi Mehta:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ravi_mehta• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravimehta/• Website: https://www.ravi-mehta.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—Referenced:Disclaimer: Lenny is an angel investor Ravi's company, Outpace• Reforge's Product Strategy Program created by Casey Winters and Fareed Mosavat: https://www.reforge.com/programs/product-strategy• Matt Mochary on Lenny's Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work-through-fear-and-nurture-innovation-matt-mochary/• Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com/• Everything Marketplaces: https://www.everythingmarketplaces.com/• The Product Strategy Stack: https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-strategy-stack/• Balsamiq: https://balsamiq.com/• Set better goals with NCTs, not OKRs: https://www.reforge.com/blog/set-better-goals-with-ncts-not-okrs• Ravi's product manager's competencies framework: https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-manager-roles/• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products: https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products/dp/0241184835/• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Ian McAllister on Lenny's Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/what-it-takes-to-become-a-top-1-pm-ian-mcallister-uber-amazon-airbnb/• The Ezra Klein Show podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447• Ezra Klein's AI episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-skeptical-take-on-the-a-i-revolution/id1548604447?i=1000592835492• Andor on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/star-wars-andor/3xsQKWG00GL5• Airtable: https://www.airtable.com/• Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/• Descript: https://www.descript.com/•  Outpace: https://www.outpace.co•  Unlock Your Product Manager Potential: https://www.outpace.co/guides/unlock-your-product-manager-potential—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Ravi's background(04:24) Why Ravi left Tinder, and what he's been up to recently (08:05) Differences between working at an established tech company vs. a startup (12:45) Why founders should network with “early-stage” folks(14:29) Why you need to do some research and relationship-building before starting your company(17:49) What the product strategy stack is and how to use it(22:08) Mission vs. vision(23:37) How Ravi developed his strategy framework at Tripadvisor (26:43) Why PMs should understand design, UX, and UI(28:20) Examples of the product strategy stack in action(32:42) Why Tinder resisted adding filters (34:10) Monetization features at Tinder and the “whales” who spend the most(38:18) How customer feedback led to new features at Tinder(42:28) Why goals come after roadmap in Ravi's framework(44:30) Tripadvisor's strategy for increasing bookings(47:25) How to set goals that drive outcomes(50:24) The four buckets of the frontier of understanding(51:38) Different methods for trying to hit goals(53:08) Understanding why you hit or missed your goal(54:34) The product management competencies framework(1:02:08) The exponential feedback framework(1:04:25) Why you should ask for feedback—and graciously accept it(1:06:05) How to determine the right amount of leadership your team needs(1:09:40) What selective micro-management is(1:12:25) How Outpace uses AI to assist in coaching(1:15:24) Lightning round—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

