Working Backwards

About the Author

Colin Bryar and Bill Carr are distinguished figures in the world of business and technology, having played pivotal roles in the development and success of Amazon. Colin Bryar served as Jeff Bezos’s Chief of Staff, a role that earned him the moniker of "Jeff’s shadow," reflecting his close involvement in the daily operations and strategic decision-making at Amazon. With a career that spans various leadership positions, Bryar’s insights are deeply rooted in firsthand experience at one of the world’s most innovative companies.

Bill Carr, on the other hand, was Amazon’s Vice President of Digital Media, where he spearheaded the creation and growth of Amazon Music and Prime Video. These platforms have since become integral parts of Amazon’s digital ecosystem, contributing significantly to the company’s revenue and customer engagement. Together, Bryar and Carr offer an unparalleled look into the inner workings of Amazon, providing valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and strategy that are applicable far beyond the confines of the company they helped build.

Main Idea

"Working Backwards" is a comprehensive guide to understanding the unique principles and strategies that have propelled Amazon to the forefront of global business. The book delves into the concept of "working backwards" from the customer experience, a methodology that Amazon employs to ensure that every product and service it develops meets or exceeds customer expectations. This approach, coupled with a strong emphasis on operational excellence, innovation, and a customer-first mindset, has enabled Amazon to consistently outperform its competitors and enter new markets with remarkable success.

The authors outline how these principles are not only central to Amazon’s operations but are also replicable strategies that any organization can adopt to foster growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Through detailed analysis and practical examples, Bryar and Carr illustrate how Amazon’s focus on customer experience, rigorous operational practices, and innovative thinking can be applied to any business context.

Table of Contents

1. How Amazon Established a Culture of Success
2. Amazon’s Primary Guiding Principle
3. Working Backwards on a Business Budget
4. Amazon’s Tools for Strategy Development
5. Amazon’s Tools for Building Productive Teams

How Amazon Established a Culture of Success

Amazon’s success is deeply rooted in its unique corporate culture, which was meticulously crafted to encourage innovation, operational efficiency, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction. According to Bryar and Carr, Amazon’s culture is defined by a set of guiding principles that shape employee behavior at every level of the organization. These principles ensure that every decision made within the company aligns with its overarching goal of delivering exceptional value to customers.

One of the key elements of Amazon’s culture is its emphasis on thinking differently. Bryar and Carr explain that Amazon’s leadership deliberately designed the company’s internal practices to challenge conventional business wisdom. By encouraging employees to question the status quo and explore unconventional approaches, Amazon has been able to maintain its competitive edge and continue innovating in ways that disrupt traditional markets.

Moreover, Amazon’s culture is built around the idea of continuous improvement. Employees are encouraged to constantly seek ways to enhance the customer experience and optimize internal processes. This commitment to improvement is reflected in Amazon’s use of specific tools and practices that drive innovation and operational excellence, such as the Product Development Proposal (PDP) and the Deep Thinking Document (DTD), which we will explore in greater detail later in this guide.

Building a Culture Around Virtues and Rules

In "Working Backwards," Bryar and Carr emphasize that Amazon’s culture is not just about achieving business success; it’s also about embodying a set of core virtues that guide employee behavior and decision-making. These virtues include customer obsession, long-term thinking, and a commitment to operational excellence. By embedding these virtues into the company’s day-to-day operations, Amazon ensures that its employees remain focused on what matters most: delivering value to customers.

One of the ways Amazon reinforces these virtues is through the establishment of clear rules and guidelines that dictate how employees should approach their work. For example, Amazon’s famous "Leadership Principles" serve as a framework for decision-making, providing employees with a set of standards to which they must adhere. These principles are not just aspirational; they are actively enforced through the company’s performance management processes, ensuring that employees who do not align with Amazon’s values are either coached to improve or transitioned out of the company.