Working Backwards gives an insider's account of Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time, top-level Amazon executives.
Colin Bryar 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. After Amazon, he and his family relocated to Singapore for two years where Colin served as Chief Operating Officer of e-commerce company RedMart, which was subsequently sold to Alibaba. Colin is co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon. Bill Carr 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. 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 co-founder of Working Backwards LLC where he coaches executives at both large and early-stage companies on how to implement the management practices developed at Amazon.
Jeff Bezos once told me that unlike Google or Apple, 'Amazon
doesn't have one big advantage, so we have to braid a rope out of
many small advantages.' Amazon has demonstrated again and again
that success doesn't result from one big stroke of genius but from
a set of clear business practices consistently and boldly applied.
Colin Bryar and Bill Carr dive deep into how Amazon has become the
company to study if you want to succeed in 21st-century business.
-- Tim O'Reilly, owner of O'Reilly Media
For those looking to change the world in ways (very) large and
small via innovation and business, my strong recommendation is to
dive deeply into Working Backwards. Bill and Colin have
delivered a rarity of immense value, which is a powerful, high
judgment dissection of the inputs to Amazon itself. I anticipate
Working Backwards to quickly become required reading in
board rooms and classrooms around the world -- Jason Kilar, CEO
of WarnerMedia
Colin Bryar and Bill Carr have operationalized the core management
practices that lie behind Amazon's success. In particular, their
insights into how any successful leader can focus on narrative and
metrics to take a short-cut to the truth are essential for any
leader in any industry. You'll want to have your highlighter ready
and keep this book close at hand for quick reference. -- Kim
Scott, author of Radical Candor
Colin and Bill give us an insider's view of Amazon during what was
an extraordinary period of growth for the organization. Having
partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) during my time at Red Hat
and now at IBM, I can attest to their unrelenting commitment to
customers. Leaders who want to foster customer obsession and drive
operational excellence within their organizations should read this
book. -- Jim Whitehurst, President, IBM
Working Backwards serves as a blueprint enabling leaders to
implement guiding principles, operating rhythms and durable
mechanisms that allow teams to scale effectively, even as your
business expands at an accelerated clip. A must read for every
entrepreneur or business leader focused on driving growth. --
Mariana Garavaglia, Chief People & Business Operations Officer,
Peloton
Colin and Bill have captured the essence of what it means at Amazon
to start with the customer and work backwards. They both held
important leadership roles at critical moments in the company's
history that they've translated into interesting stories and
lessons for readers -- Jeff Wilke, CEO, Worldwide Consumer,
Amazon
Colin and Bill very precisely captured the unique corporate culture
of Amazon and described many of the essential parts of Amazon's
approach to innovation. They offer a unique, insiders' view of the
company with many valuable lessons for large companies that want to
reinvent their business models as well as for startups that want to
scale rapidly. This is the definitive innovation playbook. --
Serguei Netessine, Vice Dean and Dhirubhai Ambani Professor of
Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The Wharton School
Working Backwards should be read by anyone interested in the
real thing -the principles, processes and practices of 21st century
management and leadership. -- Forbes Magazine
Rather like a potted business school case study, this book gives us
the story as it developed at the time - and that is probably worth
the cover price of the book in itself. -- The Financial Times
This book reads like a how-to guide, which perhaps is by design ?
Bryar and Carr both were long-time Amazonians and their vantage
point is that of an enthusiast rather than a critic. To be sure,
Amazon offers much to admire....It's a safe bet Amazon's core
principles and practices will remain essentially intact, not
because Bezos will be watching from the executive suite but because
Bryar, Carr and legions of current managers at the company believe
in the Amazon way. -- Associated Press
Rather than offering a dull catalog of the company's 14 leadership
principles and three implementation mechanisms, Mr. Bryar and Mr.
Carr provide concrete and accessible examples of how these are put
into practice across a range of functions, from hiring and
communications to organizational and product design. -- New York
Times
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