John Cutler writes the popular and beloved product newsletter The Beautiful Mess. For many years, he was a Product Evangelist at Amplitude, which led him to meeting and working with a large number of product teams around the world. Through this role, he gained unique insight into how the best product teams operate. In today's episode, John reflects on leaving his role at Amplitude, and explains the attributes that the top 1% of product teams share. We also go deep into some of his favorite frameworks and discuss the best way to apply these frameworks to your work. We also unpack skills like product sense and product mindset, and what he's planning in his new role at Toast.—Find the full transcript here: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-differentiates-the-highest-performing-product-teams-john-cutler-amplitude-the-beautiful-mess/#transcript—Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:• Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app: http://merge.dev/lenny• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments: https://www.geteppo.com/• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny—Where to find John Cutler:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/johncutlefish• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpcutler/• Newsletter: https://cutlefish.substack.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—Referenced:• Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/• The North Star Playbook: https://info.amplitude.com/north-star-playbook• Craig Daniel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigmdaniel/• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• AppFolio: https://www.appfolio.com/• High Leverage Product Evangelism: https://cutlefish.substack.com/p/high-leverage-product-evangelism• Satya Nadella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyanadella/• The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Map-Breaking-Invisible-Boundaries/dp/1610392507• Innovation Labs: https://innovationlabs.com/• BEES: https://mybeesapp.com/• Marty Cagan on Lenny's Podcast: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-nature-of-product-marty-cagan#details• Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility: https://www.amazon.com/Sooner-Safer-Happier-Patterns-Antipatterns/dp/1942788916• Teresa Torres on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresatorres/• Andrew Huberman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab/?hl=en• TBM 49/52: Pyramid of Leadership Self/Other Awareness: https://cutlefish.substack.com/p/tbm-4952-pyramid-of-leadership-selfother• ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/chat• How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business: https://www.amazon.com/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business-ebook/dp/B00INUYS2U• Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations: https://www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Software-Performing-Technology-Organizations/dp/1942788339• User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product: https://www.amazon.com/User-Story-Mapping-Discover-Product/dp/B08TZGKKF2• Build with Maggie Crowley podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/build-with-maggie-crowley/id1445050691• One Knight in Product podcast: https://www.oneknightinproduct.com/index.html#page-top• Sunny Bunnies on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81286920• Booba on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81011059• Toast: https://pos.toasttab.com/• Drift: https://www.drift.com/John's list of high-performing people worth following:• Dr. Cat Hicks (@grimalkina) https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcathicks/ • Stephanie Leue https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-leue/• Amy Edmondson (@AmyCEdmondson) https://www.linkedin.com/in/amedmondson/• Dominica DeGrandis (@dominicad) https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicadeg/• Courtney Kissler https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-kissler-0930681/• Christina Wodtke (@cwodtke) https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinawodtke/• Matthew Skelton https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewskelton/• Heidi Helfand (@heidihelfand): https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidihelfand/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) What is a product evangelist? John's unique role at Amplitude(05:50) John's reflections and feelings on leaving Amplitude(17:28) What John's doing next(18:52) John's newsletter: The Beautiful Mess(27:49) What do the top 1% of product teams have in common?(40:08) Different ways companies are successful, and why anyone can improve(45:55) Investing in people vs. investing in processes(48:49) The importance of culture and values(49:59) Global company cultures: the individualist vs. the collectivist  (55:55) Why it's hard to make changes in large companies(58:49) How to view frameworks(1:01:02) The spectrum of performance in big and small companies(1:05:27) Examples of high-performing people who work outside of Silicon Valley(1:09:02) The skill of product management(1:11:35) The value of learning a bit about everything(1:13:46) Why do people often underestimate the loops available at their company(1:16:20) Chronic vs. acute issues at companies(1:18:07) Unpacking the skills behind product sense and product mindset(1:20:44) A place for people without the traditional meritocracy mindset(1:22:38) John's writing process and what he plans on writing about next(1:27:52) How to use ChatGPT for learning and levity(1:31:56) Lightning Round—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time Amazon executives―with lessons and techniques you can apply to your own company, and career, right now. Today we chat with the authors' Bill Carr & Colin Bryar about their time working directly with Jeff Bezos on some of Amazon's biggest product innovations. This podcast is brought to you by: Accelevents: Sign up for a free trial of Accelevents today. Zapier: Try Zapier for free today at zapier.com/Rocketship Shopify: Start selling on Shopify today. Go to Shopify.com/Rocketship now. Felix Gray: To get the best blue light glasses on the market, go to Felixgrayglasses.com/Rocketship Produx Labs: New students can use the code ROCKET at checkout to enroll in Product Institute Foundations for just $999. That's a $200 savings! Drata: Listeners can get 10% off by visiting drata.com/partner/rocketship Rocketship is brought to you by The Podglomerate. *** Previous Guests include Seth Goden, Christian Idioti, Ash Maurya, Dan Shapiro of Glowforge, Lolita Taub, Amy Hood of Hoodzpah, Amanda Goetz, Helen Tran, Ben Parr, Mac Conwell, Charli Marie Prangley of ConvertKit, Kandis O'Brian, Laura Roeder, Brenna Loury of Doist, Lopa van der Mersch of Rasa, Ken Norton, Randy Silver, Sanjiv Kalevar of OpenView Venture Partners, Dan Olsen, Jay Clouse, Melissa Perri, Dheerja Kaur of Robinhood, Rahul Vohra of Superhuman, Rich Mironov, Ben Foster, Ron Weiner of Earth Class Mail. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.  Since you're listening to Rocketship, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding entrepreneurship, business, and careers like Creative Elements and Freelance to Founder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew Wolgemuth founded Wove to recreate the way couples buy engagement rings in a highly traditional and outdated industry. Andrew grew up in an entrepreneurial environment working at his parents jewellery company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After attending West Point and serving as a Platoon Leader in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, he attended Stanford's GSB's Ignite Entrepreneurship Programme where the idea for Wove was born.   Questions   Could you share with our listeners a little bit about your journey, at least your journey into entrepreneurship, how did you get to where you are today? And what kind of propelled you into that space? Could you tell us a little bit about your ecommerce company? What's the name of the company? As a business owner, you're operating in the ecommerce space and I'm sure a lot has changed since COVID. What have been some of your key learning opportunities that you've been able to capitalize on? As you know, we went through a pandemic, and now we're emerging out of a pandemic, how have you been able to still satisfy clients, meet their demands despite all of what was happening globally? What are maybe one or two key things that as a designer communicates with the client, they try to focus on to ensure that those things are manifested into the product to make people feel like they're a part of what you're purchasing. How hard is it to kind of lead a remote base team and leverage their expertise seeing that you're not all in the same space? And do you find that the customer experience is better because you're able to kind of navigate that journey, control that journey as much as possible, you have more control over the things that may impact your customer in a positive or a negative way. Could you share with us what's the one online resource, tool, website or app that you absolutely can't live without in your business? Could you share with us maybe one or two books that you've read, either recently or in the past that have had a great impact on you. Could you also share with us what's the one thing that's going on in your life right now that you're really excited about? Either something you're working on to develop yourself or your people. Where can listeners find you online? Do you have a quote or saying that during times of adversity or challenge, you will tend to revert to this quote, it kind of helps to get you back on track if for any reason you got derailed?   