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Working Backwards cover art

Working Backwards

By: Colin Bryar, Bill Carr
Narrated by: Bill Carr, Colin Bryar, Robert Petkoff
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Summary

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. 

In 2018 Amazon became the world’s second trillion dollar company after Apple: a remarkable success story for a company launched out of a garage in 1994. How did they achieve this? And how can others learn from this extraordinary success and replicate it?

Colin started at Amazon in 1998; Bill joined in 1999. Their time at Amazon covered a period of unmatched innovation that brought products and services including Kindle, Amazon Prime, Amazon Echo and Alexa, and Amazon Web Services to life. Through the story of these innovations they reveal and codify the principles and practices that have driven the success of one of the most extraordinary companies the world has ever known, from the famous 14-leadership principles, the bar raiser hiring process, and Amazon’s founding characteristics: customer obsession, long-term thinking, eagerness to invent, and operational excellence.

Through their wealth of experience they offer unprecedented access to the Amazon way as it was refined, articulated and proven to be repeatable, scalable and adaptable. Working Backwards shows how success is not achieved by the genius of any single leader, but rather through commitment to and execution of a set of well-defined, rigorously executed principles and practices that you can apply at your own company, no matter the size. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2021 Colin Bryar and Bill Carr (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Essential for any leader in any industry." (Kim Scott, best-selling author of Radical Candor)

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I’m not a fan of Amazon but…

I’m not a fan of Amazon on the basis that it’s business model and strategy is that they are willing to sell items at a loss for a long time in order to beat out every small retailers who have staff to pay and pay the bills each month by breaking even. And I do think society is worse off because of that and that they crush the dreams of many small entrepreneurs, who started businesses to support their families.

However this book was a fascinating insight into the teams and culture of the business. There’s a few nuggets of wisdom.

The main thing I took away from the book, probably reading between the lines a bit, is that if an entrepreneur is worried about their next payroll and bills they can’t concentrate on the big picture. Also you can’t compete against businesses who’ll see your whole value proposition as having the weakness of needing to pay for itself so you can pay the bills, and so give it away as a “by the way it’s included”.

Team dynamics and how they manage inputs are great. I’ve a feeling I will re read this book.

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3 people found this helpful

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Very Insightful

Great insights to how the Amazon machine works, how great products are built and developed at Amazon like this very one we are using. Learnt a lot from it.

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Well worth reading

Lot's of interesting insights and valuable lessons. Much easier to work on the long term goals if you have deep pockets.

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A surprisingly easy listen

I really recommend this as a business book. This was the first non-fiction book I was able to finish. The narrative is really good and makes for an easy but informative listen.

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Overpromises and underdelivers

In the first half of the book there are some interesting insights into Amazon management practices.

The second half of the book degenerates into a cult-like sycophantic Jeff-fest. Many of the outcomes seems retrofitted to the management principles rather than have a clear cause and effect.

Finally, we are hit with a pitch for consulting work.

The other striking characteristic of the book is the non-contribution of Bezos himself. We are merely referred to his shareholder letters.

You are better off reading Jim Collins' Good to Great which has obviously been an inspiration for Bezos.

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Amazing book on Amazon thought process

Great book and narration of Amazon ways of working and working backwards with the customer experience at the centre of everything

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Inspiring and thought provoking.

Although many of the concepts within this book are widely known these days, the context provided by the narrative of how they came to pass and how they were applied as enablers within Amazon brings them to life. Recommended!

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Interesting

Thin on detail, but states it is an overview. Still interesting book to listen to.

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Probably the best business book I ever read

Very clear communication of ideas and excellent moments of insights that had me scrambling for a notebook to take notes.

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Fascinating look into the workings and history of Amazon

While seemingly simple this book illustrates that change is hard but long term thinking and persistence can pay off. I’ll read this book again many times no doubt.

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