Highlights   Andrew's Journey   Andrew shared that entrepreneurship actually started for him in his childhood. Both of his parents were young entrepreneurs, they started a family jewellery company when he was just a baby. And so, much of his childhood was spent watching his parents start a business. And he thinks many of the lessons that he learned from watching his parents, both himself and his siblings took with them as they entered into the real world.   About Andrew's Ecommerce Company Wove   Andrew shared that their company is called Wove. They're www.wovemade.com/. And what they specialize in is custom engagement rings and wedding bands. So, essentially, the way that their process works, they match their clients with one of their in house jewellery designers, after they submit a short quiz on their website, that design consultation allows the client to work with a designer to discover their preferences, design an engagement ring or wedding band. And once they're satisfied with the design, they send them an exact replica of that ring that they can try on at home.   And really what this allows the client to do is try on a realistic version of their ring, test drive it at home, show friends and family and ensure that when you go to buy the final ring that you're getting exactly what you're looking for. So, it kind of acts as a way of allowing the client to buy with full confidence that what they're getting is actually the ring that they want to wear for the rest of their life.   Me: That's very cool. So, your niche is specifically in the marriage line.   Andrew shared that right now, they are focused specifically on bridal jewellery, yes. But they are excited to be launching their own jewellery lines, things other than engagement rings and wedding bands here before the end of this year. So, they're in the process of designing those pieces right now, they're going through the prototyping phase, and very soon they'll also have jewellery on their site.   Satisfying and Meeting Clients Demands Despite What is Happening Globally   Me: Now, could you share with our listeners, Andrew, as a business owner, you're operating in the eCommerce space and I'm sure a lot has changed since COVID.   What have been some of your key learning opportunities that you've been able to capitalize on? As you know, we went through a pandemic, and now we're emerging out of a pandemic, how have you been able to still satisfy clients, meet their demands despite all of what was happening globally?   Andrew stated that it's interesting, their business was very much grown out of the pandemic. Neither Brian, his co-founder nor himself really anticipated on having a career in the jewellery industry, this kind of happened by accident.   And so, it's a great question to ask, they started working actually with deployed service members back in 2020 when the pandemic was just starting. And those service members wanted a way to design and buy an engagement ring from overseas. And that way when they got back, they could propose but no one really wanted to take the chances of buying an engagement ring online and shipping it to a deployment address in the Middle East.   And so, they started sending replicas to service members while they were deployed. And so, it was interesting as they got home, and the pandemic was still going on and many of the jewellery stores were closed, many of their friends and family started asking for the same bespoke custom design and replica service. And really, that's how they got started, they recognized that there was a need for what they were building and people enjoyed buying an engagement ring the Wove way, better than the next best alternative.   So, the pandemic really is what allowed them to gain the early traction that enabled them to raise the funding that they raised and grow their team. But he thinks if there's one fundamental lesson that they continue to lean on is, test early and often and do it as inexpensively as possible. They've changed our product and process so many times over the last two years, and really allowing them doing those things early on, allow you to build the shiny, expensive product later after you have full proof that it's exactly what you need to be building.   Key Things As a Designer Communicates with the Client to Ensure They are a Part of What They are Purchasing   Me: So, your organization also focuses heavily on personalization. And we found, just through, of course, research and data that we get from like Forrester and some of top leading market research entities, that personalization is one of the things that helps to differentiate you in this world, regardless of the industry that you're in. Because clearly if the service is personalized, then it's almost like you're getting something that's not generic, and it's specific to you.   And I heard that in when you're explaining how it is that your business operates, the fact that the designer does custom made designs, sends you a replica of it, you can literally walk with a replication of it before you actually purchase the final product.   What are some of the things that you focus on in the personalization process? What are maybe one or two key things that as the designer communicates with the client, they try to focus on to ensure that those things are manifested into the product to make people feel like they're a part of what you're purchasing?   Andrew stated that at the most fundamental level, he would just say listening, and if that sounds very, very simple. One of the first clients that they ever worked with, he remembers very distinctly getting on the follow up design consultation after the couple had received their replica ring. And immediately one of the partners started to tear up and his initial thought was, “Oh, no, what happened, we must have messed up the replica ring.” And what she said was so poignant to him, she said, “I feel so heard, you incorporated everything that I wanted into the ring, into this design.”   And so, that was really moving for them and it's the way that they train their designers today is that listening to the client is one of the most important things that you can do. And not just listening, but actively listening, taking notes and ensuring that the design preferences they have are incorporated into the design.   But even taking that a step further, one of the things that they do is before a client ever gets on a design consultation is that they have them fill out a style quiz, which allows them to be matched based on their style preferences with one of their in-house designers. So, before they ever get on a call, they are doing what they can to match them with someone that they think they'll be compatible with from a style and design perspective. And that has made their process run incredibly smoothly. And allowed them to really meet the client where they're at.   Me: Brilliant, I love that. Absolutely love that. All right, so you're leading, how many designers would you say your organization has?   Andrew shared that a few of them are full time and a few are contract but at any one given moment in time right now they have about 8 different designers that they've worked with. So, not a ton, but that's enough to really cover the span of different styles for engagement rings, and so that's about the number that they're utilizing today.   Me: Okay. And these persons are pretty much remote based.   Andrew agreed, they are. And one of the things that's great about their model is that jewellery designers are surprisingly underpaid in the industry. And so, what they've been able to do is essentially create a job description that is exactly what any jewellery designer would want to be doing, which is designing jewellery, working with clients and ultimately seeing their pieces come to life.   A lot of jewellery designers that work for top brands will work in a tiny design office in a crammed New York City office building, they never get to meet the client, and oftentimes their piece is never built. And so, what they able to do is pay their designers more than their competitors in the industry and give them a job that's much more satisfying.   And so, because of that, they've been able to attract some of the top designers from across the industry, from major brands that you would recognize. And so, that's been really exciting for them to be able to attract some of the top talent for what they're building.   Leading a Remote Based Team and Leverage Their Expertise   Me: Amazing. So, how hard is it to kind of lead a remote based team and leverage their expertise seeing that you're not all in the same space? I know you still have a lot of leaders globally who believe that because we basically emerged out of the pandemic, they want everybody to come back face to face. But I gather that based on your business model, this has been how you've operated from inception.   Andrew shared that it is about 50% of their company is remote and 50% is in person. So, they do have an office in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that office contains all of their manufacturers, a lot of their content creators and the operations people in the company. But our remote team consists of all of our designers, marketers, web developers, really anyone that doesn't have to be in person.   And so, it's fascinating. He and Brian, his co-founder both came from the Army, which is obviously very much an in-person organization. But he thinks a lot of the leadership lessons and management principles are the same. They do the best that they can to care for their employees, whether you're remote or in person have contact daily, ensure that people's professional and personal needs are being satisfied. So, they love the model that they have, they make an effort to see even their remote employees in person at least once every two months, whether it's going and visiting them or doing an off-site. But for them, that model has worked really well, and it's given them a lot of flexibility.   Me: Brilliant. Now, just to also confirm you handle everything for the consumer from start to finish. So, is there any third party like vendor that you would engage to, let's say, do the delivery of the product, or does your company handle from start to finish so that way you're controlling all of the touch points that your client will have with you.   Andrew shared that they handle just about everything start to finish. And so, the things that they handle are the design of the ring, they do all the manufacturing, all of their jewellery is made from start to finish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And because of that, they're able to produce a really high-end product and they're able to produce it very quickly. They produce rings in about 5 to 7 days, which for custom is about 6 times the national average for custom jewellery.   And so, they're really proud of that, the only vendors that they work with are diamond suppliers. They don't carry any of their own diamond inventory, they work with different diamond suppliers from top diamond sources in the US, all of their diamonds are ethically sourced, they pass the Kimberley Process, which ensures they're conflict free. And they also do a lot of work with lab grown diamonds as well. But really the diamond sourcing is done in house, but they purchase diamonds from outside vendors. And that's really the only thing that they do with a third party.   Navigating the Journey – Having Control Over Things That May Impact Customers in a Positive or a Negative Way   Me: Amazing. And do you find that the customer experience is better because you're able to kind of navigate that journey, control that journey as much as possible, you have more control over the things that may impact your customer in a positive or a negative way.   Andrew stated absolutely. And custom is hard, it's a hard thing to do at scale. He thinks the reason that they've been able to do it so successfully, is because they spent a lot of time investing in systems that allow the customization to occur in a way that's organized, they don't lose track of details and they have a method to how they produce.   But ultimately, he thinks it gives the consumer a one of a kind experiences that allows them to build something completely custom, they're not going to see their friend wearing the same ring that they have on. Everything is one of a kind, they only build their rings once for the customer experience. And as far as diamonds go, if you bought a diamond online through Blue Nile or Brilliant Earth, you're going to get to a diamond page and there are literally 10s of 1000s of diamonds on the page. If you don't have an education in diamonds, it can be extremely daunting trying to figure out which one is the right one.   And so, their geologists and designers walk their clients through every step of the process, will help you pick a diamond. So, yes, it is absolutely a heavy investment, but he thinks the customer experience is truly one of a kind and it gives their clients tremendous confidence that what they're getting is the ring that they want to be wearing the rest of their life. So, they're really proud of what they've built. But obviously he's a little bit biased, but he thinks their experience is certainly the best when it comes to customer engagement rings.   App, Website or Tool that Andrew Absolutely Can't Live Without in His Business   When asked about online resources that he cannot live without in his business, Andrew shared that they use HubSpot in a lot of different ways. HubSpot is their primary CRM, they use it for tracking their sales funnel, where their rings are out in production. They use it for automated emails and text and that engine has been tremendously powerful for their business and also gives them a ton of customization.   They knew that when they built out their CRM that they weren't going to be able to use a plug and play CRM template. And so, HubSpot gave them the flexibility to essentially build exactly what they needed on their platform.   Books that Have Had the Biggest Impact on Andrew   When asked about books that have had a great impact, Andrew shared that the most recent book that he's read is Amazon's Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar. He loves this book, what the book talks about is how Amazon goes about proposing products and how they go about designing products that they believe their customers will one, be excited about and two, that will be functional for them. And so, that's been a book that's really been useful for him when he thinks about how they're designing user experiences or providing tools to their clients that allow them to solve the problems that they face when buying an engagement ring. That is a great book.   The other book that he really liked, it's not really as much business related, but it's very team related is Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal. Now, that takes him back to his Army days, but it's a book that he continuously goes back to because it talks about how teams function successfully. And he thinks it has a lot of good lessons that are good reminders for any type of organization.   What Andrew is Really Excited About Now!   When asked about something that's going on that he's really excited about, Andrew shared that one thing that they're very excited about that they are launching next week on their Wove website is they are launching the ability for clients to order replicas of Wove pre-designed rings. And so really, the difference of what that is compared to what they offer today is, there are certain clients that may not need the full custom experience, but still want to be able to try the ring on before they buy it.   And so, their designers from across their company put together what they believe are the top rings that represent both Wove as well as what consumers are looking for. And clients can either buy that ring right off the site, or they can order for free, an exact and realistic replica of that design that they can try on at home before making the big decision. And so, he's really excited to get that product live, it's going live next week, it'll be on www.wovemade.com. So yeah, check it out.   Where Can We Find Andrew Online   Website – www.wovemade.com Instagram - @wove_made Facebook - @wovemade   Quote or Saying that During Times of Adversity Andrew Uses   When asked about a quote or saying that he tends to revert to during times of adversity or challenge, Andrew stated yes, absolutely. A quote that he heard recently from one of his mentors that he really likes is that, “Failure is rarely fatal, and success is never permanent or lasting.”   And that's a quote that her refers back to constantly. As a founder, there are often times where you can feel defeated, things won't be going the way that you anticipate. And so, being able to take a step back and look at the big picture and rely on a quote like that is reassuring. So, that's one of his favorites.   Me: Amazing. Well, thank you so much Andrew for taking time out of your day, to hop on our podcast Navigating the Customer Experience. And just share some of these great insights as it relates to the journey of your business, your own personal journey, the importance of customization, the importance of leading a team that is even though remote based, that you're able to leverage their expertise in the highest possible way. And of course, controlling that journey of your customers by ensuring that you're giving and meeting those needs, those needs that are so specific to each individual in a way that will have them remember you for the rest of their lives. So, thank you so much for that.   Please connect with us on Twitter @navigatingcx and also join our Private Facebook Community – Navigating the Customer Experience and listen to our FB Lives weekly with a new guest   Grab the Freebie on Our Website – TOP 10 Online Business Resources for Small Business Owners   Links   Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar Teams of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal   The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience   Do you want to pivot your online customer experience and build loyalty - get a copy of “The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience.”   The ABC's of a Fantastic Customer Experience provides 26 easy to follow steps and techniques that helps your business to achieve success and build brand loyalty. This Guide to Limitless, Happy and Loyal Customers will help you to strengthen your service delivery, enhance your knowledge and appreciation of the customer experience and provide tips and practical strategies that you can start implementing immediately! This book will develop your customer service skills and sharpen your attention to detail when serving others. Master your customer experience and develop those knock your socks off techniques that will lead to lifetime customers. Your customers will only want to work with your business and it will be your brand differentiator. It will lead to recruiters to seek you out by providing practical examples on how to deliver a winning customer service experience!

In this episode from February 2021, early Amazon execs Colin Bryar and Bill Carr -- in conversation with a16z's Sonal Chokshi -- go beyond the well-known artifacts of Amazon innovation, like the memo and the press release, and share the leadership principles, decision making practices, and operational processes that helped Amazon continue to innovate, invent new products and learn from its mistakes, as it scaled. It's all based on their book, Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, drawing from the 27 years combined experience of being in the room where it happened at Amazon.

090 Colin Bryar is the former VP of Amazon, Technical Advisor to Jeff Bezos, COO at IMDb and COO at Singapore-based RedMart. He is also the co-author of the book Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, which takes you in the room and show how the principles and practices were used to create four key Amazon business: Kindle, Amazon Prime, Prime Video and Amazon Web Services.  Check out our brand new YouTube Video Podcast!  https://www.SmartVenturePod.com IG/Twitter/FB @GraceGongGG LinkedIn:@GraceGong YouTube: https://bit.ly/gracegongyoutube Join the SVP fam with your host Grace Gong. In each episode, we are going to have conversations with some of the top investors, super star founders, as well as well known tech executives in the silicon valley. We will have a coffee chat with them to learn their ways of thinking and actionable tips on how to build or invest in a successful company. ======================= https://www.pair.com/grace Use Promo Code GRACE =======================    

Colin Bryar is the co-author of the bestselling book Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets From Inside Amazon. He's also the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC and he is the former VP of Amazon. He started working at Amazon four years after the company started and he was there for 12 years, working very closely with Jeff Bezos. Colin says it was a fantastic experience working at Amazon and during his time there they were inventing and creating a lot of the products we know today like Amazon Prime, Kindle, and Fulfillment by Amazon. The management team that Colin was a part of was also working on building processes within Amazon so that the company could scale 10 and 100x. He says, “I learned a ton about not only what it what it's like to take an idea on a whiteboard and turn it into a household name, but also how to create simple processes that work across a number of different types of organizations to build in your company and grow fast while we're remaining nimble and true to your roots.” What was Amazon like in the early days When Colin was working at Amazon there were only around 500 people working at the company and 100 people in the corporate area. They had two fulfillment centers in customer service. The company now has over 1.3 million employees.  Colin says in the early days it was a very intense environment and their mantra was get big fast. They very quickly went from a single category retailer, selling books, to multiple categories. They expanded into the UK, Germany, Japan and France very quickly. And because they were growing so rapidly in such a short period of time the company relied a lot on individual heroic efforts to save the day. There would be days where so many orders would come in that everyone would have to pitch in to get them out in time.  “We quickly had to figure out we were facing the same growing pains that any fast growing company has, and we're trying to figure out how and when to layer in process, because we knew that doesn't scale, you know, there are only 168 hours in the week. And you can't work any more than that. You also have to sleep and eat and go home and spend time with your family. So we knew that we'd have to change the way we operated in order to continue to grow as fast as we were.” What does working backwards mean and how is the process used inside Amazon Amazon has a lot of processes that are unique and quite a few of them were created back when Colin was working there. These processes are all part of something that Amazon calls working backwards, which is where Colin got the title of his book. Working backwards is how they vet ideas and see if they are worth moving forward with. It's really about starting from the customer experience and then working backwards from that.  One of these processes is called PRFAQ, which stands for press release frequently asked questions. So when any employee inside of Amazon has a new idea they have to create one of these, and it is a six page paper. You start with a one page press release that clearly defines the customer problem you are trying to solve and it lays out exactly what your solution is. And then the paper is convincing the customer why they should adopt and use this solution and how it will make their life easier. Once someone creates a PRFAQ they present it to a team of senior leaders who will look over the document, maybe all in the same room together or maybe in different locations virtually, and after taking 20 minutes to look it over in silence they make comments on the idea and ask questions.  The reason behind adopting this method was, as Colin shares, “A SWOT analysis--strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats--is a typical type of tool. That's a skills forward approach. We did that up until about 2003-2004. And we realized that we were not, we were forgetting the customer, too often. So the customer is not with us on that journey. And so Jeff said, we want to make sure the customer from the very beginning of an idea is with us on that journey to see if we could turn that idea into a product or feature that we're building.” And a lot of ideas go through this process and don't make it to the light of day. Some ideas can be tweaked or reworked and become reality, but some just don't work out.  What happens if an idea fails at Amazon No matter what company you work for there are always going to be failures that happen. But how leaders deal with failure is different. Colin says there are two types of failures. One type is when you have a well thought out, well executed idea but it didn't resonate with customers after it went to market. The other type of failure is in the execution of the product. The product was built, but there were a lot of defects or it was a sloppy execution before it even got out to the customer.  But Jeff Bezos has created a culture where failures are not only acceptable, they are celebrated. He understands that the bigger the company gets, the bigger the failures may be since they are thinking bigger and experimenting with new things.  When failure happens inside of Amazon they do take time to look back at what happened to figure out what they could have done differently. What things can they change that can ensure that doesn't happen again. They use their failures to get better and improve for the future.  --------------------------- Whether you have 50 or 1,000 employees, Namely HR helps you maintain a great experience for the entire employee lifecycle. They offer onboarding, performance management, intuitive benefits enrollment, and much more - all on one connected platform. Learn more about making the switch to Namely by going to Namely.com today! Get the latest insights on the Future of Work, Leadership and employee experience through my daily newsletter at futureofworknewsletter.com  Let's connect on social!Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobmorgan8 Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacobmorgan8 Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jacobm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FuturistJacob

In episode 70, Colin Bryar shares how Amazon improved their hiring process with Bar Raisers and why they ditched Powerpoints during decision-making meetings. Colin was previously known as Jeff Bezo's right-hand man during his time as Vice President of Amazon. Today, he is the co-author of “Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon.” In this episode, Colin shares the importance of leadership principles and how to implement them. We also talk about why narratives provide clarity of thought and Colin's experience writing, reviewing, and exploring them. Tune in to hear how Colin spent his time at Amazon and the types of meetings he had as a leader.

Working Backwards is an insider's breakdown of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time Amazon executives―with lessons and techniques you can apply to your own company, and career, right now. Today we chat with the authors' Bill Carr & Colin Bryar about their time working directly with Jeff Bezos on some of Amazon's biggest product innovations. *** This episode is brought to you by: Vidyard: The Top Video Tool for SaaS Marketing and Sales http://vidyard.com/rocketship NetSuite: NetSuite by Oracle is a scalable solution to run all of your key back office operations. Go to netsuite.com/rocketship today. Blinkist: Rocketship.fm is now on Blinkist! Listen to 12 minute episodes with no ads! Get seven days free when you check out Blinkist. Indeed: Indeed is the job site that makes hiring as easy as 1-2-3. Get started with a free $75 sponsored job credit at indeed.com/rocketship. BetterHelp: Unlimited Professional Counseling via Online Chat, Video or Phone Anytime, Anywhere. Get 10% off when you visit betterhelp.com/rocketship. Fundrise: Fundrise makes investing in private real estate as easy as investing in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds. Go to fundrise.com/rocketship today. Airfocus: The home for products and the people who build them. Airfocus is an easy-to-use and flexible product management platform that combines product strategy superpowers with modularity. Visit airfocus.com/rocketship and try it for free today. WIX: When your agency partners with Wix, you unlock an entire digital ecosystem for creating, managing and growing your business online. Head over to Wix.com/Partners and reimagine what your agency can accomplish. *** This show is a part of the Podglomerate network, a company that produces, distributes, and monetizes podcasts. We encourage you to visit the website and sign up for our newsletter for more information about our shows, launches, and events. For more information on how The Podglomerate treats data, please see our Privacy Policy.    Since you're listening to Rocketship, we'd like to suggest you also try other Podglomerate shows surrounding entrepreneurship, business, and careers like Creative Elements and Freelance to Founder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matthew Koergte, Managing Director of Telstra Ventures, is an unsung hero of the Venture Capital industry with a portfolio including 78 investments, 28 liquidity events, 12 unicorns, and a staff of 19 globally. He is a passionate and dynamic advocate for the startup industry, where he has been active since 1998. Prior to starting at Telstra Ventures in 2011, Matthew worked across a variety of industries including positions at Accede Capital Venture Partners, Deutsche Bank, Macquarie Group, and Fujitsu.In his chat with Ian, Matthew discusses:The GPLP structure of Telstra ventures and why it worksTelstra Ventures operating as a thematic investorThe Telstra customer network and why it is an asset for Telstra VenturesThe growth of the Australian startup ecosystem over the past 10 yearsThe existence and future of secondary marketsAustralia's venture capital market in comparison to other countries globally...and more!Quickfire Recommendations:Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, & Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Bill Carr and Colin Bryar.Podcast: 20 Minute VC & Pivot News Source: TechCrunch, Business Insider, Wall Street Journey, & AFRTech CEO: George Kurtz of CrowdStrikeApp: LinkedIn & Apple MusicProductivity Tool: Telstra Ventures data science toolsFavourite TV Show: WestworldTed Talk topic: “Aligning incentives between management and investors”

Colin spent 12 years on Amazon's senior leadership team, including two years as “Chief of Staff” to Jeff Bezos. During this time, Colin had a front-row seat to the development and implementation of Amazon's core operating principles and mechanisms, such as written memos, single-threaded teams, and the bar raiser program.  In early 2021, Colin, along with fellow ex-Amazon VP Bill Carr, released the book “Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon.” In this episode, host Tyler Wallis sits down with Colin to discuss questions submitted by podcast listeners. The ensuing conversation dives deep into Amazon's innovation machine, what it was like shadowing Jeff Bezos, and how companies of various sizes and industries are applying Amazon's operating principles to realize growth in their own organizations.   Check out Colin's book:  https://www.workingbackwards.com/ Follow Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/

In this episode, we review Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. I know firsthand that we could all learn a thing or two from Amazon's way of working and solving problems. It's not perfect (and neither is Amazon). But the principles create a great foundation for any team or company to build on. And Amazon consistently out-innovates and outperforms most companies. So they're clearly doing some things right. Book: Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside AmazonDon't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Book Review: Working Backwards - Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside AmazonOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee? ★ Support this podcast ★

Note: the recording of this episode starts a minute or two into the show.Ali recommends: The Hard Thing about Hard Things  by Ben Horowitz [0:18]Ben recommends: High Output Management by Andy Grove [4:36]Marc recommends: Who Really Matters: The Core Group Theory of Power, Privilege, and Success by Art Kleiner [10:48]Best read for enterprise sales: Power Base Selling by Jim Holden, et al [13:06]Microsoft, Google, government contracts, and politicized workplaces [16:28]Marc recommends: The Tyranny of Structurelessness by Jo Freeman [29:32]Ali recommends: Radical Candor by Kim Scott [33:19]Ben recommends: No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention  by Erin Meyer and Reed Hastings [44:19]Ben recommends: Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar [50:28]How they are approaching the return to work and remote work [53:00]Boss Talk is the Clubhouse show where a16z cofounder Ben Horowitz and Ali Ghodsi, the Founder/CEO of Databricks, discuss CEO stuff, leadership stuff, management stuff... boss stuff. Live every Tuesday 5-6pm on Clubhouse. For more a16z Clubhouse shows, follow the a16z Club on Clubhouse or visit www.a16z.com/clubhouse. 

What I learned from Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by  Colin Bryar and Bill Carr.Become a Misfit now to automatically unlock every full length episode. You will get access to 187 full-length episodes available nowhere else. A new episode is added every week. Learn the key insights from biographies on Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, John D. Rockefeller, Coco Chanel, Andrew Carnegie, Enzo Ferrari, Dr. Suess, Estee Lauder, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Phil Knight, Joseph Pulitzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Gates, P.T. Barnum, Edwin Land, Henry Ford, Walter Chrysler, Thomas Edison, David Ogilvy, Ben Franklin, Howard Hughes, George Lucas, Levi Strauss, Walt Disney and so many more. Learn from the founders of Nike, Patagonia, Apple, Microsoft, Hershey, General Motors, Ford, Standard Oil, Polaroid, Home Depot, MGM, Intel, Federal Express, Wal Mart, JP Morgan, Chrysler, Cadillac, Oracle, Hyundai, Seagram, Berkshire Hathaway, Teledyne, Adidas, Les Schwab, Renaissance Technologies, IKEA, Sony, Ferrari, and so many more. Subscribe now by tapping this link.

What makes Amazon different? What are the secrets to their success? Bill Carr would say they aren't really secrets, but it does take innovative management. Bill is a former Amazon executive and the co-author with Colin Bryer of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Bill and Kevin dig deep into the idea of working backwards. It starts with leaders being customer-obsessed, finding out what they want/need and work backward. This isn't as easy as it sounds. We meet with lots of folks each day, many of whom are not our customers. So, we need to go out of our way to think about the customer. Bill also shares the four characteristics that help define the company culture and how this applies to leaders at any level. This episode is brought to you by… From Manager to Remarkable Leader, Kevin's Flagship workshop based on his proven leadership model. Additional Leadership Resources Book Recommendations: Working Backwards: Isights, Stories, and Serets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr Capitalism in America: A History by Alan Greenspan and Adrian Wooldridge Connect with Bill Carr: Website Related Podcast Episodes: How to Think Like Amazon with John Rossman. Leading By Learning From the Tech Titans with Alex Kantrowitz. Follow the Podcast Don't miss an episode! Follow this podcast through the options below. iTunes Stitcher TuneIn Soundcloud RSS Or your favorite podcast app. Join Our Facebook Group Join our Facebook community to network with like-minded leaders, ask us questions, suggest guests and more. We welcome your wealth of experience and hope you will join us in sharing it with others on their leadership journey. You can join the group here: facebook.com/groups/RemarkableLeadershipPodcast/  

In our headlines today capping earnings week, Amazon crushing forecasts of how much money it would rake in from pandemic- fuelled online shopping saying this quarter its profit tripled and revenue soared 44 percent to 108.5 Billion. We find out what has fuelled Amazon’s amazing success with Colin Bryar co-author of Working Backwards - Insights, Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon in this edition of Read with Michelle Martin.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This month we'll review the latest book from the person many people refer to as the godfather of product management, Marty Cagan. The follow-up to Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Chris Jones and Marty Cagan have written just released Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products. Next month we'll review Working Backwards: Insights, Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Book Review: EmpoweredOr just want to leave a tip and buy me a coffee? ★ Support this podcast ★

Cheema discusses the importance of writing. Book discuess during the podcast: "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon" Check it out at amazon here: https://amzn.to/3rLmqa3 Show Your Work, the inspiration of this podcast: https://amzn.to/3bLbbrn (https://amzn.to/3bLbbrn)  Let us know how you found out about this podcast at: ahmed@twothreetwofive.com Looking for a hosting platform for your podcast? Try Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=ahmedcheema

Bill Carr is the co-author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. He joins me to talk about collaboration at the e-commerce behemoth. We discuss how the company gets so much done and succeeds where so many others fail.Support the show

In this episode, Colin Bryar meets with Patrick to talk about being customer-obsessed, constantly finding and fixing defects, and growing faster than the competition. Colin joined Amazon in 1998 -- four years after its founding -- and spent the next 12 years as part of Amazon's senior leadership team as Amazon grew from a domestic (US-only) seller of books to a global, multi-dimensional powerhouse and innovator. Colin served as a Vice President at Amazon, and for two of his years he was "Chief of Staff" to Jeff Bezos, AKA "Jeff's shadow", during which he spent each day attending meetings, traveling with, and discussing business and life with Jeff. Colin documented this experience in Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon.

Colin Bryar, Co-Founder of Working Backwards and former Amazon VP, talks about his book "Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon." Host: Carol Massar. Producer: Doni Holloway. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

My guest today is Bill Carr. He joined Amazon in 1999 and spent more than 15 years with the company. As Vice President of Digital Media, Bill launched and managed the company's global digital music and video businesses, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. The topic is his book Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Amazon History Book Business Amazon Echo & Alexa How Amazon Build Customer Trust Zoom and Skype Jump in! --- I'm MICHAEL COVEL, the host of TREND FOLLOWING RADIO, and I'm proud to have delivered 10+ million podcast listens since 2012. Investments, economics, psychology, politics, decision-making, human behavior, entrepreneurship and trend following are all passionately explored and debated on my show. To start? I'd like to give you a great piece of advice you can use in your life and trading journey… cut your losses! You will find much more about that philosophy here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/trend/ You can watch a free video here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/video/ Can't get enough of this episode? You can choose from my thousand plus episodes here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/podcast My social media platforms: Twitter: @covel Facebook: @trendfollowing LinkedIn: @covel Instagram: @mikecovel Hope you enjoy my never-ending podcast conversation!